Table 3.22: Tramway, Light Railway and LRT
U.S., Canada, Western Europe and Australasia
Pittsburgh     (3.22.1, 2008.6)
City and Country
Population Served
System Length, km / mi
Annual Passengers (million)
Average Travel Distance, km / mi
Annual Traffic Density (million)
           
Pittsburgh (PA) - 1907
US
@ 1,500,000
u 470,000
483.5 / 299.8
232.2
5 / 3
2.3
All routes - 1926
  
@ 1,500,000
u 630,000
490 / 305
475
4 / 2.5
3.7
urban - 1948
  
@ 1,700,000
u 675,000
355 / 220
285
5 / 3
3.8
Pittsburgh tramway lines as at 1948, arranged anti- (counter) clockwise (north, west, south, east).
North Side (east) - 1948
1 Spring Garden
    
4.2 / 2.6
1.4
    
2 Etna
    
10.1 / 6.2
3.1
    
3 Millvale
    
8.1 / 5.0
3.2
    
4 Troy Hill
    
4.4 / 2.7
1.8
    
5 Spring Hill
    
3.5 / 2.2
1.3
    
Summary, Routes 1 - 5
    
17.4 / 10.8
10.9
4 / 2.5
2.5
North Side - 1948
6 Brighton Road
    
7.7 / 4.7
3.9
    
7 Charles Street
    
5.1 / 3.2
1.5
    
8 Perrysville Avenue
    
8.4 / 5.2
6.0
    
10 West View - Bellevue
11 East Street
15 Bellevue - West View
    
24.8 / 15.4
8.9
    
12 Evergreen Road
    
6.5 / 4.0
0.2
    
13 Emsworth
14 Avalon
    
12.1 / 7.5
8.5
    
18 Woods Run
    
7.1 / 4.4
3.6
    
19 Western Avenue
    
4.8 / 3.0
3.1
    
20 Rebecca
    
3.7 / 2.3
1.4
    
21 Fineview
    
3.8 / 2.4
0.6
    
22 Crosstown
    
2.6 / 1.6
4.6
    
Summary, North Side
    
51.7 / 32.0
42.3
4 / 2.5
3.3
West End - 1948
23 Sewickley
    
21.9 / 13.6
4.4
    
25 Island Avenue
26 West Park
34 Elliott
    
9.0 / 5.6
7.7 / 4.8
4.4 / 2.7
6.4
    
27 Carnegie
    
11.7 / 7.3
2.5
    
28 Heidelberg
    
13.1 / 8.1
3.1
    
30 Crafton - Ingram
31 Sheraden - Ingram
    
16.5 / 10.2
4.5
    
Summary, West End
    
42.9 / 26.5
20.8
5.5 / 3.5
3.3
South Side - South Hills - 1948
42 Dormont
    
8.2 / 5.1
5.8
4.4 / 2.7
3.0
             
38 Mount Lebanon
38A Mount Lebanon Extension
    
11.2 / 6.9
5.4
    
39 Brookline
    
8.0 / 5.0
3.0
    
Summary, Routes 38, 38A, 39
    
13.6 / 8.4
8.4
4.4 / 2.7
2.7
             
40 Mount Washington
    
7.1 / 4.4
3.2
    
44 Knoxville
    
5.5 / 3.4
4.7
    
48 Arlington
    
6.3 / 3.9
2.7
    
49 Beltzhoover
    
5.6 / 3.5
1.4
    
Summary, "Hilltop" routes
    
15.1 / 9.4
12.0
3 / 2
2.6
             
50 Carson Street
    
5.5 / 3.4
6.3
    
47 Carrick via Tunnel
    
10.1 / 6.3
0.7
    
53 Carrick
    
9.8 / 6.1
7.8
    
Summary, Routes 47, 50, 53
    
14.6 / 9.0
14.9
3 / 2
3.2
             
Summary, South Side - South Hills
    
40.1 / 24.9
41.1
3 / 2
3.7
East End - Second Avenue - 1948
55 Homestead - East Pittsburgh
55A Homestead - Munhall
57 Glenwood
    
