[PRCo] Pittsburgh Transit Topics (April 8, 2014)

Wed Apr 9 09:18:39 EDT 2014

Well, given that it seems possible that there will be a war in eastern
Europe, my counter would be "why shouldn't we"

On Wed, Apr 9, 2014 at 8:49 AM, John Swindler <j_swindler at hotmail.com>wrote:

>
>
>
> Why should we expect society to return to the 1940s?
>
>
> > From: fwschneider at comcast.net
> > Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2014 20:00:06 -0400
> > To: pittsburgh-railways at mailman.dementix.org
> > Subject: Re: [PRCo] Pittsburgh Transit Topics (April 8, 2014)
> >
> > Now tell me how, Herb, we can get the people to come back?   Changing
> the names of the streets isn't going to do it.   There was an item last
> September where Macy's closed the last downtown department store in St.
> Louis ... the old Famous Barr store.   The people from the cities now have to
> take bus to the 'burbs to shop.
> >
> > My memories are a Sunday school in East Liberty Presbyterian Church ...
> the church was full of people.    About two blocks west of the church on
> Penn Avenue was a model railroad store where my Strombecker kits came from.
>   On a north-south side street a block from the church was a barber shop ...
> dad called the barber Charlie.   I think there were half a dozen movie
> theaters in S'Liberty back then.   If dad needed a box of nails, Sears
> Roebuck was several blocks up Highland.   A nice place to spend an
> afternoon was the zoo in Highland Park but I never saw the prairie dogs
> come out.   But on a weekend, the 5200s were always sunning themselves at
> Bunkerhill Car House.
> >
> > In the time we lived there, I never saw a 1700 but I remember the night
> Dad passed the advertising supplement of the Pittsburgh Press across the
> dinner table to me ... the one where all the companies that supplied parts to
> the 1700 advertised their products.  But by the time they were delivered,
> we had moved out of town.
> >
> > Oh yes, in my era living there, there were no malls or suburban shopping
> centers.   There was an A&P store on Frankstown Road at Rosedale (where the
> 78 Oakmont car crossed until 1938 or thereabouts).   There was nothing on
> Rodi Road where all those stores are now ... some houses.   Ola (never
> advertised his last name) had a Gulf station where Laketon Road and
> Frankstown Road joined and about 1948 he added a restaurant behind it.
> There was a frame family-owned, convenience grocery store across from the
> Penn Township (now Penn Hills) municipal building .... probably the only
> store in miles.
> >
> > And Monroeville?   No malls.   No Miracle Mill.   No motels.   But you
> went there to buy a quart of milk from a farmer on Sunday if you ran out
> and baby sister was crying.
> >
> >
> >
> > On Apr 8, 2014, at 6:21 PM, Herb Brannon wrote:
> >
> > > I forgot number 4.
> > >
> > > *4. East Liberty Street Names Return To Former Names*
> > >
> > > The Penn Circle street name is vanishing from East Liberty, as part of
> a
> > > long effort to reverse the *urban renewal disaster of the 1960s.*
> > >
> > > East Liberty Development Inc. announced that street signs have begun
> to be
> > > changed and the conversion will continue throughout the week.
> > >
> > > Street names that were changed to Penn Circle will revert to their
> previous
> > > designations: Penn Circle South and Penn Circle East become Centre
> Avenue,
> > > as does Collins Street between Station Street and East Liberty
> Boulevard;
> > > Penn Circle West becomes Euclid Avenue; and Penn Circle North becomes
> > > Station Street.
> > >
> > > A map of the new designations can be viewed on East Liberty
> Development's
> > > website <http://www.eastliberty.org/post/penn-circle-name-changes>.
> > >
> > > Read more:
> > >
> http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2014/04/08/Penn-Circle-street-name-vanishing-in-East-Liberty/stories/201404080149#ixzz2yKtCqH00
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Tue, Apr 8, 2014 at 5:03 PM, Herb Brannon <hrbran at cavtel.net>
> wrote:
> > >
> > >> Following are Pgh Post Gazette stories from today concerning
> PATransit and
> > >> other transportation topics.
> > >>
> > >> *1. PATransit Service Cuts Problems*
> > >>
> > >> A couple years ago, when Gloria Jefferson of McKeesport wanted to go
> > >> somewhere, she walked to a bus stop near her house.
