[PRCo] West End - Part 2

[Matt Barry]

Pittsburgh Press, January 12, 1960
 Fund to Lift Tracks Bogs Changeover
County is Unable to Provide Money to West End Towns

 
A stalemate of at least eight years standing, involving trolley-to-bus 
conversion on all West End routes, again threatens to bog down key 
"renaissance" projects in and near Point State Park.

 The latest hitch in the program, it was learned yesterday lies with the 
county's inability to abide by its promise to provide funds to five 
suburban communities for removal of streetcar tracks.

 The county's participation has been contingent on financial relief it 
hoped to get from transfer of highway and bridges - and their 
maintenance costs - to the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth.

 But the bill permitting such a move was stalled for another year last 
week in the closing session of the Legislature, thus curbing the county 
in its intention to unbridle this project, as well as to initiate others.

 Since early last fall, Pittsburgh Railways has been operating buses 
over its West End system under a temporary trolley abandonment ordered 
issued by the Public Utility Commission pending a satisfactory arrangement.

 The order expired at the end of 1959, but, since the matter of costs of 
removing tracks has not been settled, the railways firm has requested an 
extension of the order to March 31.

 If at the end of this extension period no decision has been made and 
there are no prospects for one, trolleys may again go back on the routes 
running through the West End and municipalities beyond the city limits.

 In the meantime, the Sate Highways Department is ready to go ahead with 
construction of the vital Point interchange of the Penn-Lincoln Parkway 
and the State Department of Forests and Waters is anxious to further the 
Point State Park project.

 But neither project can proceed unless the trolley issue is settled, 
for these prime reasons:

 If trolleys go back on the West End routes, the Point Bridge, otherwise 
destined for removal, must remain in place to handle trolleys, though 
the new Fort Pitt Bridge is now carrying all auto traffic over the Mon 
River. 

 If Point Bridge remains with trolley tracks, its Penn Avenue approach 
is not eliminated and the Interchange work undertaken, nothing more can 
be done toward completion of Point State Park. 

 Pittsburgh Railways says it is helpless to assume the financial burden 
of removing tracks and restore the center track portion of streets.

 Because of that, the City of Pittsburgh has agreed to relieve the 
company of costs of doing this on streets within the city limits.  Scott 
Township and Heidelberg have agreed to follow suit.

 The basic problem is tied up with a relatively short stretch of track 
in Carnegie, Ingram, Stowe Township, McKees Rocks, and Crafton.

 These suburban communities, pleading poverty, object to the plan.  It 
was for this reason that the Board of County Commissioners tentatively 
agreed to subsidize the costs. 

 However, the municipalities feel that the $61,000 which the 
commissioners said they could authorize if the highway transfer bill 
passed would be insufficient.

 They want the county not only to remove the track, but to resurface 
their streets.  It has been estimated that the total cost might be 
closer to $150,000.