I'm just thinking aloud here, but the North Shore Connector project is nearly complete, and the next question will be, "Now what?"
I'm a North Boroughs resident, so I'm naturally inclined towards seeing the line, which ends at Heinz Field, come out the Ohio River Valley along the Route 65 corridor. I really don't know if it is practical or not, it would be handy if the Norfolk & Southern right of way along the river could be used, otherwise the project would probably require tunnelling.
In a perfect world with unlimited funding, it would be nice to see the line stretch west towards Sewickley. One of my biggest complaints with the "T" is that it has too many stations spaced too close together. I'd put stations at Bellevue and Sewickley, with buses feeding those stations and plenty of commuter parking. Bellevue would be a junction with one line headed out towards Sewickley, and another curling north towards McKnight Rd and ultimately Cranberry. I'd build another junction at Sewickley, with the line continuing west towards Beaver and a line recrossing the river to Moon Twp. and the airport.
From Downtown, lines could extend east towards Oakland, Monroeville and Murrysville, and north to Aspinwall/Harmarville/Pittsburgh Mills and Harrison Twp or New Kensington. Again, limit the number of stops, provide LARGE stations with plenty of parking.
Its all pie in the sky though, its more likely that this is the last extension we'll see of this project for a long time, if ever.
So, if you had your way, how would you extend the "T?" This isn't meant to suggest one way or another is the best, I'd just like to see some ideas, some group think, if you will.
