Port Authority... and why no one uses it

you don't even know...

When I am driving to work, the commute is as few as 25 minutes and as many at 45. Its really not bad. I usually leave the house between 7 and 730 and get in before 8 every day. One of the biggest perks is listening to WDUQ the whole way. You don't even know.

When i take the bus in the morning, like when the Speedwagon is hurt (moment of silence) i leave the house at 645, and i get to work at 830. That is an hour and 45 minutes... an hour and 45 minutes.

Yesterday, i took the bus home and... i am not kidding... there was a point where we stopped three times withing 100 feet. And my estimate of 100 feet is a VERY generous estimate.

We stopped at a bus stop... moved the length of the bus to a stop light... sat at the light till it turned green... the stopped on the other side of the intersection. And this was not a big intersection. There was a sidewalk on both sides, and the street we crossed was barely wide enough to have one lane of each traffic in each direction.

THIS is why more people don't use public transportation. You don't even know.

I love Pittsburgh... love it, love it... and i LOVE riding the subway. But here is the thing... it is almost useless to me. The bus drops me at Wood street, so i head into the station, and hop on the T... then i get off at Steel plaza... that is five blocks. Five. I mean, it is fun, and saves me walking... but if i have to wait for the train at all it takes the same time as walking.

I understand that if you are coming from the south hills it is an amazing piece of public transit, but everyone else basically gets a big nose-thumbing from the port authority. Why can the port authority not burrow East from downtown? Wouldn't that make a good bit of sense? But a station in at Duquesne, a stop at the beginnning of Oakland, one under the Cathedral of Learning, Another past CMU... heck, they could even take it out to Monroeville. I guess that would be too logical. You don't even know.

It makes a lot more sense to burrow over to the stadiums, since people seem to REALLY hate walking across the Clemente Bridge...

Oh wait... People love that. They don't even know.

If they just take the north shore connector to the stadiums and that is it, it will be the biggest waste ever. Here's hoping they make it worthwhile and put topside tracks North and West.