Braddock 15104

[happywithbraddock]

Seven billion dollars! The Mon-Fayette Expressway is supposed to clock in at four billion, which would translate to seven billion tax dollars to pay back the bonds required to build this monster. All the while, Pittsburgh's bridges have more failing grades than passing ones. Face it, the road is dead. There's no money for it. If Penndot does find money for it, we'll just have to sue them over those unsafe bridges and force them to allocate the money correctly for the public's safety. Cities all over the country have seen their urban neighborhoods revitalize as young people reject suburbia. How about we give Pittsburgh a chance to catch up before we destroy quite a few of its urban neighborhoods with more useless roads. Here's a question...supporters want this road so it will bleed pressure off the Squirrel Hill tunnel, but what happens when the population of Pittsburgh starts growing again? The pressure will build back up, that's what. The MFE is either a very expensive temporary solution or a government admission that Pittsburgh will continue a downward spiral. Either way, it's time to kill it.

That road is keeping places like Braddock and Rankin from getting better. Braddock is full of buildings the owners are letting rot because they're holding out for that boondoggle expressway to pay them top dollar. I know of a dozen beautiful and completely savable buildings right now that are rotting while their owners hold out for the expressway to buy them. Most homes in Braddock were built in the late nineteenth century. They're stronger than anything being built right now. I also know of more than a dozen young couples who would love to move to Braddock and fix up a home, but they're worried the expressway will come through. If you really want to help Braddock, kill that fantasy road. File your bogus economic benefit studies in the circular file and let us really start building Braddock back up.

[aliceadams]

I understand that the city council and the mayor are always at odds. That ,that is why there is so little being done to really move things along. Any info on this situation. Thanks,Alice

[PeterRabbit]

If I live or own property there I am not sure where the roadway will come through and what properties will be affected. In Turtle Creek there's three different proposals and all of them will go through some part of downtown.

I'm not letting my property rot in hopes of getting paid a bundle from the state. I just don't want to put a lot of money into maintaining it and a year or two later the state comes by and makes me take bottom dollar for it. That's the unfair predictament home owners and businesses have been in for many years. And it's hard to sell those properties for the same reasons. People have been stuck for way too long.

[roryjwhite]

Braddock has hope. A lot is being done but businesses have to come. They are not going to come because the council taxes businesses an obscene amount to operate in Braddock. There are not enough citizens to provide the proper amount of tax money for Braddock so the council thinks they should get it from the businesses. This is a very short sighted solution and is forcing what few good businesses there are to leave. Until the council changes this policy or the members change Braddock is going to die. I say Braddock should live and the council should be replaced. Keep up the good work in town though. It is great but it must be coupled with economic restoration. The town gets most of its money from grants now anyway.