Anyone Ride the "T+" Yet? (employment, buses)

[Drover]

Originally Posted by ML North

Work begins to connect T station to Heinz Field - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Are the Stillers expected to pick up any of the cost for this?

ETA: I guess they are.

[stevo6]

The walkway connection is for the purpose of getting Steeler fans off of the street in order to limit liability associated with the potential interraction with traffic.
The connection(s) is not a simple thing, if you think about people queing on an elevated walkway and the need to a) check tickets and b) exit those people in the event of an emergency.
This will be a significant revision, hence the price tag.
What is certain is that the aesthetic of the current station will be completely altered when all is said and done.

[Lobick]

What we paid for the North Shore Connector

Interesting math.

Money quote:

"So if you are the typical county taxpayer who also paid federal and state personal income taxes, your share was about $45, spread over nearly six years. Since rides are free on the connector, if you use it 20 times, you break even on the deal."

[BrianTH]

Also interesting that the parking garage is now filling up daily.

Generally, as much as this project has been criticized as a boondoggle, from a local perspective the benefits WAY exceed the costs. The thing that will always frustrate me is that it could have been even more useful with a different routing, but nonetheless we're definitely much better off having it instead of nothing.

[pman]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Also interesting that the parking garage is now filling up daily.

Generally, as much as this project has been criticized as a boondoggle, from a local perspective the benefits WAY exceed the costs. The thing that will always frustrate me is that it could have been even more useful with a different routing, but nonetheless we're definitely much better off having it instead of nothing.

even if the pnc park station had been built in the original location it would work for a potential future routing via allegheny ctr (and going backwards, had gateway been built differently it would not have had to be rebuilt, thus lowering the cost of this project). still, if the theory is working, I believe one stop could be added at north ave east of the highway serving a neighborhood before it's eventual extension (I presume it was meant to eventually connect to the west busway?)...

[Lobick]

The big news for Pittsburgh was a 13.5 percent increase in ridership on the Light Rail Transit system, fueled by the debut of the North Shore Connector, evidently now officially minted as a Tunnel to Somewhere. Riders took nearly 700,000 more rail rides than in the first nine months of 2011.

Apparently, we LOVE our North Shore Connector

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by Lobick

Apparently, we LOVE our North Shore Connector

I don't think this tells the full story, but nonetheless I am happy to see positive news about it. It provides support for future expansion of PAT service.

[Blackbeauty212]

PAT, the City, and County...Have a real opportunity to have real Transit Oriented Development around the NSC, particularly Allegheny station, if they do this right. People wont mind making the transfer as long as its fast free and convenient into downtown (and Oakland), would get a lot of bus congestion out of Downtown as well.

Again done RIGHT, it could be very successful.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Blackbeauty212

PAT, the City, and County...Have a real opportunity to have real Transit Oriented Development around the NSC, particularly Allegheny station, if they do this right. People wont mind making the transfer as long as its fast free and convenient into downtown (and Oakland), would get a lot of bus congestion out of Downtown as well.

I don't like the idea of using transfers to the NSC for a lot of Downtown-bound bus traffic. Transfers are ridership killers to begin with, and the NSC is also pretty slow.

I do like the idea of TOD around the NSC stations, however. There are a lot of surface parking lots available for such projects.

[pman]

interesting that ridership increased at a faster rate than the average both on light rail (top five) and bus

...(PAT)Bus ridership was up 3.4 percent for the period

Light-rail ridership climbed 4.2 percent in the nine-month period, with 22 out of 28 light-rail systems reporting growth. Light-rail systems reporting double-digit gains were located in Memphis (33.7 percent), Salt Lake City (19.7 percent), Los Angeles (13.7 percent), Pittsburgh (13.5 percent) and Seattle (11.2 percent)....

Rail News - APTA: Transit ridership rose 2.6 percent in 2012's first nine months. For Railroad Career Professionals

Nationally, bus ridership rose by 1.8 percent from January through September of 2012,

More Than 7.9 Billion Trips Taken On Public Transportation As Ridership Increased by 2.6% in First Three Quarters of 2012