Portland’s Aerial Tramway is in the heart of one of the most transportation diverse cities in the country. During the four-minute ride, the Tram cabins travel 3300 feet from the South Waterfront Neighborhood to an upper terminal with stunning views. It is also a critical transportation connection to the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) at the top of the hill.

SCJ was selected to be Portland’s Independent Ropeway Engineer for the aerial tramway. Our responsibilities included performing unannounced (surprise!) and announced inspections to ensure the system was being operated and maintained properly. That way the City could count on the Tram’s reliability as a vital piece of their transportation network.

It was an exciting opportunity to be able to work with the City, OHSU and Doppelmayr on this high profile urban tramway system. Seeing how successful this system has been in a transit centric city like Portland provides inspiration for how ropeways can provide safe, reliable, fun transportation in a urban environment.