Pennsylvania Turnpike reconstruction: MM 40 to MM 48

[jayjaysin]

Brian, I made it through about half of page one and quit. The PTC didn't explore alternatives because the Turnpike isn't in the business of mass transit or public, non-tolled roads. They toll them in order to fund them. I don't think the group considered how any of the alternatives would be funded? Tolling and/or public-private joint ventures are the wave of the future for infrastructure investment.

1. Adding to the current bus transportation system(PAT) is throwing money away. They have already proven they can't be a self sustaining organization. Also, what do you think property would cost to extend the busway through Plum to Monroeville?

2. A privately held rail system would be a good idea, but wouldn't it most likely take a similar path of the proposed Mon-Fayette road? Most other routes are too populated. The brownfields and steel towns of past along the rivers are the cheapest properties to aquire for transit improvements. They do have potential for commecial use(i.e. the Waterfront & South Side Works), but connecting them with major transit arties would be wise at this point.

3. As I stated before, improvements to current road/intersections will do nothing to help get people into and out of the city, because of the tunnel bottlenecks. New paths need created.

Will it relocate people? Will it be hugely expensive? Will it take the place of some future commecial developments? Yes to all. But it's the only way to sustain and continue the growth already established.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by jayjaysin

They toll them in order to fund them.

They were asking for an AWFUL lot of public funding as well.

1. Adding to the current bus transportation system(PAT) is throwing money away. They have already proven they can't be a self sustaining organization.

We shouldn't ask public transit to sustain itself with fares. That is inefficient and will lead to underprovision of transit services.

Also, what do you think property would cost to extend the busway through Plum to Monroeville?

The route they have preferred in the past would go through Braddock and Turtle Creek then up to Monroeville Mall. They would be using railroad ROW. In 2003, total capital cost was estimated at $368M, of which $29M was for ROW and property for stations and such. All that information is here (starting 6-25):

http://www.spcregion.org/pdf/transst...ects_final.pdf

2. A privately held rail system would be a good idea, but wouldn't it most likely take a similar path of the proposed Mon-Fayette road?

The same study short-listed a commuter rail option to Greensburg using the existing N-S ROW. That starts on 6-45.

3. As I stated before, improvements to current road/intersections will do nothing to help get people into and out of the city, because of the tunnel bottlenecks. New paths need created.

In addition to the two options mentioned above (the East Busway and N-S both bypass the Squirrel Hill tunnel), an upgraded boulevard system from the Mon Valley including 837 could make use of a variety of Mon bridges.

Will it relocate people? Will it be hugely expensive? Will it take the place of some future commecial developments? Yes to all. But it's the only way to sustain and continue the growth already established.

All of the options above combined would relocate fewer people, cost less in total, destroy less land value, provide more development value, and lead to more reinvestment in existing communities rather than growth through greenfield development (aka sprawl).