Casey, mayor promote commuter rail line development

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today hailed a $1.5 million federal grant that will be used to plan construction of a "green boulevard" with a commuter rail line and biking-walking trail in Lawrenceville.

The two met with officials of the federal Transportation and Housing and Urban Development departments in the heart of a proposed redevelopment area, at 43rd and Railroad streets.

"This is about jobs, this is about the quality of life and it's about the future," Mr. Casey said.

Mr. Ravenstahl described the combination of transportation, housing and environmental improvements as "a model for the rest of the country. It's visionary, it's cutting edge and it could put Pittsburgh on the map."

The federal funding will be used to study development and land use along the riverfront from 43rd to 48th streets, trail design and stormwater management and rail issues like placement of freight sidings and stations. The planning work will begin early next year and take about 18 months.

The commuter line has been proposed to stretch from Tarentum Bridge Road in Arnold to Downtown, either to Penn Station or the Steel Plaza Light Rail Transit station.

The mayor's plan calls for a "green spine" through Lawrenceville along the riverfront, with the rail line, a biking-walking trail, riverfront habitat restoration and a stormwater management system that captures and naturally purifies rain water.

It would be part of an overall plan announced in March to redevelop 80 acres of riverfront on a 6.5-mile stretch from the David L. Lawrence Convention Center to the edge of Highland Park with housing, commercial space and recreational amenities.

The project was one of 62 chosen for funding by the federal agencies from 700 applications nationwide, and one of only 13 to be funded by DOT and HUD.





First published on November 8, 2010 at 3:33 pm