Thursday, January 19, 2006
Rise Above Tunnel Rhetoric
Lest we have forgotten, the massive North Shore Connector is still looming in the background: this subterranean beast has been awarded Congressional approval and the Federal dollars that go with it. It also has financial commitments from the state and local governments. Its first round of bids came in higher than expected: it was re-bid in order to get a more favorable result. Though the bids were to be opened January 11th, there has been no word yet whether the desired result--a lower bid to get the project started--was achieved.
There is no doubt that the project has changed enough that the Feds ought to take another look at this boondoggle. Because of rising costs, the leg to the Lawrence Convention Center has been scrapped. The Connector--if it is to be built--will be a little used method that will serve North Shore attractions like the stadiums. Taking away the trolley as a way to serve conventioneers renders a lot of its "benefits" moot. It is a remote possibility that the promised jumping off to points North and West will come to fruition anytime soon.
It is time for state and local officials--many of whom have expressed the project as a fait accompli but might have to scrounge for more money if there are cost overruns on the Connector--to go to the senior Senator and request the money be moved to other uses. It happened in Alaska with the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere", so it can happen here. It is time to quit pretending that the Connector will be a good thing for Pittsburgh and to move the money to more pressing needs--attention to the bridges in the region might be a good start.
Lest we have forgotten, the massive North Shore Connector is still looming in the background: this subterranean beast has been awarded Congressional approval and the Federal dollars that go with it. It also has financial commitments from the state and local governments. Its first round of bids came in higher than expected: it was re-bid in order to get a more favorable result. Though the bids were to be opened January 11th, there has been no word yet whether the desired result--a lower bid to get the project started--was achieved.
There is no doubt that the project has changed enough that the Feds ought to take another look at this boondoggle. Because of rising costs, the leg to the Lawrence Convention Center has been scrapped. The Connector--if it is to be built--will be a little used method that will serve North Shore attractions like the stadiums. Taking away the trolley as a way to serve conventioneers renders a lot of its "benefits" moot. It is a remote possibility that the promised jumping off to points North and West will come to fruition anytime soon.
It is time for state and local officials--many of whom have expressed the project as a fait accompli but might have to scrounge for more money if there are cost overruns on the Connector--to go to the senior Senator and request the money be moved to other uses. It happened in Alaska with the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere", so it can happen here. It is time to quit pretending that the Connector will be a good thing for Pittsburgh and to move the money to more pressing needs--attention to the bridges in the region might be a good start.