> > >>
> > >> Then, in 2011, her commute became much less convenient. During a
> round of
> > >> cuts to fix a budget deficit, the Port Authority canceled her route,
> which
> > >> ran through the middle of McKeesport. Now, Ms. Jefferson, who is 80,
> has to
> > >> walk a mile downhill to another stop.
> > >>
> > >> The walk is tough for her, especially when she's carrying grocery
> bags.
> > >> Sometimes, she pays for a ride there or avoids going places. She
> wonders
> > >> whether she'll still be able to make the walk when she gets older.
> > >>
> > >> "Right now, I feel good. How long it's going to last, I don't know,"
> she
> > >> said. "I keep on praying that one day they'll turn it around and
> bring the
> > >> bus back up the hill."
> > >>
> > >> Ms. Jefferson is among thousands of commuters whose lives were changed
> > >> when the Port Authority nixed 29 routes and scaled back dozens of
> others in
> > >> March 2011. The authority cut the routes to make up for a $47 million
> > >> budget deficit caused by rising cost of benefits for its employees
> and a
> > >> $27 million shortfall in state funding.
> > >>
> > >> Last year, the state government passed Act 89, a transportation bill
> that
> > >> restores funding to the Port Authority. But the authority isn't
> considering
> > >> expanding its routes right now, communications director Jim Ritchie
> said.
> > >>
> > >> Instead, the authority plans to repair its infrastructure and improve
> the
> > >> experience of riders. After years of declining ridership due to
> cutbacks,
> > >> it hopes to draw riders back. Also, Act 89 requires that much of the
> new
> > >> funding to be used for maintenance, Mr. Ritchie said.
> > >>
> > >> "The goal of the state was not to give money to expand, but to
> stabilize,"
> > >> he said. "Of course, we will be looking at the bigger picture down the
> > >> road."
> > >>
> > >> In the three years since the cuts, commuters have dealt with the lost
> > >> routes by paying for rides, walking long distances, or by simply going
> > >> fewer places. The transit cuts made it harder for many to get to work,
> > >> apply for jobs, run errands, visit the doctor and attend classes at
> > >> community colleges, commuters and community advocates say.
> > >>
> > >> The poor economy and rising cost of gas have made the problem worse,
> said
> > >> John Lydon, CEO of Auberle, a McKeesport nonprofit that provides
> shelter
> > >> and other services for families in the area. Fewer people can afford
> to buy
> > >> a car and pay for gas and insurance, he said.
> > >>
> > >> "These people are sort of caught between a rock and a hard place,
> where
> > >> the cost of a vehicle is increasing and the availability of public
> > >> transportation is decreasing," he said.
> > >>
> > >> In addition to limiting commuters' movement, the cuts have led to big
> > >> wastes of time. Since 2011, Wayne Gray of Glassport has spent a larger
> > >> portion of his days waiting for and sitting on buses. Often, he
> spends five
> > >> or six hours a day traveling to construction sites where he finishes
> > >> hardwood. He sometimes waits 45 minutes for buses, causing him to be
> late
> > >> for work.
> > >>
> > >> "It's boring, frustrating," said Mr. Gray, who passes the time by
> checking
> > >> Facebook on his phone, listening to music, staring out the window and
> > >> chatting with other passengers. "Hard-working people, we can't get
> back and
> > >> forth to work if there aren't any buses."
> > >>
> > >> The effect of the cuts on him goes beyond work, though. His
> girlfriend is
> > >> pregnant, and the lack of buses makes it hard for them to make it to
> her
> > >> appointments with her doctor.
> > >>
> > >> Inconvenient and expensive
> > >>
> > >> The cancellation of bus routes has also put strains on the finances of
> > >> many commuters. Mr. Gray, like others, sometimes pays friends to give
> him
> > >> rides to places he used to reach by bus. For him, the rides cost $10
> or
> > >> $20. Ms. Jefferson pays friends $5 to drive her to the bus stop on
> Lysle
> > >> Boulevard when it's cold or she's too tired to make the walk.
> > >>
> > >> The bus schedule is usually convenient for Monica Henderson, with the
> 11
> > >> Fineview route stopping outside her house in Perry South. On weekends,
> > >> though, the bus doesn't come early enough to take her to her job as a
> > >> referral coordinator at UPMC Presbyterian because its hours were
> shortened
> > >> in the 2011 cuts. She usually pays someone $7 for a ride to the
> nearest
> > >> operating bus stop, the 16B Brighton.
