11/08/10 Portland, Ore.

On Monday evening, the Portland Aerial Tram reached another significant milestone: 5 million riders. At 4:28 p.m. Mashhur Hasan, an Intel employee and father of an OHSU patient, became the 5 millionth person to ride the tram. To celebrate the historic ride, Mashhur and his son were given tram T-shirts, binoculars and bookmarks.

A photo of Mashhur and his son at the upper tram terminal along with Portland Aerial Tram Manager Brett Dodson can be downloaded here.

Since the Portland Aerial Tram’s opening in December 2006, the tram cabins have travelled 186,638 round trips. The tram has operated a total of 13,123 hours.

ADDITIONAL TRAM STATS

• Distance between the two tram terminals: 3,300 feet
• Trip time (one way): About 3 minutes
• Top speed: 22 MPH
• Highest point above ground: 178 feet
• Maximum number of passengers 78 per cabin
• Environmental benefits: It is estimated the Tram annually eliminates two million vehicle miles, saving 93,000 gallons of gas and reducing greenhouse gases by more than 1,000 tons.

Weekday operating hours for the Portland Aerial Tram are 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Operating hours on Saturdays are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost to ride the Portland Aerial Tram is $4 per person. Children 6 and under ride free.