2004 April 23
Port Authority of Allegheny County
In February, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
recommended a Full Funding Grant Agreement for the proposed
With the construction of maintenance buildings on the
former main rail yard at South Hills Junction, the Port Authority saw the need
for a new rail yard to store extra light rail vehicles, needed only during the
rush-hours, in the central city area. As part of Stage I of the Light Rail
Transit project, a seven-track—that is five stub tracks and a loop track originally
designed for PCC streetcars that can now serve as two additional storage
tracks—a seven-track rail car storage yard was built, just beyond the light
rail passenger station at Penn Station.
On April 2, I sent a
The information provided to me, mostly from the July 1983
issue of the SIDEWALK SUPERINTENDENT
newsletter issued by the Port Authority to inform the public of rail
construction activities, indicates that the construction of all trackage from
Steel Plaza, past the light rail station at Penn Station, into a Mid-Day Rail
Yard cost $2,000,457.99. The Port Authority Board awarded a contract, to
Massaro Corporation on
A small part of the $2 million contract was used to
construct trackage from
Please note that the Massaro contract did not include
the construction of the passenger platforms at Penn Station or changes to the
tunnel. Nor did this contract include the overhead electrical wiring. So, the
Massaro contract, along with the cost of the overhead electrical wiring, makes
the total cost of this rail yard about $2 million.
Now, the problem is this: This $2 million rail car
storage yard has NEVER been used for its intended purpose. In fact, it has
NEVER been used, AT ALL, for the storage of light rail vehicles! And, the Port
Authority now proposes to ABANDON this rail car storage yard. If this
abandonment occurs, it will result
in the complete waste of $2 million in taxpayer
money—this is $2 million in 1983 dollars. This would be
the most egregious waste of taxpayer money in the 40 years
of Port Authority Transit history!
And, this may not the worst
of it!
In the mid-1980s, the Port
Authority built several new rail stations along the
Well, if the Port Authority
does abandon the Mid-Day Rail Yard, the Federal Government will probably ask
that all of the money used to build this yard be returned, considering that the
rail yard was never, ever used! And, considering the current financial plight
of the State and County governments, the
Today is not the first time I have complained about
the failure of the Port Authority to take advantage of a $2 million rail yard
they constructed. About two and a half years ago, I mentioned this matter to
Port Authority Chief Executive Officer Paul Skoutelas, after a Port Authority
meeting. Mr. Skoutelas provided no response to this issue, at that time.
Attached to this statement is a
copy of the comments I
submitted on
I was fully aware of the proposal to build this
Mid-Day Rail Yard in 1983. But, I thought that if the Port Authority really wanted
this yard, it was probably a good idea. I am sure that the Port Authority Board
of Directors, at that time, probably felt the same way. Who in 1983, in their
right mind, would have thought that the Port Authority would build a $2 million
rail yard—then never use it!!!
Why has this rail yard never been used? Security of
the light rail vehicles in storage could not be a concern, considering that the
Mid-Day Rail Yard is located adjacent to the Port Authority Police Station!
From discussions with Port Authority staff members
over the years, it seems that the staff considers access to and from this rail
yard, via a “pocket track” near Fourth Avenue, to be a nuisance and believes it
could cause switching problems on the Main Line. The designers of the Stage I
alignment must have been aware of this design drawback. But the rail yard was
built anyway. Obviously, they must have thought that this rail car movement was
a problem that could be lived-with.
Once a vehicle has entered this “pocket track,” it is
no longer in the
Now, in combination with this movement through the “pocket
track,” I would suggest the following supplement during rush-hours. Most
rush-hour passengers board or alight trains at the
The storage of extra light rail vehicles, needed only
during the rush hours, in a Downtown rail yard would have major financial
advantages. A great deal less electricity would be consumed by the stored
vehicles. And, there would be less wear-and-tear on vehicles. Certainly, these
were the major reasons for construction of the Mid-Day Rail Yard!
Yet, since the Port Authority staff has refused to use
this rail yard, for more than fifteen years the Port Authority has been
consuming a great deal more electricity just for the mid-day warehousing of
these vehicles at the main
The Mid-Day Rail Yard should have been used over the
last fifteen years. And, it definitely should be used now. Later this year, the
Port Authority staff may, again, ask this Board to approve transit fare
increases and/or service reductions. There should be no transit fare increases
or service reductions approved, until the Port Authority starts reducing
operating costs by using the Mid-Day Rail Yard for its intended purpose!
The Convention Center Subway Line, as currently
proposed by the Port Authority, would require the disconnection of the Penn
Station Rail Line from the rail system. I have been told that grading
considerations make this disconnection a necessity. Yet, the Penn Station Line
shares the same grade as
There is no reason the Convention Center Line cannot
connect to the existing Penn Station Line. In fact, I am suspicious as to why
the Port Authority staff is so adamant that the Convention Center Line and the
Penn Station Line cannot coexist. Could it be that the disconnection of the
Penn Station Line, from the rest of the rail system, was seen as an easy way to
rid the Port Authority of the Mid-Day Rail Yard embarrassment? Yes, it seems
that the Port Authority planners purposely designed the Penn Station Line out
of the rail system, so they can pave over this rail yard, and there would no
longer be any evidence of the complete waste of $2 million of taxpayer money!
As many of you know, I have been a strong advocate of
public transportation, and of the Port Authority, for more than twenty-five
years. However, it becomes very frustrating, and difficult, to support the Port
Authority, when there is such clear-cut evidence of waste of taxpayer
dollars—money that could have been used to improve public transportation in
Good public transit is very important to urban areas
such as
However, first, to prevent the complete waste of $2
million of taxpayer money, the Board of Directors of the Port Authority of
1) With the
next Port Authority Transit operator “pick,” the Port Authority should begin
using the Mid-Day Rail Yard for its intended purpose: the storage of extra
light rail vehicles not needed for base-period service. Of course, a side
benefit of this action would be to provide additional light rail passenger
service between
2) Plans for
construction of the Convention Center Subway Line should be modified to allow
continual rail car access to the Mid-Day Rail Yard.