I used to get to Pittsburgh often before 1990 and enjoyed riding in the PCC cars over the Smithfield Bridge.
Can anyone tell me if there are still rails laid on the bridge? If they are, why? If not, when were they removed, and what does it look like there now?
Any chance Pittsburgh will ever go the way of San Francisco and re-install a trolley line downtown, with honest-to-God streetcars and not LRV's?
They were pulled up sometime around 1990 I believe.
I think the bridge was completely redecked even. As a kid, I remember it having an open grate and being terrified of it. Not sure if it still is.
Given that lots of people moaned over building the tunnel to the North Shore for the T, I doubt it.
Nittany Lion has it right. Rails on the bridge are long gone. It's all paved traffic lanes now. One thing that makes Pgh's light rail system so viable is the downtown subway tunnel. Buses snaking their way through downtown Pgh - including those entering by way of the Smithfield St. bridge - often get caught in traffic snarls, while light rail breezes along. Surface running streetcars or LRVs would do just as badly. Downtown street congestion is one of the reasons Pgh scrapped its surface trolley system, that and financial troubles.
A new surface line downtown? Won't happen. There's no reason for it with the subway, with new service to the north side coming online shortly. Also, Port Authority Transit is suffering huge financial woes. The current governor and state legislature won't fund transit adequately and the county and city can't generate enough support revenue. Pgh is facing yet another round of service cuts and fare hikes. After the politicians have crippled the area economy, maybe they'll realize the consequences. Around 50% of people who enter downtown Pgh daily, still a major employment center, do so by transit. Wait until all those cars hit the streets.
Localities have no appreciation for the job that commuter and rapid transit rail operations do for the community - until they are not operating. Philadelphia without SEPTA springs to mind as a object lesson. How about Chicago without METRA?
Just like most things in life - you don't really appreciate it until it's gone.
highgreen The current governor and state legislature won't fund transit adequately and the county and city can't generate enough support revenue. Pgh is facing yet another round of service cuts and fare hikes. After the politicians have crippled the area economy, maybe they'll realize the consequences. Around 50% of people who enter downtown Pgh daily, still a major employment center, do so by transit. Wait until all those cars hit the streets.
The current governor and state legislature won't fund transit adequately and the county and city can't generate enough support revenue. Pgh is facing yet another round of service cuts and fare hikes. After the politicians have crippled the area economy, maybe they'll realize the consequences. Around 50% of people who enter downtown Pgh daily, still a major employment center, do so by transit. Wait until all those cars hit the streets.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
No chance on relaying. A major point for the "T" (is it still called that?) was to get the PCC's of f the street to relieve congestion. Downtown is not a pretty layout to begin with.
PAT is so financially stressed nothing of that sort will happen. Right now they are looking stopping almost 25% of all bus routes severely restricting the others, and shutting down 2 maintainance centers. North Shore extension has really gouged them.
I'm guessing that part of the reason for North shore and Penn Station was for future expansion if needed to funnel commuters downtown underground. I don't think planning has been a bright spot for PAT. look at Cranberry's growth as an example.
The "T" to the Southside and beyond now use the PRR's former Panhandle bridge to a dedicated tunnel. Most of the system now is on a private right-of-way through Dormont to the South Hills & the shops. There is some street running up to Mt. Washington on the Overbrook(?) line. Before anyone chooses to condemn Governor Corbett for trying to be more responsible with taxpayer's money than his predecessor, keep in mind that there are plenty of published reports of PAT's & SEPTA's less than prudent use of taxpayers money. I haven't ridden on the "T" since the early nineties but the lightweight transit cars on the impressively overbuilt PRR bright is quite a nice sight.
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