[PRCo] Pgh transit characteristics

[Harold Geissenheimer]

Greetings to all

Recent discussions about the Etna & Millville trolleys running
long distances at high speed highlight one of the characteristics
of transit (and commuter rail) in Allegheny County.

Its the terrain!   River valleys, hills, bridges and tunnels.  This
reduces ridership potential.

West end cars to McKees Rocks, etc. had this on Carson Street.

South Hills cars had this thru the Mt Wasington tunnel.  The LRT still
has it.

38 Mt Lebanon and 39 Brookline had this up the West Liberty
Ave valley.  The interurbans had this on the hillside above Saw Mill
Run Blvd.

Second Ave cars had this along the Mon.

Even Liberty/Penn cars thru the strip and then out
thru Lawrenceville had it (tho there was a little development
between the lines and the river).

Lines climbing the hills like Troy Hill, Fineview, etc had it.

Todays bus lines still have it.  Highway builders have it.

Commuter rail had it.  Trains on both sides of the Allegheny
had the river and hillside as neighbors.  The same on the Ohio
and the Mon. Only the PRR to the east cut thru the city.

Its PITTSBURGH!   A city of rivers, valleys, hills and resultant  light
population density.  It made trolleys, buses and trains more expensive
to run and reduced ridership.   Thats why PRC had such long headways
when cities like Philadelphia or Cleveland ran very frquently.

The only answer is move if you cant cope.  Its more expensive to
provide service in Pittsburgh.  Always was and still is.  Thats why
the 88 and 82 were heavy routes.  Thats why 5th & Forbes were
always good.    And the river valley routes poor.   But if you live
in Etna its the only way to go.

The terrain made PRC lines interesting but also costly.  PRC did an
excellent job in reaching these communities when roads were limited.

Etna and Millvale provided the downtown connections for the Harmony
and Butler Short Line cars using dual power equipment.

I always liked the terrain of Allegheny County.  It made life
interesting compared
to the endless flat streets of Chicago.  But trolleys, buses and trains
find it more difficult and expensive.  Oh well.  Cant have every thing.

Harold Geissenheimer