Oakland Closer to getting LRT? (Pittsburgh, Allentown: 2009, neighborhoods, construction)

[pman]

Creating a light-rail link between Pittsburgh International Airport and downtown Pittsburgh remains one of Allegheny County’s top three transportation priorities, County Executive Dan Onorato said Friday.

But it’s unlikely the would-be project would receive any money from President Barack Obama’s proposed economic stimulus package.

At least, the project wasn’t included in a 188-page stimulus funding “wish list” released Thursday by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, a planning organization for a 10-county area that includes Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence counties....Another light-rail plan did make it onto the commission’s list, though. An estimated $5.1 billion project would connect downtown Pittsburgh and the city’s Oakland neighborhood via an elevated rail system, and it would also include a “circulator system” that would run in and around Oakland.

The commission is seeking $2.5 billion in federal stimulus money for that project.

A spokesman for Onorato said the airport-to-downtown rail project wasn’t included on the commission’s list because it’s not as far along, from a planning perspective, as the downtown-to-Oakland project.

“It’s not going to be ready to go in six months to a year. The downtown-to-Oakland project could be,” said spokesman Kevin Evanto, noting the county has secured a $1 million federal grant to further study the airport-to-downtown rail project as well as one that would run along Route 28.

Beaver County Times & Allegheny Times Online - News

[dugdogmaster]

I'll believe it when I see it. They've been talking about this forever now.

[NowACityGirl]

I think they ought to take all that money and fix all the potholes in this city. And not just patch them up. FIX them.

[pman]

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato is seeking $7 million in federal funding to begin development of a multibillion-dollar mass transit system linking Pittsburgh International Airport, Downtown, Oakland and several East End neighborhoods.He also has asked for $10.5 million for final design of a commuter rail line from Arnold in Westmoreland County to the Strip District or Downtown...
A rail line to the airport could originate at the end of the Port Authority's North Shore Connector, currently under construction, cross the Ohio River at Brunots Island and serve Mc­Kees Rocks, Stowe, Coraopolis and Moon, including Robert Morris University, said Kevin Evanto, Mr. Onorato's spokesman.
The Downtown-to-Oakland line could originate at the existing First Avenue light-rail station and use the corridor occupied by the Eliza Furnace Trail to reach Oakland. Or it could begin at Penn Station and follow the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway.
He envisions the Downtown-to-Oakland line connecting to a circulator system -- possibly using technology similar to West Virginia University's Personal Rapid Transit system -- serving the Pittsburgh Technology Center, Oakland, Shadyside, Bloomfield, Lawrenceville and the South Side.
The estimated development cost of the rail segments and circulator is $3.5 billion. Mr. Onorato said he wants to explore public-private partnerships to help finance the project -- perhaps having a private investor design, build and operate the circulator line and control development rights along it.
"I'm very open-minded. We're putting everything on the table as far as funding these projects," he said.

Onorato eyes rail links to airport, Oakland
I'd think that the busway to penn station proposal makes the most sense when also considering a downtown to westmoreland commuter rail line and the fact that Philly-Pitt High Speed rail is now on the map. It shoudl eventually mean more business for Penn Station so why not plan for it now? I would assume it would be connected to the T tunnel both towards the south side and potentially via the "convention center connector" that would allow the oakland line to operate through downtown, to the stadiums, and eventually to the airport if the above airport line is built. I think the last routing is probably optimal and you'd likely have a line with much higher ridership than the current T.
edited to add: I suppose if I were looking, I'd be looking at a line that ran from the north shore to penn station, then cut to teh hill district around the arena, then up center ave and over to fifth ave through the heart of oakland.

[fleetiebelle]

In other light rail news:

Neighborhoods to study development along T line

Four city neighborhoods have received $222,700 in state and local funds to study development along the Light Rail Transit system.

It will pay for a market analysis, a survey of capital needs, residential and commercial development efforts, financial planning, coordination between neighborhood groups and government agencies and gathering public input in Beechview, Allentown, Beltzhoover and Mount Washington.