Totally missed this:
http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/2014...-Fayette-Expressway/stories/201412120038
Quote:
The Mon Valley Progress Council now asks Gov.-elect Tom Wolf to take the next step and do all he can to complete the Mon-Fayette Expressway north of Route 51. Last year our organization proposed an alternative for this remaining section of the expressway project that addresses many of the concerns of the existing project design. The alternative we call the Expressway/Busway East Extension(E/BEE) includes a multi-modal component that would involve extending the Martin Luther King Jr. Busway from Swissvale to the proposed expressway alignment in East Pittsburgh.
This busway extension would replace the costly and controversial expressway link into the city of Pittsburgh. The proposed Mon-Fayette Expressway toll road from Route 51 in Large to I-376 in the Monroeville area would still be constructed under our proposal. It is estimated that the E/BEE would cut the costs of the original project design north of Route 51 by almost one-half.
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That's actually an interesting proposal. By far the worst part of the MFE plan was that spur into Pittsburgh, which is probably dead for a variety of reasons. An extension of the Busway further east, on the other hand, is probably the single best bang for the buck idea that has been studied in recent years.
However, I personally wouldn't leap on this proposal quite yet. The other parts of the MFE are still extremely expensive, and may do more harm than good to the existing Mon Valley communities. I'd also suggest ending the Busway at East Pittsburgh is too short--it really should go all the way to at least Monroeville.
So it remains a better idea to just do that East Busway extension. However, with the way money sloshes around this state, this could end up being a compromise idea worth working on.
Edit: Oh wait, I do remember this:
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region...orter-changes-lanes/stories/201307200135
Quote:
Most observers, including state Transportation Secretary Barry Schoch, have essentially written off the Pittsburgh leg as too problematic and expensive. And now, Mr. Kirk, perhaps the most outspoken supporter of the expressway, has joined them. Even a $2.5 billion transportation funding bill that passed the state Senate but died in the House last month would not have had sufficient money to finance the expressway into Pittsburgh, he said.
Instead, he has proposed completing the 13-mile leg to Monroeville; extending the East Busway by 2.8 miles so that it connects with the expressway in East Pittsburgh; building a park-n-ride lot where the expressway connects with the parkway in Monroeville; and allowing HOV traffic on the busway.
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If that is still the plan, screw that.
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