21.9 / 13.6
9.6
    
56 McKeesport via Second Avenue
    
20.6 / 12.8
8.6
    
58 Greenfield
    
7.9 / 4.9
2.8
    
Summary, Second Avenue
    
35.8 / 22.2
21.0
8 / 5
4.7
East End - Forbes Avenue - 1948
64 Wilkinsburg - East Pittsburgh
    
20.5 / 12.7
7.1
    
66 Wilkinsburg via Forbes Avenue
    
12.2 / 7.6
1.7
    
67 Swissvale - Rankin - Braddock
    
16.5 / 10.2
7.1
    
68 Homestead - Duquesne - McKeesport
    
25.8 / 16.0
11.0
    
69 Squirrel Hill
    
10.0 / 6.2
3.0
    
Summary, Forbes Avenue
    
44.6 / 27.7
29.9
6 / 4
4.1
East End - Fifth Avenue - 1948
71 Negley
    
10.7 / 6.6
6.4
    
73 Highland Park
    
10.9 / 6.8
7.3
    
75 East Liberty - Wilkinsburg
    
11.9 / 7.4
9.4
    
76 Hamilton
    
13.4 / 8.3
8.0
    
81 Atwood Street
    
5.9 / 3.7
1.3
    
Summary, Fifth Avenue
    
32.5 / 20.2
32.4
4 / 3
5.1
East End - Centre Avenue - 1948
82 Lincoln
    
11.6 / 7.2
13.3
    
85 Bedford
    
4.1 / 2.5
6.3
    
Summary, Centre Avenue
    
13.9 / 8.6
19.6
4 / 3
7.2
East End - Penn Avenue - 1948
87 Ardmore
    
23.2 / 14.4
11.1
    
88 Frankstown
    
11.6 / 7.2
16.1
    
94 Sharpsburg - Aspinwall
95 Butler Street
    
12.1 / 7.5
8.4
    
Summary, Penn Avenue
    
35.8 / 22.2
35.6
6 / 4
6.9
             
Other Routes - 1948
77/54 North Side - Carrick via Bloomfield
    
19.7 / 12.2
11.2
    
             
96 East Liberty - 62nd Street
    
7.8 / 4.8
3.8
    
             
60 East Liberty - Homestead
    
9.6 / 5.9
4.5
    
             
65 Munhall - Lincoln Place
    
7.0 / 4.4
3.7
3 / 2
2
             
59 Homestead - Homeville
    
5.5 / 3.4
2.3
2.5 / 1.5
1
             
99 Evans Avenue - Glassport
    
7.4 / 4.6
4.1
3 / 2
2
             
62 East Pittsburgh - Trafford
    
8.8 / 5.5
1.8
5 / 3
1
Shuttle routes - 1948
9 Charles Street Transfer
    
1.0 / 0.7
0.2
    
17 Reedsdale
    
1.0 / 0.6
0.2
    
24 Schoenville
    
2.5 / 1.5
0.3
    
29 Thornburg
    
2.3 / 1.4
0.1
    
32 P&LE Transfer
    
1.2 / 0.8
0.3
    
51 Bon Air
    
0.7 / 0.5
0.2
    
52 36th and Carson Street
    
0.4 / 0.2
0.07
    
63 Corey Avenue
    
1.1 / 0.7
0.1
    
78 Laketon Road
    
1.1 / 0.7
0.1
    
Summary, shuttle routes
    
11.4 / 7.1
1.6
    
Interurban routes - 1948
37-Castle Shannon
    
10.9 / 6.7
3.2
7 / 4
  
Charleroi
    
56.8 / 35.2
2
7 / 12
  
Donora
  
@ 13,000
10.1 / 6.3
0.3
6 / 4
0.2
Washington
    
46.8 / 29.0
1
7 / 12
  
Summary, interurban routes
    
101.5 / 62.9
6.5
11 / 7
0.7
Washington (PA)-1948
  
@ 30,000
        
W-1 Jefferson and Maiden
    
5.6 / 3.5
2.8
    
W-4 East and West Washington
    
2.7 / 4.4
1.9
    
W-5 North Washington
    
1.5 / 0.9
0.4
    
Summary
    
10.9 / 6.7
5.1
2 / 1
0.8
             
All routes - 1960
  
@ 1,630,000
u 604,000
294 / 182
69.3
5.6 / 3.5
1.3
ca. 1974
  
@ 1,540,000
u 480,000
38.7 / 24.0
6.7
8 / 5
1.4
1982
  
@ 1,425,000
u 420,000
"
5.4
"
1.1
1990
  
@ 1,282,700
u 410,000
35.6 / 22.1
9.9
8.9 / 5.5
2.4
2006
  
1,415,000
u 315,000
37.6 / 23.3
7.5
7.1 / 4.4
1.2
             
P&B-1913
    
54.2 / 33.6
0.9
13 / 8
0.2
             
Busways - 2006
            
South Busway
    
6.9 / 4.3
3.5
5.5 / 3.5
3
East Busway
    
14.7 / 9.1
7.5
8 / 5
4
West Busway
    
8.1 / 5.0
2.5
5 / 3
1.5
Key to Symbols:
* = in planning; ** = under construction.
*** = operated for less than 12 months as noted; traffic density scaled up to annual rate.
@ = population corresponds with historic data year.
u = population within municipal boundary.
 
