The Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People, the first modern bridge in the United States to be built exclusively for public transit, bikes and pedestrians opened on September 12, 2015. The cable-stayed bridge across the Willamette River is narrow, consisting of two transit lanes, with tracks for the MAX Orange Line and Streetcar A and B-Loops embedded in the pavement used by Tri-Met Bus Routes 9-Powell and 17-Holgate/Broadway. On each side of the transit right of way is a wide multi-use path with a uni-directional bike lane on the inside and walkway on the outside. Quotes line the railing of the pedestrian walkway with wider viewing areas around each tower. A LED sign with a counter at each end of the bridge count and display the number of bicyclists that have crossed the bridge in a day and in a year.
The name Tilikum means people, tribe and relatives, and is designed to represent the car-free connections the bridge makes bringing people together. The lighting of the bridge was designed by artists Anna Valentina Murch and Doug Hollis to change at the cables and piers in response to stream flow directly under the bridge. Unlike some bridge lighting, the lighting of the Tilikum Crossing is not designed to be changed for special events. The Tilikum Crossing is owned and managed by Tri-Met (including the pedestrian/bike paths) and subject to it's bi-laws, not those of a normal Portland city street.
All photos taken on 8 March, 2018