> > >>
> > >> Those extra payments strain the passengers' budgets. To make up for
> the
> > >> cost, Ms. Jefferson has delayed buying medicine and groceries, and Ms.
> > >> Henderson works overtime.
> > >>
> > >> "You're paying $90 for a monthly bus pass, but when you're working
> > >> weekends that's another $14," Ms. Henderson said. "That's a bit too
> much."
> > >>
> > >> Mr. Lydon said he's met people through his work who have lost their
> jobs
> > >> because of a lack of public transit. Sometimes, the long bus rides
> make it
> > >> impossible for them to have several jobs, which they need to pay the
> bills,
> > >> he said.
> > >>
> > >> The lack of bus routes also limits shopping options for low-income
> people
> > >> in McKeesport, he said. It limits them to the few stores within
> walking
> > >> distance, preventing them from looking around for good deals.
> > >>
> > >> "The people who need to have savings the most are the most unable to
> do
> > >> that," Mr. Lydon said. "It's like the company stores of years past."
> > >>
> > >> Apart from the 2011 cuts, the Port Authority has fought off budget
> > >> deficits several times in the past decade by cutting service, raising
> fares
> > >> and laying off employees. But Act 89 will give the authority enough
> money
> > >> to ward off deficits for the next several years, Mr. Ritchie said.
> > >>
> > >> Now that its budget is secure, the authority will concentrate on
> repairing
> > >> its infrastructure, he said. Busways need to be paved, and bridges
> need to
> > >> be fixed. It also plans to buy new buses to replace aging ones that
> will go
> > >> out of service.
> > >>
> > >> The Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit that advises cities on land use,
> > >> development and other urban issues, will hold a weeklong panel
> discussion
> > >> in May in Pittsburgh at which local organizations will discuss how
> they
> > >> want the Port Authority to change. Taking the discussion into
> account, the
> > >> institute will evaluate the authority's finances and recommend
> changes.
> > >>
> > >> While restoring routes is not on the horizon, Mr. Ritchie said, a
> priority
> > >> for the authority is improving the experience of commuters to increase
> > >> ridership, which has been in decline since the cuts. For example, the
> > >> authority might ease overcrowding on buses by adjusting the frequency
> of
> > >> routes, making buses stop more often during peak rush hour times.
> > >>
> > >> "If we start to improve the service that's on the street today, and
> people
> > >> start to realize, 'I won't always be sandwiched on the bus,' then
> we'll
> > >> start to grab those people back," Mr. Ritchie said.
> > >>
> > >> Of the 29 routes cut in 2011, one has been restored: the 55 Glassport,
> > >> which runs through North Versailles, McKeesport, Glassport, Clairton
> and
> > >> Jefferson Hills. The authority decided to bring it back after Heritage
> > >> Community Services, a nonprofit based in Braddock, cut back its
> Worklink
> > >> bus line in response to a reduction in federal funding. The authority
> > >> revived the route to avoid a devastating impact on the area, Mr.
> Ritchie
> > >> said.
> > >>
> > >> That was good news to Patricia Richardson of Clairton. When the bus
> was
> > >> gone, she had trouble getting around, especially with her arthritis
> and
> > >> back problems, which sometimes make it hard for her to walk. She had
> to pay
> > >> for jitneys, which took a toll on her finances.
> > >>
> > >> "You have to rob Peter to pay Paul," she said. "Buy less groceries,
> you
> > >> know."
> > >>
> > >> Now that the bus is back, she's relieved. "It's a big difference," she
> > >> said.
> > >>
> > >> Read more:
> > >>
> http://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2014/04/06/Cuts-in-suburban-bus-routes-changed-lives/stories/201404060065#ixzz2yKVy6lpC
> > >>
> > >> *2. Trolley Delays Today*
> > >>
> > >> Light rail riders should expect possible delays of up to 40 minutes
> this
> > >> afternoon because of a power issue, the Port Authority of Allegheny
> County
> > >> said.
> > >>
> > >> T riders could see "significant delays" on all light rail service,
> > >> according to the alert posted on the Authority's website at 3:15 p.m.
> > >>
> > >> Read more:
> > >>
> http://www.post-gazette.com/news/transportation/2014/04/08/Port-Authority-T-riders-can-expect-delays-of-up-to-40-minutes-this-afternoon/stories/201404080185#ixzz2yKX3e5cx
> > >>
> > >> *3. Morning Landslide Stops Duquense Heights Incline & NS Railroad*
> > >>
> > >> A swath the size of a football field tore loose from the face of Mount
> > >> Washington this morning, sending a torrent of mud and trees across
> railroad
> > >> tracks along West Carson Street and briefly closing the Duquesne
> Incline.
