North Shore Connector: Positives (Pittsburgh, Duquesne: restaurant, assessment, gardens)

[stevo6]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

"Headways" is a bit of a funny concept as applied to gondola systems, since in motion, they are attached to the same cable and move at a fixed distance. But yes, they would be leaving/arriving in stations less than one minute apart.

Yeah, I also don't understand the comparison. Lightrail can transport 300 people at 3 minute headways. Theoretically 2 minutes are possible, but thats not likely to be achieved here consistantly. So lets say you can move 100 people per minute at peak conditions. Thats 6000/hour. The gondolas can move what- maybe half that if you figure on 3 gondolas per minute?

The complexity with the rail scenario is of course you don't have enough trains to serve a long distance at that rate. You have to stack them on a tail track and have enough to cover the loop of travel at 3 minute intervals. But the same problem pertains to gondolas I suppose. Your not going to have a string of pearls spaced at say 20 second intervals from downtown to Oakland.

I do like the aesthetic potential of the gondolas though.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by stevo6

Your not going to have a string of pearls spaced at say 20 second intervals from downtown to Oakland.

17 MPH is about 25 feet per second, so 20 second intervals would be about 500 feet spacing, which is actually quite doable.

I may be screwing up this math, but the linked information for the particular technology I was assuming was vehicle capacity up to 17 people, total capacity up to around 4000 ppdph. At 17 people per vehicle that's around 240 vehicles per hour, or 4 per minute, so about 15 seconds of spacing between vehicles.

(edit: I think this is consistent with your calculation of 3000 ppdph assuming 20 second spacing. unedit.)

Again, though, at 17 mph that is about 375 feet of spacing, which is fine. For example, for a 2.1 mile line you would need about 59 vehicles to get that spacing (don't forget to double it), and since these are not very large or complex vehicles (no motors, no guidance, and so forth), they are also pretty cheap.

[Evergrey]

I rode the NSC for the first time last Sunday afternoon, and I loved it! I started at the casino terminus and rode to Gateway station.

For a Sunday afternoon with no major events on the North Shore, I was quite impressed with how many people were riding. The Casino stop was playing classical music as I waited and looked out at the beautiful confluence from the elevated platform. A visitor from Orange County, NY and his young son were asking me for recommendations on where to explore. The ride under the Allegheny was extremely smooth and presented a real "big city" aura to the visitors from NY. Emerging at the sun-dappled Gateway station was remarkable... I am a big fan of the design.

Tight North Shore parking clue to connector's popularity - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

[BrianTH]

Now we just have to properly develop the available land around it.

[pman]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Now we just have to properly develop the available land around it.

well, toby Kieth is getting in on it so who's worried?

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by pman

well, toby Kieth is getting in on it so who's worried?

Although if Toby Keith's was the first-floor tenant in an 8-10 story building, I wouldn't particularly care. The fact it is going to be a two-story building is the part that bothers me.

[airwave09]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Although if Toby Keith's was the first-floor tenant in an 8-10 story building, I wouldn't particularly care. The fact it is going to be a two-story building is the part that bothers me.

I am curious as to how much of this building will be affected by the highway overpasses nearby... maybe this is one of the reasons for the short height?

Disclaimer: I'm not trying to defend this plan at all.

[speagles84]

Airwave, you are correct. Building standards depict and restrict heights new buildings can be around interstate highways.

Does anyone know if there are plans to continue to extend the T farther into the North Hills?

[pman]

Originally Posted by airwave09

I am curious as to how much of this building will be affected by the highway overpasses nearby... maybe this is one of the reasons for the short height?

Disclaimer: I'm not trying to defend this plan at all.

I don't think so since stabile claimed he'd build an office tower. the steelers said "we're building this pos because fo the development timeline requirements."

[Lobick]

Originally Posted by speagles84

Airwave, you are correct. Building standards depict and restrict heights new buildings can be around interstate highways.

Does anyone know if there are plans to continue to extend the T farther into the North Hills?

That may be true, but there's a six story building on the river just as close to the Interstate so I'm reasonably sure whatever restrictions you're citing would not be mandating a two story building. Furthermore, the applicable parking lot is not meaningfully impeded by the ramp from the Ft. Duquesne Bridge either exiting the North Shore or continuing to Ohio River Boulevard.

There are no immediate plans to further expand the T anywhere. The logical conclusion is to follow the Ohio, should such an expansion be proposed, but obviously there would appear to be a lack of political will at this time.