Quote:
Originally Posted by Evergrey
More transit and more people living in core neighborhoods will increase non-car modal share to Downtown.
|
I'd say emphasis is put on the latter.
Most of the routes PAT cut during the period it was hemorrhaging were simply not sustainable. They had low ridership, and often slow, meandering routes that few people besides the low income and/or carless really wanted to utilize. The main commuter routes, in contrast, have all survived, and in some cases been strengthened.
If we want less car usage in Pittsburgh, the answer is TOD and general densification of areas which either have good transit or are within walking distance of Downtown or Oakland. This is already pretty much happening, especially in the East End.
There are perhaps places we could string new transit lines. I'm a fan of the AVRR line idea if they ever get the financing, for example. I'm more meh about the idea of a North Hills T line, however, because the North Hills lacks dense concentrations of population which would be well-served by such a line, which would necessitate many park and rides. It's a big investment of money if the end result is merely displacing parking out of downtown, with limited upside for new development.
Still, it's important to remember that regarding transit, the layout of Pittsburgh is actually a plus. Our crazy topography means that while the suburban population sprawled out, it's clumped in ways you don't see in say flat Midwestern metros. Thus it's relatively easy (providing you can get the land) to create a new transit line which would serve a relatively high population base compared to many cities.
Prev
Linear Mode
