Will the proposed light rail to New Ken really happen? (Philadelphia: house, employment)

[ebyrnes]

I've been trying to follow the possibility for light rail from downtown to New Kensington, but since I am still stuck in Philadelphia, it is hard...what do you you think that chances of this happening are? We really like New Ken (yep, I know that we're in the minority with that opinion) but I don't want to live somewhere without decent public transit. If the light rail had a more than 50% chance of happening, I think that we'd take the gamble and buy a house there.

So, anyone with inside information?

TIA, e

[Copanut]

Will never happen.

[BrianTH]

So recently the City completed a planning process, the Allegheny Riverfront Vision project, which included a commuter rail proposal. Citing that study, the feds just gave the the commuter rail proposal a $1.5 million planning grant (in part from a highly competitive DOT program, Tiger II):

http://www.riverlifepgh.org/news/pre...portation_alo/
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10309/1100867-147.stm

That's pretty significant recent progress. Combine that with the growing pressure to provide a high-capacity Route 28 alternative, and I think the stars may well be aligning. But given the long history of this idea, I wouldn't necessarily make a big financial bet on it happening until it had actually gotten construction funding.

Edit:

Oh, and this article suggested the AVR had private financing waiting in the wings:

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_689893.html

[Copanut]

I grew up in Pgh when this town was plus 650K, and the commuter rail from McKeesport to Downtown could not be supported. Why would anyone think it could work now?

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Copanut

I grew up in Pgh when this town was plus 650K, and the commuter rail from McKeesport to Downtown could not be supported. Why would anyone think it could work now?

Because things are changing. Fuel prices are going up. Downtown hasn't lost its prominence as an employment center, and more people are trying to commute in along the Route 28 corridor, and now the existing road infrastructure in that corridor is above capacity without easy ways to expand it. People are becoming more interested in texting than driving during their commutes. People are also more interested in living in redeveloped urban areas (this project would provide local service from the Strip to Steel Plaza, all as part of a multi-modal green corridor). The feds are now more interested in providing funding for non-auto-centric urban development projects. And so on.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Because things are changing. Fuel prices are going up. Downtown hasn't lost its prominence as an employment center, and more people are trying to commute in along the Route 28 corridor, and now the existing road infrastructure in that corridor is above capacity without easy ways to expand it. People are becoming more interested in texting than driving during their commutes. People are also more interested in living in redeveloped urban areas (this project would provide local service from the Strip to Steel Plaza, all as part of a multi-modal green corridor). The feds are now more interested in providing funding for non-auto-centric urban development projects. And so on.

Sorry, all of my best friends work in the suburbs. IMHO, the downtown area is not the hub it used to be.

[ctoocheck]

Originally Posted by Copanut

Sorry, all of my best friends work in the suburbs. IMHO, the downtown area is not the hub it used to be.

Downtown still has a huge concentration of jobs though. And if you think about it, I'd bet there used to be even more jobs in the "suburbs" back in the steel era (what with all the factories in towns like Braddock, New Ken, whereever) than there are today.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Copanut

Sorry, all of my best friends work in the suburbs. IMHO, the downtown area is not the hub it used to be.

Well, anecdotes are not really useful for this purpose. This presentation contains some useful information:

http://www.downtownpittsburgh.com/_f...esentation.ppt

From 1996 to 2006, Golden Triangle employment increased from 88,549 to 109,619, which is 23.8%.

Using BLS data, Metro Pittsburgh saw a much smaller percentage increase from 1996 to 2006, 1,077,800 to 1,137,100, which is 5.5%.

In other words, Golden Triangle employment has recently been increasing its percentage share of total employment in the Metro Area.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by ctoocheck

Downtown still has a huge concentration of jobs though. And if you think about it, I'd bet there used to be even more jobs in the "suburbs" back in the steel era (what with all the factories in towns like Braddock, New Ken, whereever) than there are today.

I won't argue that point.

But get real, how many people work downtown?

Things change, look at South Pointe, look at Cranberry with Westinghouse moving there.

I grew up with the expression, Just like downtown!

Guess what, who cares about downtown these days?

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Well, anecdotes are not really useful for this purpose. This presentation contains some useful information:

www.downtownpittsburgh.com/_files/docs/pdp_daw_origina4_11-presentation.ppt

From 1996 to 2006, Golden Triangle employment increased from 88,549 to 109,619, which is 23.8%.

Using BLS data, Metro Pittsburgh saw a much smaller percentage increase from 1996 to 2006, 1,077,800 to 1,137,100, which is 5.5%.

In other words, Golden Triangle employment has recently been increasing its percentage share of total employment in the Metro Area.

All I know is the YMCA moved because of the lack of people coming downtown.