Allegheny Valley Railroad’s long-talked-about commuter rail service has received some key funding. The proposed Tarentum to Downtown Pittsburgh service received a commitment of $350 million from Cleveland-based First Service Commercial Loans Inc.

AVR President Russell Peterson says he believes this funding represents a turning point in effort to build the commuter-service, which was originally proposed in 1999.

“Funding is probably the most crucial of all the elements of putting the service into play,” Peterson says.

AVR plans to sell 18.42 miles of track to a public-private entity, which would operate the commuter service. The railroad would retain a permanent easement to run freight in the overnight hours.

Robert Ardolino, president of Urban Innovations, is leading the project on behalf of AVR. Ardolino says five stops are currently proposed for the system. Those stops include Tarentum, New Kensington, a combined Oakmont-Verona stop, in Lawrenceville, and a final connection into Penn Station or Steel Plaza. A weekend stop at the Highland Park Zoo would be included.

According to Ardolino, a possible sixth stop could occur in the Strip District, where a light-rail Lawrenceville-Strip District circulator is being considered.

The next step for the project is to conduct a combined environmental impact and alternative route study. The study will be done in conjunction with the city, and potentially Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, with AVR as the stakeholder, Ardolino says.

Although Ardolino says he hopes to break ground on the project by 2014, a few obstacles remain. Foremost is a missing connector from 26th Street in the Strip into a downtown station. However Ardolino remains optimistic.

“The time has come for this project to get built,” he says. “This is a big undertaking. It’s going to take a lot of collaboration, with both Westmoreland County and Allegheny County and the City of Pittsburgh.”

Writer: Andrew Moore
Source: Russell Peterson; Robert Ardolino

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