"Looks like bad design to us."

Perhaps, but you need to look at the long term picture when we will no longer need filthy trucks in SE Portland. This is justification.

Another colossal mind-screw.

Yes! Eeww! Bad trucks! Bad cars! Bad busses!
Only trains powered by electricity generated by coal will be allowed in Portlandia.
And has anyone but me noticed the tracks look like they were laid by drunks? Those ribbons of steel just undulate along Grand and MLK. I wouldn't be surprised if a derailment occurred.

Governments forcing populations onto trains has historically produced less than stellar results.

I've noticed at the 200 Market Street Block UPS trucks just pull up on to the sidewalks to unload.

Missing is a view of how close the truck is to the curb.

I'm not a streetcar defender, but this could happen on any route if a vehicle (or bike) parks too far away from the curb.

Also looks like the truck could not get too close to the curb due to the overhanging tree branch. Property owner probably couldn't get permission from city to trim the tree.

Not to worry. I'm sure, by now, there's a "no commercial truck parking" sign up along there. Streetcars take priority over everything else.

Several weeks ago, there was an article in the LO Review about a debate between Ludlow and Lahan and she just came right out and stated that they want the highways freed up for "freight." I think this whole light rail and streetcar obsession (and it is bi-partisan - remember, Blumenauer had a conservative (dead now) working with him on promoting light rail and streetcars) continues to be just an effort to get (force) the middle class on to a "nicer" public transit (poor people were already taking buses) to free up the freeways and major highways for rich people in their luxury cars (to give them a less congested, more pleasant drive) and "freight" (gotta keep that free market crony capitalism flowing, especially to the top). Air quality is really just a secondary consideration for these people.

Here's the curb, on Google Street View:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=633+se+grand+portland&ll=45.517188,-122.659457&spn=0.011186,0.01929&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&hnear=633+SE+Grand+Ave,+Portland,+Oregon+97214&gl=us&t=h&layer=c&cbll=45.518202,-122.66075&panoid=z0L0RTO3ZUkdwIYQ7dL4JQ&cbp=12,129.99,,0,12.51&z=16

It appears that the geniuses who laid the streetcar track didn't leave enough room for a truck. Of course, a bus could just go around the truck.

EZ solution:

Ban cars and trucks from another street...quick WHILE THE LAME DUCKS have no fear of citizen outrage!

A $143MM would have bought a bunch of new buses that would not have been stopped/stranded/stymied because of this everyday occurance.

Or one of those electric trolley buses. The kind than run on electricity AND can steer. Of course those don't have permanent rail paths so it won't enrich the real estate developer thieves. Gotta' remember that the goal is to get money. Citizens/passengers are just noisy cargo necessary to get the loot. (They would be so much cheaper to install and re-route if things don't plan out. More routes and miles per buck.)

That's a moving van, so the streetcar driver probably feared a liability suit if passage accidentally jostled something inside. But this raises another question: isn't everything supposed to be transported by cargo bike?

I hope to have a little credibility on this site, so I am throwing out a story from a friend that moonlights as a cab driver.

About a year ago my friend picked up the principle schematics engineer responsible for the track design and all the abatements relates to the "vision" of the east side loop project at the airport. They starting talking and blah-blah, the east side toy train came up: one guy designed it and the other has to drive it. The engineer guy stated that he brought up some issues about abatements and the awesome sweeping curve that goes across all of NE Broadway to the city planners. He was told to design it as instructed and the city would deal with any future issues.

There is no point to the story, perception, or essence any more.

I will be walking.

Had to stop at Andy & Bax a few weeks ago after work.
Noticed the wavy tracks, wrote it off to drunken union construction workers.

Portland, my love for you is like a truck. Given how you feel about trucks, I hope you understand.

They want your vehicle to stick out, it keeps the government-managed towing racket alive.

If you park well and it doesn't stick out, they'll push it out until it blocks the toy train.

"You Shall Not Pass!!!"

The wavy tracks could be the work of drop outs from the
PDX "un" education system.

Not like anyone rides on these things anywho -- and the driver will get OT if delayed. What's the problem?

If the streetcar had been in service, and the truck had been parked there for 90 minutes, then the photo would show another 4 or 5 streetcars backed up behind this one, each one stopped dead in its tracks.

Makes me want to rent the widest truck I can and park it in the street cars path once it opens to see just how backed pup things can get...

The photo correctly depicts many streets with streetcars and the miniscule width left for the average truck.

For example along the streetcar line in SoWhat along SW Moody, the measured width from the streetcar pavement mark to curb is 8 ft for parallel parking. With truck mirrors, having to park a big truck in tight parallel spots, avoiding sidewalk signs that protrude into the parking area, it is impossible to park large vehicles and avoid the streetcar. A good friend of mine drives for UPS and verifies this.

Just another example of screwing commerce, vehicles for the common good. What? When 95% of all trips are by vehicles?

Whoever designed this needs to get a job with the CRC. He will be thoroughly appreciated there.

ooopsy - I guess they forgot to factor in those infernal combustion machines that actually help keep the city and local businesses functioning....what a concept.