Next HUGE transportation project (Pittsburgh, Brentwood: casino, subsidized, live in)

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

The East Lib and North Side urban renewal projects were conducted at the urging of local businesses and with the encouragement of urban planners and were greeted with an enthusiasm of much of the public. Both areas were in distress when the projects were launched. Localities in Pittsburgh which did not get this kind of renewal suffered just as much in the downturn of local business districts as NS and EL, sometimes more.

Any such plan, as you described, should really be thought out, we can't go back to the often legendary past.

The mall in Allegheny Center might not be aesthetically pleasing, but it was very popular and successful as a shopping destination for a quarter century.

The plans may have been well-intentioned at the time, but at best they didn't help.

Penn Circle is already halfway undone itself with the now two-way Centre Avenue. The City has applied for the funding needed to finish the job. Even if it gets turned down this time, I think it's inevitable that it will happen within the next few years. Some elements of the old grid cannot be re-established of course, but it's become clear from traffic studies in other cities if you want to alleviate snarls on main arteries you need to have as many alternate routes available (e.g., smaller parallel streets) as feasible. If I could travel down streets like N Saint Clair and N Beatty, I personally would use Negley and Highland less. I'd also avoid Penn more often if I could o on Broad all the way through the neighborhood from West to East.

As to Allegheny Centre, virtually everyone (the City, URA, and major local stakeholders like the Children's Museum) wants to reconnect E Ohio and Ridge through the core. The holdup is the owners of the office building off Allegheny Square East do not want the walkaway between their building and parking garage turned back into a road, and have an easement to block it. This seems remarkably petty to me, considering they have a second-story walkway, but it is what it is right now. I realize reconnecting Federal is a pipe dream however, let alone restoring the bulk of the old grid. But Commons is way too over-engineered for the level of traffic it has right now. It could easily return to two-way traffic, along with having space for bike lanes.

[tclifton]

Zip line from Mt. Washington to the North Shore.

What ever happened to that?

http://www.thepointofpittsburgh.com/...zip-line-idea/

[Blackbeauty212]

Well looks like the Crosstown Commuter Rail Project through Oakland is Officially Dead. Never saw this really getting off the ground myself, would've been nice if it had, but I just didn't see it working.

Peduto: East End commuter train plan derailed

Plans to extend commuter rail across Pittsburgh by the Allegheny Valley Railroad are dead, Mayor Bill Peduto said at a news conference in Hazelwood.

http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburg...-derailed.html

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by eschaton

The plans may have been well-intentioned at the time, but at best they didn't help.

Penn Circle is already halfway undone itself with the now two-way Centre Avenue. The City has applied for the funding needed to finish the job. Even if it gets turned down this time, I think it's inevitable that it will happen within the next few years.

East Liberty was turning around commercially before the change in traffic patterns on Centre. I don't think you can attribute the cause of the area's resurgence on it, any more than can you fairly attribute the area's decline over the previous decades to the "mall concept".


I would hope that the final plans for switching the traffic pattern are based upon current needs- not on utopian ideals or based upon the thoughts of a mythic past of East Liberty glory which really never existed and couldn't be revived.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by SlurmsMcKenzie

Extend the West Busway into town, eliminating the need to traverse Carson St. and the Ft. Pitt Bridge. This would require a right of way somewhere along the river or up on the railway bench. It would also require a new bridge somewhere close to the Ft. Pitt, though I think an intermodal bridge (transit/walking/biking) here is desperately needed, especially as the river trails are extended westward.

As someone who used to take the W. Busway every day for years, I'd say such changes could save riders 30 minutes (each way) at peak transit times.

Intermodal bridge at Stanwix St. out of the Wabash tunnel, with a redesigned, 2 way Ft. Pitt Boulevard carrying the bike lane from Grant St to the Point, connecting the Eliza Furnace Trail.

[Ray_Velcoro]

You will likely never see public transportation expand more than what it is. Gas prices are cheap and too many jobs are tied to auto manufacturing. Pittsburgh is not a large city. The biggest transportation improvements will be paving roads and fixing bridges.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by Ray_Velcoro

You will likely never see public transportation expand more than what it is. Gas prices are cheap and too many jobs are tied to auto manufacturing. Pittsburgh is not a large city. The biggest transportation improvements will be paving roads and fixing bridges.

That's a big word right there. Not in the near future? I can buy that. Never? You should probably check the definition of the words you use before you use them.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

That's a big word right there. Not in the near future? I can buy that. Never? You should probably check the definition of the words you use before you use them.

Maybe he's predicting you're not going to live too much longer.

[Ray_Velcoro]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

That's a big word right there. Not in the near future? I can buy that. Never? You should probably check the definition of the words you use before you use them.

Never means you or I will never live to see it. Even the large cities won't be seeing huge public transportation upgrades anytime soon unless it was already in process. Look at all the auto plants in the United States. Too many jobs and they pay well. The United States will always be an automobile society because not much else is made here. Pittsburgh got its 500 million north shore connector. You won't see anything more for decades.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Maybe he's predicting you're not going to live too much longer.

I must need to rethink all of my actuarial tables. Bahh life contingencies, how I hate thee!!!