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Subway
The measure of a city's livability, is often related to how well
it is tied together, and unified. This is generally a function of it's transit
system, roadways, and communication. Pittsburgh has a truly great transit
system. There is the road system, the bus system, and the tunnels, as well
as the over 700 bridges which join the hills, span the rivers, and connect
the various levels of the city. There is also the light rail system, which
starts downtown as a subway, and ends up riding the ridges of the outlying
hills.
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Above
The entrance to the underground platform, and toe the Pittsburgh light
rail system.
Left
A view down the street from the subway entrance.
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At street level, this is a high ceilinged, granite
foyer, with a number of information kiosks, and escalators to the platform
levels below.
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We are one level below street level, and still
not at the platforms, which are a level farther down. This is a sort of
an intermediate staging area, for the busy times of rush hour.
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At the platform level, and awaiting our train.
This is quite a different experience from that of the Chicago or New York
subway platforms.
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The light at the end of the tunnel indicates
that a train is coming. This photo was taken at mid morning, when the system
is only casually traveled. Things will be different in another six hours
or so.
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A train pulls in, going in the other direction.
Ours will, doubtless, arrive soon.
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All aboard! The train to South Village arrives.
We have no idea where this train is going; but we wanted to take a subway,
and see some of the outlying districts of the metro area.
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As with most subway systems, once we are out
of the downtown area, the trains emerge form their tunnels and run above
ground. This is one of the above ground platforms, across the river from
downtown Pittsburgh.
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Inside, the trains are clean, comfortable, and
well maintained. Outside we are treated to views of the hills surrounding
Pittsburgh.
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One of the suburban platforms, which keeps all
of these areas connected to the city proper. Above, is a large parking lot,
filled with cars, which would otherwise be clogging the streets of downtown
Pittsburgh.
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Though we are only a few miles outside of town,
and had been on the train for only ten or fifteen minutes, it is as if we
are far away from any city. It is the mountains that give this effect. Once
across them, the countryside comes up amazingly fast. The city is all but
invisible, over the mountains just a few miles away.
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In addition to hiding the city, the hills, and
mountains prevent it from spilling over into the countryside. It is not
easy to build out here, and construction of high-rise buildings would be
prohibitively expensive, if not impossible.
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A look out at the constant hills, which fill
the area. They provide for privacy, a partitioning of the various communities,
and prevent the urban sprawl, which has proven so destructive to the cities
that were so afflicted.
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This is the end of the line at Library, south
of Pittsburgh. It is a pleasant enough little place; but there is not much
here for the tourist to see.
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After a few moments of rest, and of looking around,
it is back to Pittsburgh.
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This is the platform at South Hills Village,
an alternate rout of the south train. This stop is adjacent to the South
Hills shopping mall.
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The Liberty Tunnels are a sort of a front door
into the city. As with the trains, the transition is startlingly quick.
These tunnels were blasted through the mountains, which contain the city
of Pittsburgh. Coming through, in a car or a bus, there is no sign of a
city anywhere, and you are essentially traveling through a hilly countryside.
You then pass through the tunnel. At the other side of the tunnel, you are
deposited in the midst of one of the world's great cities, transported there
as if by magic.
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Just across the river from downtown, stands the
site of the old railroad station. This is now a huge commuter train stop.
Directly across the street, is the Station Square shopping center.
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A look up the ramp, towards a train coming over
from downtown.
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A look up the street, past one of the local trains.
A drive down this street soon takes the traveler to the Carson Street shopping
area.
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Heading for the hills, a commuter train enters
one of the tunnels leading to the outlying areas on the other side of the
surrounding mountains.
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A train emerges from a long tunnel through the
mountain.
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The trains line up, awaiting the multitudes of
passengers who work downtown, and live in the hills. It is now rush hour,
and these trains are all full.
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