Unlucky 13: Pittsburgh cuts LRT stops
Written by Douglas John BowenThe Port Authority of Allegheny County (PAT) said Monday it will eliminate 13 "little-used" Pittsburgh light rail transit stops to speed up travel times. The move will take place June 25.
PAT based the terminations on low boarding counts and on proximity to adjacent stations, saying the longest addition to passenger travel distance would be 650 yards. The move affects about 5% of existing ridership, PAT said.
PAT LRT speeds have generated criticism for slow operations, but resistance to elminating stops has been equally vigorous, particularly in the Beechview neighborhood.
“I’m glad to see the authority work proactively to address this issue,” said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald in a statement. “I understand that these stops were selected because the ridership was low and because there are alternative stops relatively close. While our bus lines have gone through numerous changes involving consolidations of routes and stops to improve efficiency and productivity, this is the first time that attention has been paid to the stops on the light rail system.”
