PITTSBURGH — Maglev Inc. officials are recommending that two revised routes through Westmoreland County be studied further as the possible path for the high-speed train, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.
One of the “recommended alignments” runs near an originally proposed route strongly opposed by some Penn Township residents and elected officials. The other recommended route runs along routes 22 and 66.
The modified routes were unveiled before approximately 325 people Wednesday at a meeting at the Four Points Hotel by Sheraton, east of Greensburg.
“(A recommended alignment) just means that we have identified that for further review and study,” said Ken Rich of the MSM Group, which consists of the Maguire Group, Skelly and Loy Inc. and McCormick, Taylor and Associates Inc.
“Right now, these are the routes that we are exploring in depth.”
The 47-mile maglev system, which uses magnetic levitation over an elevated track, is proposed to connect downtown Pittsburgh and its international airport to Monroeville, Allegheny County, and Greensburg. The “magport” near Greensburg is proposed for Greengate Mall, west of Greensburg.
Officials also have recommended for further study one alignment each for the airport-to-Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh-to-Monroeville stretches.
Others of the original 12 alignments – including a third route through Westmoreland County – “have been placed on the back burner, if you will,” Rich said, adding that these “deferred” alignments could be studied again if problems are found with the recommended routes.
The two Westmoreland County routes earmarked for further study run “a couple hundred feet and sometimes more” away from the two previously proposed alignments, said Richard Feder of the Port Authority of Allegheny County’s planning office.
For instance, the originally proposed alignment through the center of Penn Township would have run over the Valley Landfill and Bushy Run Battlefield. The alternate alignment calls for the path to run over a possible expansion area of the landfill and to miss the battlefield – addressing two concerns previously expressed by the Penn Township commissioners.
This modified route also would run through Claridge; Campbell’s farm, which is a large agricultural complex in Penn Township; and near Shramm’s Farms and Orchards.
The modification for the routes 22 and 66 alignment would run for a longer stretch through Murrysville. The original path would have run south of that community.
Feder said several factors were considered in regard to the alignments, including proximity to homes, recreational facilities, churches, schools, cemeteries and utilities.
“We’re going to try to find an alignment that hits as few a number of houses as possible,” he said.
Feder said more should be known by early summer about which of the two alignments through Westmoreland County is selected for final consideration.
“We should have a pretty good idea by the next round of public meetings, which is in June,” he said.
Until then, maglev officials are taking more comments about the alignments and project.
“Public comment is key. We need to hear about people’s feelings about the alignments,” Feder said.
The alignments are part of an environmental impact study being prepared by the MSM Group. That study is to be completed by the end of this year and then submitted to the Federal Railroad Administration for a possible project award.
Western Pennsylvania is competing with the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., area to have the first maglev system in the United States and for $950 million in up-front money. The Federal Railroad Administration is expected to decide in early 2003 which project will get the funds.
The overall price tag is estimated at $2.8 billion.
The turnout at last night’s public session was greater than at three other meetings held in the last few days in Allegheny County.
“This is the highest turnout we’ve had. The first three meetings combined didn’t equal the number (last night),” said MSM Group spokeswoman Jennifer Weil.
She said a total of 265 people attended the earlier sessions.
Other sessions were held in late 2001.