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Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Should Streetcars be part of Pittsburgh's transporation future?

If you're like me and think bringing streetcar lines back to Pittsburgh makes a lot a sense then please register and add your ideas for streetcar lines to the cityLive/popcity transportation plan page.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I see that the link has expired. That's really a pity.

I am with you 100% that Pittsburgh needs better transportation options. There is a good deal of negative perceptions about buses, and the reasonably high fare rates (compared to other U.S. cities) I'm sure is also a strong negative factor.

As far as creating a truly efficient system in da'burgh, I think we need a long-term plan that involves creating a subway link between downtown and Oakland, commuter rails via our three river valleys, and a new streetcar system utilizing secondary arterials (Forbes, East Carson, etc.) or at least offering better connectivity to disparate neighborhoods (The Hill anyone?).

I think there should also be better options in terms of "feeder" routes. Our buses might be well suited to this task of moving people from disjointed and sparsely-placed suburban areas to commercial centers and main transit arteries. I grew up in Indiana Township (north of Harmar) and it is a glorious example of a rural area with a high commuter population and almost no transit options. And certainly none available people who just want to get around the area itself as opposed to commuting.

I really think that there is no denying that streetcars could literally bring the "sexy" back to transit. I would be appealing to all ages, and would require only slightly more overhead than buses and tremendously less than separated light rail.

I would love to get on board with any campaigns or movements to get the word out on this. I've learned now that Pittsburgh politics is long and laborious, but I think with significant enough public outcry these issues would be impossible to ignore. And if the citizens and politicians are aware of the full potential benefit, these ideas might not just be dreams but might actually get done.

If you have any clue as to existing movements or organizations within the Pittsburgh community about these issues, I would be greatly appreciative to know. I am with you 100% about being involved with new transit ideas for Pittsburgh.

Hey if LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS can do it, why can't the "City of Champions"?

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