[PRCo] Streetcars on Downtown Streets, Again Someday?

[Bob Rathke]

Back in the 70's when Skybus was declared dead, and PAT would revitalize the
South Hills rail lines, PAT announced that the trolleys would use the Mt.
Washington Tunnel and then enter downtown via the PRR Panhandle Bridge.
Some people questioned the grade that would be necessary to connect the
tunnel and bridge along Carson St. (as discussed on this list recently).

I'm not sure if the original announcement include a downtown subway.  It did
describe the line into downtown ending at the north end of the PRR bridge.
Some hoped that the trolleys would go from that point to/from Smithfield and
Wood Streets via Third and Fourth Avenues.  Eventually, the plans evolved
into the Panhandle Tunnel entrance into downtown and the present subway,

Bob 10/20/03

-----------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: "Matt Barry" <mrb190+ at pitt.edu>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 4:43 PM
Subject: [PRCo] Streetcars on Downtown Streets, Again Someday?


> Here is a passage from an article, at this site, regarding renewal of
> the Fifth and Forbes Avenue corridor:
> http://64.70.131.22/ff_pitt.html
>
>
> But there's that last critical element many cities are rediscovering
> that neither plan covers: on street fixed-rail transit. Yes, that means
> street cars.
>
> Downtown Pittsburgh had streetcars into the 1980s, when a subway was
> built. Many other cities, such as San Francisco, New Orleans,
> Cincinnati, San Jose, and Memphis, have found that bringing them back,
> to make it possible to shop and even live without a car, is vital to a
> lively downtown. But for the most part, Pittsburgh has continued to rely
> on busses.
RR