(The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published the following story by Jan Ackerman on April 22.)
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — As an engineer, Vinod Patel understands the mechanics and sophistication of a proposed magnetic levitation train.
But it’s the train’s decibel level that worries him.
He lives on Lakeview Drive in Robinson, about 200 feet from the favored path of the proposed Pennsylvania Maglev Project, a 54-mile, high-speed magnetic levitation transportation system to connect Pittsburgh International Airport and Greensburg.
“It would be worse than hearing a vacuum [cleaner] running 24 hours a day,” said Patel, who calculated the train’s noise level at 85 decibels, worse than a garbage disposal.
“It would be like a food blender running every five minutes,” he said, pointing to a noise chart posted at the Wyndham Hotel in Moon last night.
He was one of scores of people who came to an open house where charts, graphs and professionals presented information on the environmental analysis for the Pennsylvania Maglev Project, which is competing with a Baltimore-to-Washington, D.C., high-speed maglev proposal for $950 million in federal demonstration grant money.
At last night’s meeting, members of the project team helped residents compare what is known as the favored route, which would cross very close to Patel’s house, and other options, including a new one that would reduce the impact on Robinson but increase it elsewhere.
The alternate route would be more expensive and would affect Carnegie, Crafton, Collier, Green Tree, Ingram, North Fayette, Rosslyn Farms, Scott and Stowe.
It also would use an existing 4,700-foot Wheeling & Lake Erie Railroad tunnel and require construction of a separate tunnel under Green Tree for the maglev guideway heading in the opposite direction.
Standing in the hallway of the hotel last night, Tom Salvie of Robinson was handing out fliers warning Robinson residents.
“The battle is not over,” he said.
The flier indicated the alternative route would most likely be rejected because it is more expensive and affects more residential and commercial properties than the favored route, called A-5, which will affect residential neighborhoods in Robinson.
“If both of these proposed routes were sent to the Federal Railroad Administration today, the route going through the middle of our township most likely will be selected,” said the flier, which was signed by the “Robinson Township Steering Committee.”
Inside the meeting hall, staff from the Port Authority, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Maglev Inc. and the project’s consultants explained the 24 alternatives that have been considered as part of the draft environmental impact study. Public hearings will be held later this year.
Robinson residents filled out green comment forms voicing their opposition to the project.
“Who is going to ride this thing anyway?” asked Larry Schneider of Robin Road, Robinson, noting that the airport is in big trouble with US Airways’ possible departure and the city of Pittsburgh isn’t exactly a hotbed of growth.
Dan Tallon, a Robinson commissioner, said the township is actively opposing the recommended alignment of the maglev system, which he said would slice the township in half and lower property values.
“The lucky ones will have their homes taken,” Tallon said. “The unlucky ones will have to look at it and hear it.”