Resolution Regarding Easier Pedestrian
Access between the
2006
March 22
Whereas, the Port Authority of Allegheny County recently found it necessary,
due to limited financial resources, to defer construction of a proposed subway
spur which would have
served
the
Whereas, without construction
of this subway spur, conventioneers and other visitors to the David L. Lawrence
Convention Center will have no direct pedestrian access to the Pittsburgh Light
Rail Rapid Transit System; and
Whereas, safe, easy, and
quick pedestrian access between the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and the
Pittsburgh Light Rail Rapid Transit System would be extremely beneficial to
conventioneers and other visitors to the Convention Center, as well as to other
pedestrians in this area of the Pittsburgh Golden Triangle, and make the Convention
Center more marketable to potential tenants; and
Whereas, access to the
existing Rapid Transit Station located at the Pennsylvania Railroad Station
(“Penn Station”), located only a block from the David L. Lawrence Convention
Center, is limited by two major streets and several dangerous intersections;
and
Whereas, construction of an
elevated pedestrian walkway between the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and
Penn Station would be a financially-reasonable and pedestrian-friendly solution
to provide conventioneers and other visitors to the David L. Lawrence
Convention Center with safe, easy, and quick access to the Pittsburgh Light
Rail Rapid Transit System via the rapid transit system’s station at Penn
Station; and
Whereas, such an elevated pedestrian
walkway could also easily connect the Westin Convention Center Hotel (which
includes a bus stop for buses to the Airport), Liberty Center office tower, the
under-construction new Greyhound Bus Terminal (which will include a large
parking garage), Port Authority’s Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway, and
Amtrak’s Pittsburgh terminal at Penn Station (which may also be the future
terminal of commuter train service from Westmoreland County and/or the
Allegheny/Kiski Valley); and
Whereas, construction of such
an elevated pedestrian walkway would be a major project, the planning of which
should include all agencies and institutions representing interested parties,
including (but not limited to) the Sports and Exhibition Authority of
Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, Public Parking Authority of Pittsburgh, Port
Authority of Allegheny County, and Allegheny County Transit Council, and also
include the public at-large via public meetings in the Convention Center/Penn
Station area.
Now, therefore be it resolved, that the Long-Range Planning Committee of the
Allegheny County Transit Council does hereby propose and recommends that the
Port Authority of Allegheny County and Sports and Exhibition Authority of
Pittsburgh and Allegheny County construct such an elevated pedestrian walkway,
to ensure safe, easy, and quick access between the David L. Lawrence Convention
Center and the Pittsburgh Light Rail Rapid Transit System station at Penn
Station.
And, therefore be it
further resolved, that an Elevated Walkway
Task Force be formed, to include all agencies and institutions representing
interested parties, including (but not limited to) the Sports and Exhibition
Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, Public Parking Authority of
Pittsburgh, Port Authority of Allegheny County, and Allegheny County Transit
Council, for the planning of such an Elevated Pedestrian Walkway, and that such
Task Force hold public planning meetings on the project in the Convention
Center/Penn Station area.
gaw
(Resolution approved by a unanimous vote of the
Long-Range Planning Committee of the Allegheny County Transit Council, at the
Committee’s regular monthly meeting,
Wednesday Evening, March 22, 2006.)