A and B Loop

A and B Loop
A streetcar operating the B Loop route and crossing the Broadway Bridge in 2016
Overview
Other name(s)	Portland Streetcar Loop Project[1][2] Central Loop Line (2012–2015)
Status	Operational
Owner	City of Portland
Locale	Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Stations	52
Service
Type	Streetcar
System	Portland Streetcar
Services	2
Operator(s)	Portland Streetcar, Inc. TriMet
Daily ridership	A Loop: 1,541 B Loop: 1,369 (Weekday, August 2022)[3]
History
Opened	September 22, 2012; 12 years ago (2012-09-22)
Technical
Line length	A Loop: 6.1 mi (9.8 km) B Loop: 6.6 mi (10.6 km)
Character	At-grade (mixed between street running and exclusive lane) and elevated[4]: 17
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead line, 750 V DC
Route diagram Legend NS NW 11th & Marshall NW 10th & Northrup NW 9th & Lovejoy Broadway Bridge over Willamette River NS N Broadway/Weidler & Ross NW 11th/10th & Johnson NW 11th/10th & Glisan NE Weidler & 2nd NE Broadway & 2nd NW 11th/10th & Couch NE Broadway/Weidler & Grand NE 7th & Halsey SW 11th/10th & Alder NE Grand & Multnomah Blue Line │ Red Line Northeast 7th Avenue & Holladay Blue Line │ Red Line Blue Line │ Green Line │ Red Line Central Library NE Grand & Holladay SW 11th & Taylor NE Oregon & Grand Art Museum SW 11th and Jefferson NE Grand & Hoyt SW 11th/10th & Clay NE MLK & Hoyt I-84 Banfield Expressway SE Grand & Burnside SW Park & Market/Mill SE MLK & Burnside Portland Transit Mall SE Grand & Stark Green Line │ Yellow Line SE MLK & Stark PSU Urban Center │ SW 5th & Market SE Grand & Morrison Green Line │ Orange Line SE MLK & Morrison SW 5th & Montgomery SE Grand & Taylor Portland Transit Mall SE MLK & Taylor SW 3rd & Harrison SE Grand & Hawthorne SE MLK & Hawthorne SW Harrison Street SE Grand & Mill S River Parkway & Moody SE MLK & Mill I-5 Marquam Bridge S Moody & Meade OMSI Orange Line Tilikum Crossing over Willamette River NS Orange Line This diagram: view talk edit

The A and B Loop is a streetcar circle route of the Portland Streetcar system in Portland, Oregon, United States. Operated by Portland Streetcar, Inc. and TriMet, it is made up of two separate services: the 6.1-mile (9.8 km) A Loop, which runs clockwise, and the 6.6-mile (10.6 km) B Loop, which runs counterclockwise. The route travels a loop between the east and west sides of the Willamette River by crossing the Broadway Bridge in the north and Tilikum Crossing in the south.

The A and B Loop connects Portland's downtown, Pearl District, Lloyd District, Central Eastside, and South Waterfront. It serves various landmarks and institutions, including the Rose Quarter, the Oregon Convention Center, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), and Portland State University (PSU). Riders can transfer to Frequent Express (FX) and MAX Light Rail from several stations along the route.

Portland city officials considered an eastside streetcar line upon authorizing the Central City Streetcar on the west side in 1997. After several years of planning, the Portland Streetcar Loop Project was approved and held its groundbreaking in 2009. The first 3.3 miles (5.3 km) opened between the Broadway Bridge and OMSI on September 22, 2012. It was inaugurated by the Central Loop Line (CL Line) service, which ran additionally on the westside along 10th and 11th avenues. The opening of Tilikum Crossing in 2015 extended the streetcar from OMSI to the South Waterfront; this completed the loop, and the CL Line was rebranded to A and B Loop.