Notes for Table 3.22
Pittsburgh: Operator title: Pittsburgh Railways Company (PRCo), to 1964. Port Authority of Allegheny County, from 1964 (trading as Port Authority Transit to 1999).
"1948-urban" data are exclusive of “interurban” lines (to Canonsburg – Washington and to Library – Charleroi – Roscoe, branch to Donora), and route 37-Castle Shannon.
"System Length" for individual services ("routes") is the distance between terminals. "System Length" for groups of routes are "unduplicated."
Routes 1, 5: Pittsburgh business center ("Triangle") – North Side via 16th Street Bridge. Based at Millvale depot (“carhouse”).
(Today, most Pittsburgh residents refer to the business center as "downtown" rather than the traditional local term "Triangle.")
Routes 2-4: Triangle – North Side via 7th Street and 9th Street bridges (Millvale depot).
Routes 6-8, 21: Triangle – North Side via 6th Street and 7th Street bridges (Keating depot).
Routes 10-11: Triangle – North Side via 7th Street and 9th Street bridges (Keating depot).
Route 15: Triangle – North Side via 6th Street Bridge (Keating depot).
Routes 10 and 15 operated as a circular service, anti- (counter-) clockwise and clockwise, respectively. Route 11 operated during peak periods as a short working of Route 10.
Route 12: Triangle – North Side via 7th Street Bridge (Keating depot). Operated as a shuttle service during off-peak periods.
Routes 13, 14: Triangle – North Side via 6th Street Bridge. Route 14 operated as a peak-period short working of Route 13 (Manchester depot).
Routes 18, 19: Triangle – North Side via 7th Street Bridge (Manchester depot).
Route 20: Triangle – North Side via Manchester Bridge (Manchester depot).
Route 22: Triangle – North Side via 6th Street Bridge (Herron Hill depot).
West End routes (23, 25-28, 30-31, 34): Triangle – West End via Point Bridge (Ingram depot).
Route 25 operated as a short working of route 23. Routes 26 and 34 combined with Route 23 for statistical purposes (in source material).
Routes 30 and 31 operated (apparently) as a circular service, clockwise and anti- (counter-) clockwise, respectively.
Route 42: Triangle – South Side via Smithfield Street Bridge and Mount Washington Tunnel (Tunnel depot). This route has been incorporated into the current light rail transit (LRT) system.
Routes 38, 38A, 39: Triangle – South Side via Smithfield Street Bridge and Mount Washington Tunnel (Tunnel depot). Route 38A combined with Route 38 for statistical purposes (in source material).
"Hilltop" routes (Routes 40, 44, 48, 49): Triangle – South Side via Smithfield Street Bridge and Mount Washington Tunnel (Routes 40, 44, 48). Lines based at Tunnel depot.
Routes 47, 50 and 53: Triangle – South Side.
Route 50 operated via Smithfield Street Bridge. Route 53 operated via Second Avenue and 10th Street Bridge.
Route 47 operated only during peak periods, via Smithfield Street Bridge and Mount Washington Tunnel.
Route 50 based at Craft Avenue depot. Routes 53 and 47 based at Carrick depot.
Routes 55, 55A, 56, 57, 58: Triangle – East End via Second Avenue. (Glenwood depot).
Routes 57 and 55A operated as short workings of Routes 55 and 56. Routes 55, 55A and 57 combined for statistical purposed (in source material).
Routes 64, 66, 67, 68, 69: Triangle – East End via Forbes Avenue (Craft Avenue depot).
Routes 71, 73, 75, 76, 81: Triangle – East End via Fifth Avenue. Routes 71 and 73 based at Highland depot. Routes 75 and 81 based at Craft Avenue depot. Route 76 based at Homewood depot.
