What are some shovel-ready stimulus programs around Pittsburgh? (Washington, Uniontown: neighborhood, contractor)

[mattjd]

I was curious as to what the stimulus money is going to be used for in Pittsburgh. These projects were supposed to all be shovel-ready, but I haven't heard about anything going down. Does anyone know of some big highway, bridge, or tunnel projects happening? I haven't seen anything in the want-ads about this stuff either. I hope we finally get the mon-fayette expressway done with this money.

[Hopes]

All of the reports are "will receive funding." I guess the distributions haven't been made yet.

[JoeLeaphorn]

Originally Posted by mattjd

I was curious as to what the stimulus money is going to be used for in Pittsburgh. These projects were supposed to all be shovel-ready, but I haven't heard about anything going down. Does anyone know of some big highway, bridge, or tunnel projects happening? I haven't seen anything in the want-ads about this stuff either. I hope we finally get the mon-fayette expressway done with this money.

The Mon-Fayette expressway is not going to be completed with stimulus money nor, in fact, with any government money, alone. In fact, the state is looking for private investors which isn't very likely. If you look at the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commissions Long Range Transportation Plan (p20)

Long-Range Transportation and Development Plan for Southwestern Pennsylvania (Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission)

The only parts of the expressway budgeted in the plan are Uniontown to Brownsville.

The Post-Gazette listed PennDOTs list of approved projects, here:

http://www.post-gazette.com/download...us_paroads.pdf
http://www.post-gazette.com/download...us_paroads.pdf

[Awesomo.2000]

thank you Joe, that was a very good link. Thanks for the informative post.

I saw on another forum a list from the Post Gazatte that had projects other than transportation included. I looked for it,but it was like 3 weeks ago and couldn't dig it up. I remember projects such as the African American Community Center downtown was on it.

[OyCrumbler]

Gah, what about expansions to the T?

[JoeLeaphorn]

Originally Posted by OyCrumbler

Gah, what about expansions to the T?

Fat chance. First, the Port Authority has yet to find all the money needed for the cost overruns associated with the "Bore to the Shore".

Second, the FY2010 budget projects a shortfall of about $50 million in operating/capital costs (unless plans are revised).

Most importantly (and sadly), the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission hired an engineering firm with no vision to lay out the vision for the future. This contractor concluded that Light Rail service was not competitive/cost effective for those suburbs already connected by bus, which is true.

What is also true is that the plan never considered heavy rail, which is the way to go. Light Rail is the only practical alternative if you are forced to use existing road rights of way, employ frequent stops and/or must allow for excessive numbers of grade crossings. The T makes sense for the South Hills (and, probably, Oakland), because it would need to share some of the road with other vehicles.

But for true commuter service, heavy rail is the way to go (and the way that Pittsburgh SHOULD have gone when they built 279 to Cranberrry). The Washington DC Metro is all heavy rail, not light rail.

That is also why I think that while it might be nice to have the T go to the airport, the reality is that it will never be a preferred method of transportation for business travelers. Under the best conditions, the top speed would be about 65 MPH but the planned route cut through the North Side, McKees Rocks and Coraopolis before heading up the hill to serve Robert Morris college then onto the airport. Someone who wanted to get into town, quickly, would never have the patience for such a route.

The better thing to do, IMHO, would be to use heavy rail rights of way, where available, and acquire new rights of way where appropriate (the I279 corridor, the planned Mon-Fayette route, the airport corridor) and build a heavy rail metro system. This isn't practical for the T-route so you'd want to keep LRT there.

[OyCrumbler]

Heavy rail is certainly going to be a heavy investment for a city of Pittsburgh's population and density (though if there's the belief that the area will be far denser and more prosperous in the future, then it's much better to secure the right-of-ways and create part of the infrastructure before prosperity hits (and as a driver for this future prosperity) and makes it incredibly complex and pricey))--though I'm for it, anyhow, as I'm for any expansion to Pittsburgh's public transit which is less than stellar.

Also, a 65mph top speed is more than adequate for the system as NYC's subway vehicles have a 55 mph top speed and serve a much larger area so it's not much of a limitation.

[JoeLeaphorn]

My problem is not that 65 MPH is too slow. It is that we'll never see these speeds with the proposed routes to the airport and certainly not Oakland.

Also, there is a practical limit to the number of cars which LRT will support and, therefore, the number of passengers. NYC's subway speeds of 55 make sense given the density of the population and the number of stops, but the subway is still heavy rail.

The big problem with LRT (among many) is psychological. You put down a heavy rail line passenger and immediately the adjacent property soars in value. LRT, for the most part, does not carry with it that sense of permanence that encourages speculators and developers. Limited access highways do, but they have the problem of congestion.

My point was not that LRT won't work in some locations, but people who are choosing to fly in and out of Pittsburgh are not going to be interested in scenic trip to/from the airport. To make rail viable for the airport route, you need to have high speed, limited access, to downtown.

A much better plan for LRT to the West and North (if that is the only option), would be to parallel the 16A, which would be to stay on the Ohio River Boulevard side and cross over at Ambridge (or Sewickley). I'd run a separate line through the Rocks and Coraopolis as a loop going the opposite direction. You could change trains to busses at Stoops Ferry Road or Crescent to go to the airport, if needed. I'd still use heavy rail because you don't need to spend more than 10 minutes at the Ohio River Boulevard/McKees Rocks Bridge intersection during rush hour to know that LRT service is not going to replace the car. There is just too much traffic.

To go to the airport through the planned route is senseless. If you want airport service, make it express. If you want neighborhood service, do that, but don't try to cover both with one system.