Tag Archives: CTIF

Responding to a desire to spur high density development near transit stops, the state created legislation allowing for "Transit Revitalization Investment Districts", TRID for short, to encourage it. Soon after the South Hills communities of Mt. Lebanon and Dormont received funds via the County’s Redevelopment Authority (the authority received $225k under TRID) to analyze and study the potential for such development.

Among other things, the 2007 study showed that the towns had both lost population during the study period but that the losses were more pronounced in areas close to the transit stops. Hasn’t one of the long time arguments of transit advocates been that transit generates its own demand as people realize the benefits of being close to stations?

Apparently not dissuaded by what the first study said, now comes word that they are going back to the well once again for $200k ($150k for Mt. Lebanon, $50k for Dormont) to "fund preliminary engineering for development". The money for the study would come from the Community Infrastructure and Tourism Fund, an $80 million pot of money funded by gaming money and set aside for the County for the purpose of funding "construction, development, improvement, and maintenance of infrastructure projects" according to the Gaming law.

Was that what the Legislature intended when the money was set aside? With such broad language it is hard to say so. Now it is possible that close to $500k will have been spent to determine if such development is feasible. A quick look at the nearby Castle Shannon stop, where a developer has been trying for years to get a high density transit development done, could have saved some money.