[PRCo] Re: Route 32-P&LE Shuttle

[Fred W. Schneider III]

Certainly there are other nominees.  Remember the Reedsdale Shuttle on
the North Side that connected the 20 line with all the other North Side
lines in exactly the same manner as 32?  Do you also want to count route
77 or 77/54 across the Oakland and Lawrenceville?  There was a crosstown
Manchester - Evergreen bus after 1953.   

I doubt that too many passengers used 32 as you described unless they
were railfans.  It would be much more expeditious to transfer to any car
going up Liberty Street.  In later years 32 was a one-car shuttle that
ran rather infrequently ... its only value was to the few people who
worked on that part of Carson Street or who wanted to connect to a 50
car at Smithfield Street.  Those people were so minimal that in later
years the 32 (at least the replacement bus) ran only during the morning
and afternoon peak periods. 

Bob Rathke wrote:
> 
> I can't add to the crossover commentary, but I was thinking about the uniqueness of route 32 on Carson St.  The West End lines took passengers to downtown, but only as far as what is now Gateway Center; if West End passengers needed to go to the eastern part of downtown, they had to walk or take a trolley up Fifth or Liberty Avenues.  The P&LE shuttle allowed these West End passengers to transfer to Carson and Smithfield Streets where they could board an inbound South Hills trolley that would take them along Grant St. as far as the PRR station.
> 
> Of course, the 32 shuttle also allowed South Hills lines passengers to get to the Stanwix St. area.
> 
> I can't think of any other places adjacent to downtown where a shuttle line allowed passengers the choice of going to different areas of downtown.  Any nominees?
> 
> Bob 4/4/02