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Q.
Where is the Eastern Corridor? A.
The Eastern Corridor extends from Downtown Pittsburgh to the City of Greensburg
in Westmoreland County and from the north shore of the Allegheny River
northeast to New Kensington and from the south shore of the Monongahela
River southeast to Clairton. A.
This study is being co-led by Port Authority and the Southwestern Pennsylvania
Commission in partnership with the Westmoreland County Transit Authority. A.
This study will consider conversion of the East Busway to light rail transit
as well as additional busway extensions within the study area. A.
For purposes of ridership forecasting, this study assumes the existence
of the Mon-Fayette Expressway, as that project is included in SPC's current
Long-Range Regional Transportation Plan. Because of High-Speed MAGLEV's
potential impact on transit ridership in the Eastern Corridor, the study
will have scenarios with and without MAGLEV. A.
Commuter rail on the Allegheny Valley Railroad, Norfolk Southern and CSX
railroad lines will be assessed. A. As the driving public begins to see the benefit of public transit as a viable transportation option, an increase in the use of both bus and rail transit systems will result in lower levels of air pollution. In response to the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, diesel engines for transit buses have been designed so that particulate matter in bus exhaust is reduced by more than 90 percent from 1988 emissions standards. Port Authority and other transit operators in the United States are pursuing strategies to further reduce emissions through use of low-sulfur diesel fuel and additional engine controls. New engine technologies
using hybrid fuel systems combining either diesel/electric or natural
gas/electric propulsion are being deployed. Buses powered by fuel cells,
which use clean burning hydrogen, are being tested. The ECTS will also
examine the feasibility of the introduction of electric bus technology
into the existing network of public transit services. A.
As one of the most congested segments of the study area and the study
area's job, university and health center hub, public comments have identified
the need for stronger transit connections to Oakland from Downtown and
other destinations in the study area. Bus rapid transit, light rail transit
and local bus service improvements are all being evaluated. A.
The ECTS is analyzing several railroad corridors for possible public transit
improvements. Railroad corridors can not be used for transit improvements
until the planning, environmental assessments and preliminary engineering
has been completed. Once complete, one of the next steps in the process
is to purchase the railroad right-of-way from either the railroad industry
or a private for-profit company. However, to ensure minimal costs and
system continuity, railroad rights-of-way can also be preserved if local,
state or regional agencies or private or philanthropic organizations could
legally purchase, retain and identify the railroad rights-of-way for future
public transit investments. This method of preserving railroad rights-of-way
is being accomplished in Minnesota, Texas and Utah.
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