Routes 82, 85: Triangle – East End via Centre Avenue. Route 82 based at Highland depot. Route 85 based at Herron Hill depot.
Routes 87, 88, 94, 95: Triangle – East End via Liberty and Penn avenues. Routes 87-88 based at Homewood depot. Routes 94-95 based at Plummer Street depot.
Route 88 duplicated most of route 87. Route 95 operated as a short working of route 94.
Route 77/54: North Side – Bloomfield – Oakland – South Side, via 16th Street and Brady Street bridges (Carrick depot). Operated on tracks shared with other routes over most of length.
Approximately ⅓ (33 percent) of the passenger traffic was carried North Side – Bloomfield, ⅓ (33 percent) Bloomfield – Oakland (with a relatively small number North Side – Oakland), and ⅓ (33 percent) Oakland – Carrick.
Route 96: East Liberty – Morningside – 62nd Street loop (Plummer Street depot).
Route 60: East Liberty – Squirrel Hill – Homestead – Munhall (Homewood depot).
Route 65: Munhall – Homestead – Lincoln Place (Glenwood depot).
Route 59: Homestead – Homeville (West Mifflin; Glenwood depot).
Route 99: McKeesport (Evans Avenue) – Glassport (Glenwood depot).
Route 62: East Pittsburgh – Trafford (Homewood depot).
Interurban-1948: Route 37 operated as an urban service over part of "interurban" division. Based at Tunnel depot.
"Charleroi" service operated Pittsburgh – Library – Black Diamond – Charleroi – Roscoe. Based at Charleroi depot.
"Donora" service operated Black Diamond – Donora. Based at Charleroi depot.
"Washington" service operated Pittsburgh – Drake – Washington. Based at Tylerdale depot.
The passenger traffic density carried by the Pittsburgh – Castle Shannon segment at 1948 was roughly four times greater than that carried by the interurban division overall.
The current Dormont – Mount Lebanon – Castle Shannon line carried very roughly 4.5 million passengers at 1948, compared to roughly 3 million passengers at 2006.
The remaining portion of the "interurban" division (Pittsburgh – Castle Shannon – Library / Dorchester) carried very roughly 2 million passengers at 1948, compared to roughly 4.5 million passengers at 2006.
The Charleroi service carried very roughly 1,250,000 passengers within Allegheny County (i.e. over the remaining segment, Pittsburgh – Library), and 625,000 passengers within Washington County, at 1948.
The Washington service carried very roughly 750,000 passengers within Allegheny County (i.e. Pittsburgh – Drake), and 375,000 passengers within Washington County, at 1948.
Donora branch closed 1953 May 16. Library – Charleroi – Roscoe, 36.9 km / 22.9 mi, closed 1953 June 28. Drake – Washington, 30.5 km / 18.9 mi, closed 1953 August 29. Remaining services, Pittsburgh – Library, 19.8 km / 12.3 mi, and Pittsburgh – Drake, 16.3 km / 10.1 mi. ("Drake" is the name of a road, and a tramway stop. The local municipality is Upper Saint Clair Township.)
Washington (PA) - 1948: PRCo town tramway ("trolley") services. Based at Tylerdale depot. Closed 1953 June 20.
P&B: Operator Title: Pittsburgh and Butler Street Railway Company. Operated interurban line between Pittsburgh (Etna) and Butler.
East Busway: Official title "Martin Luther King, Jr. East Busway." Penn Station – Wilkinsburg, 11.0 km / 6.8 mi, opened 1983. Wilkinsburg – Swissvale, 3.7 km / 2.3 mi, opened 2003.
South Busway: Station Square – South Hills Junction – Glenbury, sharing Mount Washington Tunnel with light rail services. Opened 1977.
West Busway: busway entrance – Carnegie. Opened 2000.
 
Copyright 2005-2008, Publictransit.us