Federal Government Approves $435 Million Boondoggle under the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

From the Pittsburgh Post Gazette:

"The now $435 million North Shore Connector project to extend the Light Rail Transit system via twin tunnels under the Allegheny River has received two key approvals – from outgoing U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta and the Office of Management and Budget.

"The Port Authority received notification yesterday from Washington, D.C.

“The last three approvals appear on the way – from the authority’s nine-member board of directors, which has scheduled a special meeting for Thursday to award the first construction contract; from Congress after a 60-day review, which started yesterday and is usually a formality; and from the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, which is expected to amend the region’s transportation funding program July 31 to officially authorize the extra North Shore Connector spending.”

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06189/704355-147.stm

http://www.portauthority.org/grow/capital/northshore/index.asp

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05277/582047.stm

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_461142.html

Dave

2

Why is this a boondoggle? What were the studied alternatives and their costs? You can’t get Fed dollars for transit unless you do a study of alternatives.

3

It is a boondoggle because it is unnecessary.

The extension to the North Shore of the Allegheny
would eliminate a current 15-20 minute walk from downtown.

More significantly, the city’s Oakland neighborhood and
the Eastern Suburbs have a greater population density and
a greater need for this type of project than the North
Side.

Dave

4

They just rebuilt two sports staduims there…Though a rail bridge could have done the job cheaper then a subway

5

2 sports stadiums on the north side…Still want a subway instead of a bridge,???

6

Does this seem to be consistent in the long range plans to grow the economics downtown and with future plans being considered…I understand Pittsburgh has come through a massive economic change in these past decades and is this one of the “pieces” to get it back on top again. We know it’s not the “steel city” it once was. Anyway, I hope it works out to be an asset…