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OT: Replacing the Mon Incline

CrazyPaco

CrazyPaco

Athletic Director
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triblive.com

Is it time to replace the Mon Incline? Officials ponder its future

Pittsburgh Regional Transit officials are discussing what the future of the 154-year-old Monongahela Incline will look like, including the possibility it could be replaced by more modern technology. The incline has been closed for a total of 39 weeks in the last two years due to repairs and...
triblive.com triblive.com

Seriously, is this the stupidest thing leadership in Pittsburgh has ever proposed? Add to it how the article describes how the incline is one of the most cost effective public transportation system routes in the city.

Replacing or "significantly altering" one of the city's biggest tourist attractions? One of the city's most unique, photographed, and iconic features? It is like San Francisco proposing to replace their cable cars with buses.

How absolutely moronic are these people? The fact that it is even being broached as a possibility is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard proposed, and that is a pretty high bar on stupidity.
 
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CrazyPaco said:
triblive.com

Is it time to replace the Mon Incline? Officials ponder its future

Pittsburgh Regional Transit officials are discussing what the future of the 154-year-old Monongahela Incline will look like, including the possibility it could be replaced by more modern technology. The incline has been closed for a total of 39 weeks in the last two years due to repairs and...
triblive.com triblive.com

Seriously, is this the stupidest thing leadership in Pittsburgh has ever proposed? Add to it how the article describes how the incline is one of the most cost effective public transportation system routes in the city.

Replacing or "significantly altering" one of the city's biggest tourist attractions? One of the city's most unique, photographed, and iconic features? It is like San Francisco proposing to replace their cable cars with buses.

How absolutely moronic are these people? The fact that it is even being broached as a possibility is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard proposed, and that is a pretty high bar on stupidity.
Click to expand...
Would you rather have a modern facility that is reliable, or an historic one that is constantly closed for repairs? That seems to be a big part of this discussion. People will ride whatever is there. By the way, they are using shuttle busses now, because it is closed again.
 
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Oddly enough, Steve Pederson is heading up the effort to replace the incline with schools busses that give people a free ride up the hill.

But if anything gets updated, they need to do something with the bottom access, were it currently requires people to walk along a very busy road and generally feels unsafe.
 
Franb said:
Would you rather have a modern facility that is reliable, or an historic one that is constantly closed for repairs? That seems to be a big part of this discussion. People will ride whatever is there. By the way, they are using shuttle busses now, because it is closed again.
Click to expand...
This is a unique case because the historic nature of the incline is what makes it special and unique. Modernize the infrastructure while maintaining the historic look of the incline.

While talking about public transit, they really need to work on making an expansive rail system. That would truly transform the city.
 
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Burgh15 said:
This is a unique case because the historic nature of the incline is what makes it special and unique. Modernize the infrastructure while maintaining the historic look of the incline.

While talking about public transit, they really need to work on making an expansive rail system. That would truly transform the city.
Click to expand...

That ship has long left port. Our civic leadership has failed us and are laughing themselves to the bank with the Rooney family. And people will continue to let them do it.
 
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Franb said:
Would you rather have a modern facility that is reliable, or an historic one that is constantly closed for repairs? That seems to be a big part of this discussion. People will ride whatever is there. By the way, they are using shuttle busses now, because it is closed again.
Click to expand...
The historic one that works. So would be the preference of everyone visiting Pittsburgh. So should the city or anyone that cares about the city.

This isn't an either or. This is fix the damn thing right. The current problem is "computer issue". You are going to replace something that just had an 8 million renovation because now you have a computer problem? Are they really that incompetent?

There has been talk of additional inclines or transportation from the hills for several years. The stupidest thing would be destroying the historic incline, instead of making it a centerpieces, in the process of addressing those needs.
 
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Burgh15 said:
This is a unique case because the historic nature of the incline is what makes it special and unique. Modernize the infrastructure while maintaining the historic look of the incline.

While talking about public transit, they really need to work on making an expansive rail system. That would truly transform the city.
Click to expand...
I don't even think you modernize the infrastructure of this incline. The actual mechanisms should be a feature of the attraction. There are parts they currently have displayed behind glass, and that should be enhanced.

It's a similar idea to what San Francisco has done with the cable cars. The whole system of cables under the streets that these trolleys latch onto is still powered by the plant at the top of Nob Hill, which doubles as a working museum.

Install another incline or gondola or whatever if you want for pure transportation purposes. But the lack of foresight to preserve what makes Pittsburgh unique and attractive to any would be visitor is just mind blowing to me. The two inclines should be nurtured as centerpieces along with the Grandview Ave corridor. I can't think of any other city that would even consider proposing something like this, even as a hypothetical. Not even Johnstown would propose this.
 
