[PRCo] Re: PCC 1720 derailment

[Derrick J Brashear]

On Tue, 1 Jan 2002 Macmarka at cs.com wrote:

> 
> Hello Ken! Happy New Year to you too!  I heard that tha Drake line was going 
> to be used as a training and/or maintanance line. It makes me wonder though 
> if double tracking a 1.2 mile line would be feasible. How many people were 
> using the line before it was "temporarily" abandoned? Don't get me wrong!  I 
> am a Drake fan through and through as you know Ken. I'm just wondering if it 
> would be worth the millions of dollars to rebuild it to lightrail standards. 


Well, the big deal would be the ramp down to the loop (and the turn to get
to it). 2 reasons to do it would be:
-To again gain use of the park&ride space there (I saw mention of building
a lot there somewhere, by which I assume they mean improving it, because
there *is* a lot there (yes, it could be done with shuttle buses, but if
they do it that way what'll happen is what happens now: everyone will just
keep trying to park at South Hills Village)

-The population growth in Peters *might* generate enough traffic to make
it worthwhile.

Realistically, these combined are probably not enough to truly justify it,
but I'm sure true abandonment would be protested by those along the line
and the others nearby who used it. Hence either cessation of PCC service
was a "weasel" move to wean people of the service, or they really will
restore service.

I hate "weasel" moves and I like to pin such people to the wall, but in
this case it would be the taxpayers getting raked over the coals. Eh. I
suppose there are worse things to waste probably ~$3-5m (or more depending
on just what would be done at Drake) on.

> I'm sure in the backs of their minds', PAT is thinking the same thing. I hope 
> it happens as I am also fantisizing that someone designs a new lightrail car 
> that looks like our old friend the PCC. As I would love to take a ride on the 
> new Overbrook line on a new modern PCC car. Here's to wishes coming true in 
> 2002!                                                                           

Everything "Fort Pitt" except the Blockhouse will be closed in one
direction. Nobody really wished for that:-)

-D