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ThorThe12th t1_iubtx9t wrote

Reply to comment by twolfe0 in Here you can see the root of the Rte 28 problem by guino27

They should honestly tear down 579 and change 279 into a surface level BLVD right after the McKnight rd exit. Then redesign everything else into a surface level Blvd with a maybe a tram lane for the T and bus lane down the middle out to McKnight. Yes it would absolutely increase traffic and travel time to some degree and remove the barely used HOV lane(which the only good argument against doing this would be to preserve that lane for bus travel) but it would also remove the open wound on the north side and between the hill and downtown. Not to mention the new bridge they’d have to build could actually be designed like an additional sister bridge(maybe named after mr. Rodgers) that would look way better than the concrete crap we have now.

It would be expensive but I can assure you that whenever that highway needs redone in a decade, it will be the cheaper option.

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sebileis t1_iucampi wrote

I was hoping back in 2019 or so when they overhauled the stretch of I-279 from Ross to the North Shore that the HOV lanes would be modified to permanently be for transit use. Preserving them for the 1 or 2 personal automobiles that use them each day (especially during COVID) instead of for buses was such a wasted opportunity. Having the buses that utilize those lanes run all day long instead of just a few rush hour trips would do a lot to improve transit access to parts of the North Hills without a substantial investment in new infrastructure - that can come later.

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ThorThe12th t1_iucapkl wrote

True. Not to mention basically no one uses the HOV lane because almost everyone who drives to downtown from the North hills does so alone

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sebileis t1_iucaukv wrote

Or in my case the times I’m up that way and have more occupants in the vehicle it’s outside of the HOV’s hours running in that direction anyways. Even during the height of rush hour I-279 just doesn’t get backed up enough to warrant the existence of an HOV lane.

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ThorThe12th t1_iucdk8l wrote

Last year my wife and I were living by PPG and I can probably count on one hand the amount of times the HOV lane was up and running the way we wanted it to be when trying to go somewhere on 279. Like you said though it never matters as the highway never gets backed up.

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sebileis t1_iucdoio wrote

And even if the highway did get backed up, the answer is to expand transit options that don’t have to sit in traffic and take more cars off the roads, not dedicate more infrastructure (e.g. HOV lanes) exclusively to automobiles.

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ThorThe12th t1_iuceb0l wrote

You took the words right out of my mouth. The T for example does more to alleviate traffic on 51 and throughout the south hills than any additional lanes or highways to nowhere would.

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