:wtf:

Is there any ideas for any future commuter rail, light rail, or streetcar lines for Pittsburgh?

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Is anyone aware of what sort of political roadblock, or unseen real estate ownership situation, perpetually stalls connection of DT and Oakland via a tunnel?  Are the busways and other bus service so good that a fast light rail tunnel would offer only an incremental increase in service?  I find that hard to imagine. 

If you live near the busway line following the railroad tracks northeast of downtown it works incredibly well (North Oakland, Shadyside, etc). Not sure about Squirrel Hill and Oakland, though. I imagine their bus service isn't as reliable/convenient.

Future transit ideas:

-Allegheny Valley Railroad for commuter rail (connecting downtown Pittsburgh to New Kensington via Penn Hills and Lawrenceville): http://triblive.com/neighborhoods/yourallekiskivalley/yourallekiskivalleymore/5173263-74/rail-pittsburgh-project#axzz2vs4jk8O9

-Downtown to Airport Light Rail: This is constantly in talks and was thrown out as a possibility to be funded with recent money from drilling: http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/3601107-74/north-million-rail#axzz2vs4jk8O9

-Peduto wanted a lawrenceville to oakland to hazelwood light rail: http://www.billpeduto.com/2013/03/18/65-river-to-river-rail-connecting-people-to-jobs/

-Various conversions of the East Busway to rail have also been discussed

 

As to the light rail link to Oakland (and beyond), it was much discussed a decade or two back as the 'spine line'. The idea was to expand the light rail from downtown in two directions: to the north shore (and later the airport) and to oakland. Both extensions were studied. The cost to drill to Oakland were considered too much, so the FTA gave them a bone (with some congressional push, I belive) and funded the North Shore extension. Of course that ended up costing more than the projection for the Spine Line in the first place. But its a nice link to travel.

 

^I always wonder why the MLK East Busway wasn't converted to rail.  It originates at Penn Station, which is where the now defunct (but still extant) LRT stub/terminal exists.  With the roadway, the ROW adjacent to the NS ROW is graded and ready for trains: just add tracks and wires… even the stations stairs could probably be usable by trains with some adjustments ... But critics say LRT is too expensive, citing the cost of the South Hills lines, which I've seen quoted as not being as effective as the current bus line... I will give them this: the East Busway is more of a true BRT than Cleveland's in terms of true rapid transit speed.  Still, I just think it makes much more sense to convert the 9.5 miles of MLK busway into LRT, esp since the connection to the subway is right there at Penn Station -- and connected via subway, no less.

 

:wtf: :wtf:

Is it true that the Allentown section is shutdown because of money problems? What could be done to use this line better? Any ideas?

^Yes, I understand this is true... The Penn Station branch has been shut down too, for both money and low ridership issues.  I'm not sure what could be done for Allentown cause I've never traveled in that section of Pittsburgh, but do know that they used that section as a bypass when they closed the Mt. Washington transit tunnel for repairs.  It apparently had very light traffic, which is indicative of the fact that it merges into the other lines as a single-track line just before heading into the Golden Triangle over the Panhandle Bridge.