Considering a move to PGH from New England: Beechview vs. Swissvale (Pittsburgh: neighborhood, construction)

[svband76]

Originally Posted by guy2073

Pat transit has too many stops. There is no need to have a stop on every street corner.

Right. That's what Access, Uber, Lyft, jitneys are for...

[PghYinzer]

Originally Posted by USC1986

I believe the T is considered the slowest light rail transit in North America.
As someone who used to ride it daily from South Hills Village to downtown ( admittedly 18 years ago), the slow pace was maddening, especially with all of those stops in Beechview.

Well the Blue Line runs to South Hills Village and has considerably fewer stops. Not sure if it did 18 years ago or not.

[pittsburghaccuweather]

Originally Posted by USC1986

I believe the T is considered the slowest light rail transit in North America.
As someone who used to ride it daily from South Hills Village to downtown ( admittedly 18 years ago), the slow pace was maddening, especially with all of those stops in Beechview.

Technically, the t isn’t light rail it is a trolley line. Hence why it is called the T. The track width is small and cars are top heavy unlike light rail which cars and rails are wider faster and larger.

It’s better than having nothing, but I don’t see it being expanded and wouldn’t be surprised if the line gets daily brownouts or gets mothballed totally by 2030.

Self driving buses or other vehicles will replace it. Money will be the driving factor. Old technology too costly to maintain.

[szug-bot]

good technical information in this thread - it strengthens the anti-expansion argument.

[pittsburghaccuweather]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

good technical information in this thread - it strengthens the anti-expansion argument.

Yep. They had the energy capacity to extend the T two miles. So you got your additional below ground stop for PNC and Heinz field.

Hard to imagine them ever expanding it again. A lot of people are not privy to this information, but if you do research it’s there. I’m not sure if anybody manufactures the trolley gauge cars anymore. The ones on the current T were purchased new in 1985 and were refurbished at least once, maybe twice.

The proof is in the pudding that the system is old and dated. Read the reason why they deactivated the Warrington Ave brown line. Not enough power to run two cars up and down the hill at once.

That said the port authority got money to build the new tunnel but not maintain it.

I believe you will see service cutbacks in the 2020s on the T. They keep putting bandaids on the system. Sooner or later new technology is gonna retire the T.

I think this would be different if the electrical was more modern and the trolley tracks were standard gauge, ie. a true light rail transit.

This falls under the old and outdated Pittsburgh infrastructure argument. A line that was never updated or invested in.

[guy2073]

Originally Posted by pittsburghaccuweather

Yep. They had the energy capacity to extend the T two miles. So you got your additional below ground stop for PNC and Heinz field.

Hard to imagine them ever expanding it again. A lot of people are not privy to this information, but if you do research it’s there. I’m not sure if anybody manufactures the trolley gauge cars anymore. The ones on the current T were purchased new in 1985 and were refurbished at least once, maybe twice.

The proof is in the pudding that the system is old and dated. Read the reason why they deactivated the Warrington Ave brown line. Not enough power to run two cars up and down the hill at once.

That said the port authority got money to build the new tunnel but not maintain it.

I believe you will see service cutbacks in the 2020s on the T. They keep putting bandaids on the system. Sooner or later new technology is gonna retire the T.

I think this would be different if the electrical was more modern and the trolley tracks were standard gauge, ie. a true light rail transit.

This falls under the old and outdated Pittsburgh infrastructure argument. A line that was never updated or invested in.

There are tons of gauges used throughout the world, it is not hard for a company to switch the spacing on its axles. Not only can that gauge still be ordered they plan to order more in the future.

The trolley lines are updated constantly, the line going through beechview is newer, the north shore extension is newer, the library line just recieved a rebuild in some areas and south hill junction just had a partial rebuild. If you are going to talk **** at least do a little research first.

[pittsburghaccuweather]

Originally Posted by guy2073

There are tons of gauges used throughout the world, it is not hard for a company to switch the spacing on its axles. Not only can that gauge still be ordered they plan to order more in the future.

The trolley lines are updated constantly, the line going through beechview is newer, the north shore extension is newer, the library line just recieved a rebuild in some areas and south hill junction just had a partial rebuild. If you are going to talk **** at least do a little research first.

I’m not talking ****. You really think the T is going to continue to get investment and upgrades through 2020s? It’s old technology and too costly to maintain. It sucks resources and energy. It is slower than true light rail.

The whole system needs upgraded. Bits and pieces of upgrades are just bandaids. No way they will continue to sink money into it.

[guy2073]

Originally Posted by pittsburghaccuweather

I’m not talking ****. You really think the T is going to continue to get investment and upgrades through 2020s? It’s old technology and too costly to maintain. It sucks resources and energy. It is slower than true light rail.

The whole system needs upgraded. Bits and pieces of upgrades are just bandaids. No way they will continue to sink money into it.

It will be around longer than you and i will be.

[_Buster]

The T is slower in the DT subway portion, because of sharp turns and the design of the track, not because the train tech is slower. but it moves fairly fast on straight track. Yes it is light rail. It is the very definition of light rail (which is pretty broad actually). but go on doing your own definitions if that makes you happy. Trolley= streetcar. Its not streetcar. You're living in the 1960s or something

[pittsburghaccuweather]

Originally Posted by guy2073

It will be around longer than you and i will be.

It depends on how old you are. PAT won’t get the transit money to fix maintenance issues. The public money will be less when the new census numbers come out.

The feds aren’t going to throw anymore money at declining cities to support public transit. The only reason why Pittsburgh got the tunnel is because the Rooney’s wanted it and rick santourm lobbied heavily in favor of this money during Ws years in office.

Technology is changing self driving vehicles and buses are the future.

The next big thing is people will not be buying cars like in the past. You will pay a subscription to an auto maker and get your choice of vehicle you want for the day, week or month. That is close to being a reality. Self driving technology. The T ain’t gonna be updated. It will be mothballed in 20 years.

Pa act 89 is pretty much keeping the Port Authority afloat. Without it the T would probably be going by the wayside now. It is set to expire in 2022. Let’s see if they renew it and where the money will go. Act 89 resulted in the highest gasoline tax in the nation.