My Pittsburgh long Term Rail Transit plan (McKeesport, Greensburg: homes, neighborhood)

[DarkWolf]

Just something i cooked up today and thought id share....
Includes
Interurban Rail lines > Hybrid of Streetcar / Regional Rail
Streetcar > like the Philly Trolleys
EMU lines > Electrified Rail lines = to NJT Electrified Regional Rail
Diesel Regional Rail > Diesel Commuter lines = North Jersey Coast line

Interurban Rail - No it wouldn't have to be that big it could be smaller.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joc111-IDgA

Streetcar - No it wouldn't be this ugly probably like the Portland Streetcars


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgUJUFRqQaE

EMU lines - No it wouldn't be this fast



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrCBjnuNocw

Diesel Regional Rail - No it wouldn't be this fast either


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr1IhBX8m1w

Pittsburgh Long Term Light Rail Transit Plan - Google Maps

[pman]

whatever plan is adopted, it should lower the operating costs (especially per passenger)

[rogcha_22]

I don't think it's very likely that an agreement could be made to run commuter trains on many of the tracks along the rivers due to the high volume of freight traffic that runs daily. However, if the AVRR commuter line ever gets going and ends up with high ridership, I could see them start to look at using other lines for the same purpose.

While I don't think it's likely that your plan would ever come to fruition, it'd be interesting to see what everyone thinks about the layout you've proposed. I think you'd be better off to eliminate the Bridgeville/Heidelberg/Carnegie line (79 and 50/60 make it relatively easy to get into the city from these points, and from past experience I've noticed that with the exception of the busway, ridership isn't very high on the routes that serve Bridgeville/Upper St Clair/Heidelberg/etc). A line along the route 51 corridor would go through more densely populated areas and be a viable alternative to the stop and go traffic that is Saw Mill Run Blvd.

I also think at least a spur route to Monroeville/Murrysville would be a good idea.

While I don't see it happening anytime soon, I think one commuter rail line along each river valley would be a great idea and could be a real incentive for people to move to some of the old steel towns that were left for dead. People look at Belle Vernon and Monessen now and wouldn't even consider them suburbs of Pittsburgh, but if there was a reliable rail line that could put you downtown in under an hour from these places, it'd definitely be a reason to move there (at least moreso than the toll road that doesn't even take you anywhere near the city)

[Copanut]

I used to ride the McKeesport Flyer to Downtown Pgh about a hundred years ago. That was when the City had about 600K and business was booming. Even then, the train was rarely used. As someone who grew up riding trains, I would love to see them make a comeback in Pgh, but it will never happen. Not enough people work downtown to make it profitable.

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by Copanut

I used to ride the McKeesport Flyer to Downtown Pgh about a hundred years ago. That was when the City had about 600K and business was booming. Even then, the train was rarely used. As someone who grew up riding trains, I would love to see them make a comeback in Pgh, but it will never happen. Not enough people work downtown to make it profitable.

I could be wrong, but downtown Pittsburgh's job density is very high, especially for a U.S. city.

[Faer]

While these are cool, I think a lot of these lines would not be close to financially justifiable, and neglects establishing the one of the more financially viable rail services - a North Hills commuter line (ie. Ross, Wexford, Cranberry), akin to how the T services the South Hills. For your southern lines, it would make more sense to just tie into the existing T to access downtown if you need to service those areas.

In an utopian setting, I would see the following added: NSC to Sewickley (maybe, just maybe Beaver), an East End "spine line" (I don't think further than, say, Murraysville makes sense), a North Hills commuter, the New Kens commuter, and a line from Station Square to Kennywood (imagine the impact of that, particularly in the South Side and Homestead), and an airport line. And thats my mind running wild in railroad make-a-wish land; anything else would be even more superfluous.

[Copanut]

You people are dreaming, in my neighborhood only 1 person works Downtown. The idea that public transportation is geared to getting people downtown is old fashioned.

[Faer]

Originally Posted by Copanut

You people are dreaming, in my neighborhood only 1 person works Downtown. The idea that public transportation is geared to getting people downtown is old fashioned.

I think there would be demand for a North Hills commuter line, similar to the type of demand for the T. An East End line would connect alot more things than bedroom communities to downtown. I only mention the New Kens line because it would be the cheapest line to implement if its using a diesel system on shared industrial lines, as I understand it is, although I'm not completely sure of its value (except as a boon to Oakmont).

[neurodistortion]

Originally Posted by Faer

In an utopian setting, I would see the following added: NSC to Sewickley (maybe, just maybe Beaver), an East End "spine line" (I don't think further than, say, Murraysville makes sense), a North Hills commuter, the New Kens commuter, and a line from Station Square to Kennywood (imagine the impact of that, particularly in the South Side and Homestead), and an airport line. And thats my mind running wild in railroad make-a-wish land; anything else would be even more superfluous.

I would also expand from Monroeville and Murrysville to Irwin and Greensburg. A lot of people commute to Pittsburgh from those areas.

[Copanut]

Again, how many people work downtown???