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Johnstown’s Incline has been closed for repairs for three years with no opening date in site. At what point do you just say they can no longer be fixed?
 
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jtownknowitall said:
Johnstown’s Incline has been closed for repairs for three years with no opening date in site. At what point do you just say they can no longer be fixed?
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Johnstown’s World's Steepest Vehicular Incline has been closed for repairs for three years.......,,,,,. there, I fixed it for ya.
 
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The article I saw said that the transit authority wants to consider building a new, modern transportation option close to the incline that’s more reliable and won’t experience as much down time for the day to day commuters from Mt Washington who depend on the incline to get to work, while preserving and maintaining the incline as a museum/exhibition piece and tourist attraction. It doesn’t sound that ridiculous - nobody’s proposing tearing it down, they just want to think about what the options are to build some redundancy into the system.
 
Franb said:
Would you rather have a modern facility that is reliable, or an historic one that is constantly closed for repairs? That seems to be a big part of this discussion. People will ride whatever is there. By the way, they are using shuttle busses now, because it is closed again.
Click to expand...
Smart people would be able to figure out how to modernize it yet retain the facade/charm of it.
 
I take the incline to a lot of Pitt/pirates/steeler games and I’m not joking if I was on it in the summer and it broke down like that I think I’d die from heat stroke
 
CrazyPaco said:
triblive.com

Is it time to replace the Mon Incline? Officials ponder its future

Pittsburgh Regional Transit officials are discussing what the future of the 154-year-old Monongahela Incline will look like, including the possibility it could be replaced by more modern technology. The incline has been closed for a total of 39 weeks in the last two years due to repairs and...
triblive.com triblive.com

Seriously, is this the stupidest thing leadership in Pittsburgh has ever proposed? Add to it how the article describes how the incline is one of the most cost effective public transportation system routes in the city.

Replacing or "significantly altering" one of the city's biggest tourist attractions? One of the city's most unique, photographed, and iconic features? It is like San Francisco proposing to replace their cable cars with buses.

How absolutely moronic are these people? The fact that it is even being broached as a possibility is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard proposed, and that is a pretty high bar on stupidity.
Click to expand...
Well I agree with the sentiment, remember there are two inclines. The Duquesne Incline is actually the most famous and photographed, but more of a tourist attraction. The Mon incline is not as famous and photographed but actually has more function for residents.
 
pittchagg said:
The article I saw said that the transit authority wants to consider building a new, modern transportation option close to the incline that’s more reliable and won’t experience as much down time for the day to day commuters from Mt Washington who depend on the incline to get to work, while preserving and maintaining the incline as a museum/exhibition piece and tourist attraction. It doesn’t sound that ridiculous - nobody’s proposing tearing it down, they just want to think about what the options are to build some redundancy into the system.
Click to expand...
Right. It makes sense that the Mon Incline should be more of a tourist attraction and not a daily commute option for Mount Washington residents -- in which case they need an alternative for those residents. PRT (I still want to call it Port Authority) loves its buses, why can't they just give them a bus route?

I've always like the like the idea of building a tram from Mount Washington, although I think ideally you would have it go across the river, so perhaps that would work best closer to the Duquesne Incline and connect to the North Shore. That would be a neat attraction with amazing views, although it does nothing for the Mount Washington-to-downtown commuters.
 
CrazyPaco said:
I don't even think you modernize the infrastructure of this incline. The actual mechanisms should be a feature of the attraction. There are parts they currently have displayed behind glass, and that should be enhanced.

It's a similar idea to what San Francisco has done with the cable cars. The whole system of cables under the streets that these trolleys latch onto is still powered by the plant at the top of Nob Hill, which doubles as a working museum.

Install another incline or gondola or whatever if you want for pure transportation purposes. But the lack of foresight to preserve what makes Pittsburgh unique and attractive to any would be visitor is just mind blowing to me. The two inclines should be nurtured as centerpieces along with the Grandview Ave corridor. I can't think of any other city that would even consider proposing something like this, even as a hypothetical. Not even Johnstown would propose this.
Click to expand...
No one is proposing anything, they are hiring a consultant to explore the options. What is wrong with that?
 
I have an idea...

hbk-shawn-michaels.gif
 
CrazyPaco said:
I don't even think you modernize the infrastructure of this incline. The actual mechanisms should be a feature of the attraction. There are parts they currently have displayed behind glass, and that should be enhanced.

