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Nov 1, 2007 3:25 pm US/Eastern
"Wish List" May Mean Changes For Port Authority
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
A new "wish list" could mean big changes coming up for Port Authority riders including extended service.
Now, a task force is suggesting major investments in rail service throughout the region.
"Our priorities are clear. We want to connect the
Oakland assets. We want to connect Oakland to downtown," says Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato. "Next phase, downtown to the airport, and we want to use existing rail lines, in particular Route 28, to see if we can get a commuter car on those lines."
In the '90s, a proposal to build a so-called "spine line" between downtown and
Oakland was scrapped by the Port Authority, but this proposal would use an above-ground monorail into downtown.
Once that end is finished, the North Shore Connector would lead the expansion out to the airport.
However, KDKA's Traffic and Transportation reporter Jim Lokay says the first trains aren't set to roll through that tunnel for another four or five years.
Also, paying for the new expansion could also be an issue.
"I want to be able to look at these expansion projects and try to leverage as many private dollars as possible to leverage these public dollars," said Onorato.
Stay with KDKA for the latest details.
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