Idealized Pittsburgh System

An idealized version of the "backbone" of a future transit system in Pittsburgh. Incorporates plans that PRT has proposed and several personal ideas that don't feel too far fetched. Still playing around with it. Changes from the current system are as follows: - Building on the East Busway: PRT is planning for new stations at the Buam Center, Larimer, and Brushton. - Reactivation of Allentown Line and Penn Station: Both are planned to be studied by PRT in the near future. - Ohio River Extension: Planned for study in the near future. A potential route has not be identified so I took my best guess. - Allegheny Valley Rapid Transit: Extending the blue line into the strip and Lawrenceville is laid out in PRT's NEXTransit plan and the Green Boulevard plan. If the Consumer Fresh Produce Warehouse in the strip shuts down then PRT wouldn't need to compete for right of way along a decent section, making efficient light rail feasible. Two issues, getting from Penn Station to Railroad Street and beyond 40th, are issues without a clear (or cheap) solution. - University Line: To be completed by 2027. - Strip to Hill District Incline: A strip to hill connection is in PRT's NexTransit plan and the gondola study the city did. A incline seems more likely than a gondola. Likely to also include a busway stop. - Downtown Routes: With the completion of the university line and potential for new bus only lanes on liberty as part of downtown's revitalization, it would make sense to reconfigure many routes around these facilities to get through downtown faster. Not sure exactly what routes would be the best so its not exact. - Library Branch: PRT's NexTransit plan calls for a study to assess the continued viability of the Silver Line. The best-worst case scenario I could see would be to make it it's own "shuttle" service going back and forth between Library Station and Washington Junction. Even with only 1 or 2 cars, would have decent frequency but the ability to quickly transfer at Washington Junction would determine how well this configuration works. Would function similar to Boston's Mattapan Trolley. - Airport Flyer: Extending the light rail to airport is often talked about but the more realistic option and part PRT's NEXTransit plan is a dedicated bus lane down 376, turning the 28x Airport Flyer into BRT, with a few stops along the way, mainly to shopping centers. - Monroeville and East Pittsburgh Extension: Getting the east busway out to the far east is an objective of PRT. A 2017 studied several alignments out to East Pittsburgh and PRT recently received received funding to extend it to Monroeville. Incorporated both although the route is far from perfect. Getting it through Turtle Creek may be made easier by the Mon–Fayette Expressway. - Ultraviolet Line: A short lived, university and nightlife focused loop that existed in the early 2000s. A personal fan of this obscure line and would love to see it make a return. Most unlikely thing included. - Pittsburgh Rail Connection (PCR): A rail connection between Lawrenceville and Hazelwood using existing tracks. Would require negotiations with freight operators. Additionally, because PRT light rail doesn't use standard gauge, PCR trains would not work on light rail tracks and vice versa.