Dear Friend, A century ago, streetcars laid the foundation for cities and suburban areas across the country. Virtually every major American city was designed around streetcar lines. In 1910, you could travel from Boston to Chicago entirely on streetcar lines, just transferring from one to another. Sadly, 60 years later, the streetcar had largely disappeared in favor of the automobile. Only the St. Charles Streetcar Line in New Orleans remained of this once vast network.  We had a different vision in Portland. In 1987, I fought to develop a circulator system in the central city. After 15 years, we had a streetcar loop in downtown Portland. It connected people on a human-scale for a relatively low-cost. It sent a signal about the city’s transportation priorities. Bus routes change, but streetcar lines endure. The city, developers, and businesses could count on it. It continues to play a vital role in our central city, connecting neighborhoods and guiding development.