Final Report December 17th, 2003 Prepared by STV Incorporated in association with Michael Baker Jr., Inc. Brean & Associates Maynes & Associates D. A. Kent For Eastern Corridor Transit Study Final Report Table of Contents 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................. 1-1 1.2 STUDY PURPOSE AND PROCESS ............................................................................................ 1-3 1.3 PREVIOUS STUDIES AND SUGGESTED CORRIDORS ..................................................................... 1-4 1.4 PUBLIC OUTREACH AND AGENCY COORDINATION...................................................................... 1-5 1.5 STUDY AREA NEEDS........................................................................................................... 1-6 1.6 LONG LIST OF ALTERNATIVES............................................................................................... 1-7 1.7 SHORT LIST ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................... 1-13 1.8 CONCLUSIONS AND NEXT STEPS ......................................................................................... 1-18 1.9 GENERAL GUIDANCE FOR NEXT STEPS ................................................................................... 1-20 2 EXISTING CONDITIONS ..................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREA ............................................................................................. 2-1 2.2 DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS ............................................................ 2-1 2.2.1 POPULATION ....................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2.2 MINORITY POPULATION.......................................................................................................... 2-3 2.2.3 EMPLOYMENT ...................................................................................................................... 2-5 2.3 LAND USE ....................................................................................................................... 2-6 2.4 TRANSPORTATION NETWORK ............................................................................................... 2-8 2.4.1 HIGHWAY FACILITIES............................................................................................................. 2-8 2.4.2 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION NETWORK.........................................................................................2-11 2.4.3 RAILROADS........................................................................................................................2-13 2.5 TRAVEL PATTERNS........................................................................................................... 2-15 2.6 PREVIOUS STUDIES AND PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS.................................................................. 2-27 3 PUBLIC OUTREACH AND AGENCY COORDINATION.................................................................. 3-1 3.1 CORRIDOR WORKING GROUPS ............................................................................................. 3-1 3.2 PUBLIC OPEN HOUSES........................................................................................................ 3-2 3.2.1 TRANSPORTATION & COMMUNITY PLANNING ................................................................................ 3-3 3.3 TARGETED OUTREACH ........................................................................................................ 3-6 3.4 PUBLIC OFFICIALS BRIEFINGS .............................................................................................. 3-6 3.5 PROJECT NEWSLETTER & WEBSITE ....................................................................................... 3-7 3.6 ADDITIONAL PUBLIC CONTACT ............................................................................................. 3-8 4 PURPOSE AND NEEDS........................................................................................................ 4-1 4.1 PURPOSE OF STUDY ........................................................................................................... 4-1 4.2 STUDY PROCESS ............................................................................................................... 4-1 4.3 STATEMENT OF NEEDS ....................................................................................................... 4-2 4.3.1 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ......................................................................................................... 4-5 5 LONG LIST OF ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................. 5-1 5.1 NO-BUILD ALTERNATIVE..................................................................................................... 5-1 5.2 TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM MANAGEMENT (TSM) ALTERNATIVE ................................................... 5-2 5.3 BUILD ALTERNATIVES......................................................................................................... 5-2 5.3.1 ALLEGHENY VALLEY CORRIDOR................................................................................................. 5-4 5.3.2 EAST BUSWAY CORRIDOR ....................................................................................................... 5-8 5.3.3 SPINE LINE CORRIDOR..........................................................................................................5-13 5.3.4 MONONGAHELA VALLEY CORRIDOR ...........................................................................................5-16 5.3.5 NORFOLK SOUTHERN CORRIDOR..............................................................................................5-21 5.4 SHORT LIST ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................... 5-22 6 ANALYSIS OF SHORT LIST ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................ 6-1 STV Incorporated December 17th, 2003 i Final Report Eastern Corridor Transit Study 6.1 TRAVEL DEMAND ESTIMATION METHODOLOGY .........................................................................6-1 6.2 CAPITAL COST ESTIMATION METHODOLOGY ............................................................................6-2 6.3 OPERATING & MAINTENANCE COST METHODOLOGY ..................................................................6-4 6.4 ALTERNATIVE ATTRIBUTES...................................................................................................6-7 6.4.1 TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM MANAGEMENT (TSM) ALTERNATIVE .........................................................6-7 6.4.2 ALLEGHENY VALLEY CORRIDOR – COMMUTER RAIL (AV-CR).............................................................6-9 6.4.3 ALLEGHENY VALLEY CORRIDOR – LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT (AV – LRT).................................................. 6-14 6.4.4 EAST BUSWAY CORRIDOR – LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT (EB-LRT MONROEVILLE) ........................................ 6-18 6.4.5 EAST BUSWAY CORRIDOR – BUSWAY EXTENSION (EB-BW MONROEVILLE) ......................................... 6-25 6.4.6 SPINE LINE CORRIDOR – LIGHT RAIL TO WILKINSBURG (SL-LRT WILKINSBURG) ................................. 6-30 6.4.7 SPINE LINE CORRIDOR – LIGHT RAIL TO HOMESTEAD (SL-LRT HOMESTEAD)...................................... 6-35 6.4.8 MONONGAHELA VALLEY CORRIDOR – LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT (MV-LRT)............................................... 6-40 6.4.9 NORFOLK SOUTHERN CORRIDOR – COMMUTER RAIL (NS-CR)......................................................... 6-45 7 EVALUATION OF ATTRIBUTES, CONCLUSIONS AND NEXT STEPS.............................................. 7-51 7.1 EVALUATION MEASURES DEFINED ........................................................................................7-51 7.2 EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES...........................................................................................7-53 7.2.1 DAILY TRANSIT BOARDINGS (2025).........................................................................................7-53 7.2.2 SYSTEMWIDE NEW DAILY TRANSIT PASSENGERS (2025) ...............................................................7-54 7.2.3 CAPITAL COST.................................................................................................................... 7-55 7.2.4 ANNUAL INCREMENTAL OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE COST .......................................................... 7-58 7.2.5 CAPITAL COST PER NEW ROUTE MILE ....................................................................................... 7-59 7.2.6 DAILY TRANSIT BOARDINGS PER ROUTE MILE ............................................................................. 7-60 7.3 CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES ..................................................................7-62 7.3.1 AV-CR............................................................................................................................. 7-62 7.3.2 AV-LRT ........................................................................................................................... 7-63 7.3.3 EB-BW (MONROEVILLE)....................................................................................................... 7-63 7.3.4 EB-LRT (MONROEVILLE & MURRYSVILLE) ................................................................................