Does anyone really know what is going on with this? The Allegheny Valley Railroad is one of the most fascinating stories in the local transportation world (not quite Skybus-esque in its permanence, but close). I've personally never really seen the benefit of the Arnold line (or at least compared to some of the other proposals out there). It seems to me that the project isn't really designed out of necessity, but of convenience. As I've talked about before, commuter lines are risky business. Are we really aiding development by putting a commuter line out to New Kensington? If it takes 40 minutes to drive from Arnold to Pittsburgh, and 20 minutes to train, who is to say that I wouldn't just move a 20 minute drive away from the Arnold park and ride? But I digress.
Anyway, apparently Urban Innovations and the AVRR were unsatisfied with the speed of progress on the HDR report of last year. So they went out and got financing (notice the distinction: financing, not funding) on their own. From the information that my friend provided me (which I presume is regarding Urban Innovation's proposal), it looks like AVRR was upset that the proposals would only take the line into the Strip District at worst or Penn Station at best. The proposal made it sound that there would be some way to integrate the train with the light rail spur to Steel Plaza. I'm not entirely sure at the technical feasibility, but I'm not an engineer. The more important question is if that's the best goal to be working toward.
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I have no idea if we'd be 'aiding development' or promoting greenfield development and sub/exurbanization or what by creating a rapid transit line out to New Ken, but given the hellish amount of traffic on 28 every morning and evening (and especially the impending hellish amount of construction on 28 for the next couple years), it seems there's at least *some* demand for a better way in to town...
ReplyDeleteAs for the Steel Plaza spur, if I were the AVRR or its potential riders, I wouldn't be real excited about being given the opportunity to get within walking distance of a connecting train, either. If I live in NK and work in, say, Gateway 4, you've now given me a choice between driving an hour and parking directly under my office, or taking a half-hour train and... walking a mile & a half? On the other hand, if the Arnold Line could come down the spur to SPS, I can get off my half-hour train, walk across the platform, get the T the rest of the way across Downtown to Gateway, and get to the office without risking a blister in my Blahniks....