> > >>
> > >> City officials also ordered a precautionary closure of LeMont
> restaurant
> > >> above the slide zone, but an engineer said a visual inspection found
> no
> > >> signs of instability around that structure.
> > >>
> > >> No one was injured and the main impact of the slide was disruption of
> > >> freight train traffic along the Norfolk Southern Railway line.
> Railroad
> > >> crews were working to clear the tracks, a section of which shifted as
> the
> > >> hillside tumbled across it.
> > >>
> > >> At a briefing this afternoon, city Public Safety Director Michael Huss
> > >> said the ground was still moving in the area. Railroad engineers were
> to
> > >> determine when it is safe to resume service on what Mr. Huss
> described as
> > >> "a very busy rail line with significant commerce."
> > >>
> > >> As for LeMont, it will remain closed until engineers from the city and
> > >> those hired by the restaurant determine it is safe. "We're erring on
> the
> > >> side of caution," Mr. Huss.
> > >>
> > >> The city Bureau of Building Inspection will meet Wednesday morning
> with
> > >> CEC Inc. -- civil engineers for the LeMont -- to determine whether the
> > >> restaurant can reopen Thursday, Public Safety Department spokeswoman
> Sonya
> > >> Toler said.
> > >>
> > >> The slide was reported shortly after 4 a.m. by the engineer of a
> passing
> > >> train. The slide area was about 100 yards long and it left a debris
> field
> > >> about 10 feet deep and 30 feet back toward the hillside, city
> Operations
> > >> Director Guy Costa said.
> > >>
> > >> Norfolk Southern spokesman Dave Pidgeon said this morning that the
> > >> company's freight trains were being rerouted but wouldn't elaborate,
> saying
> > >> the company doesn't provide details about train routing because of
> safety
> > >> and security concerns. By early afternoon, westbound trains were seen
> > >> moving slowly through the slide area.
> > >>
> > >> The Duquesne Incline was closed for a time but reopened when officials
> > >> determined it was not threatened by the slide. The structure is
> equipped
> > >> with sensors that are designed to detect earth movement, Mr. Huss
> said.
> > >>
> > >> Conductor Lucille Gabler said one of her co-workers on night shift
> heard a
> > >> "funny noise" before closing, but the incline was running normally
> today
> > >> until shortly before 7 a.m., when someone from the mayor's office
> told her
> > >> they'd have to close. The incline reopened around 9:15 a.m.
> > >>
> > >> The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority checked water and sewer lines
> > >> along Grandview Avenue above the slide and found no damage, Mr. Costa
> said.
> > >>
> > >> The slide was typical in that it involved a failure of weak claystone
> > >> called "red beds" that were saturated with moisture from recent
> rainfall,
> > >> said Bruce Roth, a geotechnical engineer with GAI Consultants, the
> company
> > >> brought in by the city to inspect the scene. "That is a common
> occurrence
> > >> in Western Pennsylvania," he said.
> > >>
> > >> In addition to visual inspection, the company will examine the
> history of
> > >> the scene and drill to collect soil samples that will be analyzed in
> a lab,
> > >> a process that could take about a month. It will then offer the city a
> > >> variety of options for correcting the problem.
> > >>
> > >> "If they run across something that needs to be immediately addressed,
> > >> we'll have to address it," Mr. Costa said. "It could be fine, all the
> loose
> > >> stone and shale came down and we don't have to do anything."
> > >>
> > >> Debris from the slide was on railroad property. County property
> records
> > >> show that the city owns the hillside between the restaurant's
> property line
> > >> and the railroad right-of-way.
> > >>
> > >> Read more:
> > >>
> http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2014/04/08/Landslide-blocks-railroad-tracks-closes-Duquesne-Incline/stories/201404080148#ixzz2yKXlFCmo
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> --
> > >> Herb Brannon
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> * In Pittsburgh.............................A City And.........A
> State of
> > >> Mind *
> > >> Let's Go Pens
> > >> Let's Go Bucs
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Herb Brannon
> > >
> > >
> > > *In Pittsburgh.............................A City And.........A State
> of
> > > Mind *
> > > Let's Go Pens
> > > Let's Go Bucs
> > >
> > >
> > >
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