(The Associated Press distributed the following story on June 30.)
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — A freight railroad owner who says new commuter rail service to Pittsburgh could be running in less than two years is criticizing a transportation agency study, calling its proposal for commuter rail “gold-plated.”
“In one of their proposals, they bulldozed everything,” said Russ Peterson, president of Allegheny Valley Railroad, who believes he could add a commuter rail running from Arnold, about 15 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, to the city’s Strip District by 2005.
“We’re looking at how quickly we can refurbish the existing railroad. As a private enterprise, we could have it going in 18 months,” he said.
Peterson’s suggestion is far different than the study by the Allegheny County Port Authority, which believes it would take eight to 10 years and cost at least $90 million to get an adequate commuter rail underway.
Port Authority officials say their cost projections are not prohibitive and would provide much more relief from traffic congestion on Route 28, which is traveled by about 75,000 vehicles a day.
“There’s a lot of merit in what they (Allegheny Valley Railroad) want to do,” said Henry Nutbrown, assistant general manager of engineering and construction with the Port Authority. “But they’re only talking about taking 300 cars a day off the road, and that’s not going to do much.”
The costs of the Port Authority proposal would range from $90 million for a locomotive rail line to as much as $800 million for a light-rail system.
Peterson says he could get a system running for $25 million on existing freight lines and has spent about $2 million on track improvements in recent years.
Allegheny County Council member Rick Schwartz said the difference in costs come from “too many bells and whistles” with the Port Authority proposal. He said it includes “brand new tracks, purchasing the railroad itself, four new cars, and state-of-the-art stations.”
“While these items would certainly enhance the commuter rail and encourage ridership, the immediate concern (is) finding an option for commuters trying to reach downtown Pittsburgh on congested highways,” Schwartz told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review for a story Monday.
Schwartz and state Rep. Frank Dermody, D-Allegheny, are proposing a plan for rail stops in Arnold, Plum, Oakmont, Verona, Penn Hills and Pittsburgh’s Strip District.