Port Authority Warns T's Blue Line Could Get Crowded As Work Starts On Red Line
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Into and out of town, the Red Line carries about 12,000 Port Authority riders every day.
While it's the Red Line through Beechview that will be under construction, Blue Line passengers beware.
"We will be providing extra Blue Line service during the work because a lot of Red Line riders are going to shift over to the Blue Line, and they are going to be on your trains now," said Port Authority spokesman Jim Ritchie.
"If they are going to put extra Blue Lines on, it will work. If not, it's going to be a mess," said one Port Authority rider.
The work through Beechview will be extensive, and starts on Monday morning in the area where the tracks are embedded in Broadway Avenue.
"We have to go in and rip them out, rip up the pavement in the middle of Broadway Avenue, and put in new tracks," said Ritchie.
During the work, a shuttle bus will ferry passengers from the Potomac Station on the south to the Fallowfield Station to the north where the train will carry passengers on into downtown.
But at Willow Overbrook, the Port Authority expects a lot of Red Line passengers from the Beechview area to across to the Blue Line to ride on into town.
"For a lot of people, we recognize it's going to be inconvenient," Ritchie said.
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For others though, not so much.
"Well, I get on at Library, so I'm first on, and usually that's a good thing," said another Port Authority rider.
But he expects his T will get a bit more crowded.
For more information on the Port Authority Red Line Rail Project, visit their website at this link.
The Port Authority has put out brochures, pamphlets and even added a 42D from Mount Lebanon to the city just to help the flow. They are also encouraging you to study your revised commuting plan this weekend before you face the changes on Monday.
