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Sankara_Connolly2020 t1_j5i24u6 wrote

Reply to comment by ktxhopem3276 in If only.. by metracta

I’m not sure how feasible the Route 8 corridor would be, but the Strip to New Kensington absolutely would be and AVRR ownership has long been amenable to it. Investing in some lightweight DMUs (and their maintenance) and making some small scale track improvements would absolutely be cheaper than paving over the whole line for a busway, and would attract a higher ridership while providing faster, scalable service.

I especially like the idea of building a little shoulder station in the Strip that could serve as the terminus for both the AVRR line and the Oakland gondola, while connecting with the Penn/Liberty bus trunk for an easy transfer to Downtown.

Edit: here’s an article on the Ottawa DMU line I mentioned http://www.eastsiderailnow.org/o-train.html

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ktxhopem3276 t1_j5i4tqe wrote

The prt 25 year plan in 2021 suggests studying rail versus bus for avrr so I don’t think they have decided either way yet. They will probably apply for a federal grant to do a study at some point. My concern with rail is all the transfers involved. From Dormont to Oakland takes an hour via the trolly downtown when I can drive it in 20 minutes in rush hour. Even if they built the trolly to Oakland they would have to alternate lines going to Oakland versus gateway and Northshore so service frequency might not be ideal

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