Anti-expressway group plans public forum
A Pittsburgh environmental group opposed to the completion of the Mon/Fayette Expressway is holding a public forum and hearing this evening to discuss its alternative plan. The alternative plan, which will be presented to the Federal Highway Administration as part of the public comments to the proposed toll road, deals with the section of the expressway that extends from Route 51 north to Pittsburgh.
The public forum to discuss the plan will be held from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Taylor Allderdice High School, 2409 Shady Ave., Squirrel Hill. The group said that hard copies of its alternative will be provided at the forum. The plan can also be viewed at http://www.pennfuture.org
Jeanne Clark of PennFuture said the group didn’t address the Uniontown to Brownsville link of the highway project.
“We didn’t bite off that part,” she said.
When contacted Wednesday, neither Jim Marzullo nor Joe Kirk said they would be attending the forum. Marzullo, a member of the Fayette Expressway Completion Organization, said he didn’t believe the group’s proposal would get much attention. Kirk, a member of the Mon Valley Progress Council, said his group will instead submit official comment to the highway administration.
“I’ve read their report and I have no interest in attending,” he said.
PennFuture is hosting the group along with other environmental groups. Testimony will be limited to three minutes. The forum is being held just days before the Sept. 9 deadline to submit comments to the FHA.
According to a press release announcing the forum, the plan was developed by local residents in conjunction with experts in architectecture and planning.
PennFuture’s $2.7 billion plan puts emphasis on upgrading existing roads, building new city streets, expanding busways and light-rail service and adding to existing bicycle trails.
The plan includes a $10 million project to build 40 miles of trails along the Monongahela River from Turtle Creek to Monroeville and extending the South Hills light-rail line to Century III Mall for $302 million.
Other proposals include extending a busline to Turtle Creek for $131 million; building a rail system from Oakland to downtown that would also go 10 miles to Tuttle Creek through Hazelwood, Homestead, Duquesne and Braddock for a total of $1.05 billion. It also calls for upgrading Route 51.
The plans for the expressway currently call for the Uniontown to Brownsville link to be constructed before the route 51 to Pittsburgh section. Construction should start in 2005 for the local link and may not begin until 2007 for the northern link.