It's a similar idea to what San Francisco has done with the cable cars. The whole system of cables under the streets that these trolleys latch onto is still powered by the plant at the top of Nob Hill, which doubles as a working museum.

Install another incline or gondola or whatever if you want for pure transportation purposes. But the lack of foresight to preserve what makes Pittsburgh unique and attractive to any would be visitor is just mind blowing to me. The two inclines should be nurtured as centerpieces along with the Grandview Ave corridor. I can't think of any other city that would even consider proposing something like this, even as a hypothetical. Not even Johnstown would propose this.
Click to expand...
I'm surprised Gainey hasn't proposed tiers of "affordable" housing that you access by walking up & down, like those Euro towns.
 
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I thought that incline was managed by a non-profit made up of a bunch of folks who were enthusiasts? Maybe that's the other incline? As a long time PAT customer, I'm shocked, shocked I tell you, that they've mismanaged yet another mode of transportation. Maybe they should float a trial balloon with zeppelins?
 
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Dointhatrag said:
The Duquesne incline is the one always shown thats the attraction
Click to expand...
The Duqusene Incline has the better photography angles, but no way is Duquesne the bigger tourist draw.

You have to think like a tourist. The Mon incline is right across from Station Square..you can park there, cross the street, go up and walk up and down the Grandview Ave sidewalk with wide open views and multiple viewing decks. There is nothing at the bottom of the Duquesne incline, nor really at the top...tourists aren't going up the incline to eat at the LeMont. The sidewalk on that section is really boxed in by buildings and houses affording few views.

The Mon incline, if you connect it to Station Square a little better...the Gateway Clippers are right there too, you take it up for the views...the whole stretch of Grandview is almost like a boardwalk...it should be Pittsburgh's boardwalk....lots of people walking around that street at night...they could make the Shiloh Street Shops a bigger thing.

Grandview should be nurtured to be more of a boardwalk type of place....at least with more shops up there. It is really a wasted opportunity right now...always has been. The whole stretch of Grandview between the two inclines should be considered so you can park at one or the other take one up, ride the other down, and have some stuff in between (I'm talking about things like ice cream shops or something).

Regardless, they can build additional transportation options to get down the hills, but if they alter the Mon incline, they are beyond short sighted.
 
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Does the Mon Incline currently carry any historical designation that would limit “modernization”?
 
CrazyPaco said:
The Duqusene Incline has the better photography angles, but no way is Duquesne the bigger tourist draw.

You have to think like a tourist. The Mon incline is right across from Station Square..you can park there, cross the street, go up and walk up and down the Grandview Ave sidewalk with wide open views and multiple viewing decks. There is nothing at the bottom of the Duquesne incline, nor really at the top...tourists aren't going up the incline to eat at the LeMont. The sidewalk on that section is really boxed in by buildings and houses affording few views.

The Mon incline, if you connect it to Station Square a little better...the Gateway Clippers are right there too, you take it up for the views...the whole stretch of Grandview is almost like a boardwalk...it should be Pittsburgh's boardwalk....lots of people walking around that street at night...they could make the Shiloh Street Shops a bigger thing.

Grandview should be nurtured to be more of a boardwalk type of place....at least with more shops up there. It is really a wasted opportunity right now...always has been. The whole stretch of Grandview between the two inclines should be considered so you can park at one or the other take one up, ride the other down, and have some stuff in between (I'm talking about things like ice cream shops or something).

Regardless, they can build additional transportation options to get down the hills, but if they alter the Mon incline, they are beyond short sighted.
Click to expand...

Most people involved in running these things and making necessary decisions are morons. Those with plans and vision have long left then city for higher paying jobs in more forward thinking locations. For example, were do you live?
 
ben43 said:
Does the Mon Incline currently carry any historical designation that would limit “modernization”?
Click to expand...
OK. I found this on-line to answer my question.
“The Monongahela Incline was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, and in 1977 both inclines were designated as Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Both inclines are today owned and operated by the Port Authority of Allegheny County.” - https://hawkinsrails.net, May 3, 2022.

These designations should at least put a speed bump into the path of modernization.
 
They should pledge a billion dollars for a new include that brings people directly to Stiller games!
 
ben43 said:
OK. I found this on-line to answer my question.
“The Monongahela Incline was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, and in 1977 both inclines were designated as Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Both inclines are today owned and operated by the Port Authority of Allegheny County.” - https://hawkinsrails.net, May 3, 2022.

These designations should at least put a speed bump into the path of modernization.
Click to expand...
Neither designation offers any legal protection.
 
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