Yet another example of light rail spurring economic development comes from Pittsburgh, where the Port of Allegheny County has approved $12.5 million in public subsidies for a $42.5 million transit-oriented development. Since the development will include 152 apartments and 15,000 square feet of retail space, that’s a subsidy of more than $82,000 per apartment. The subsidies will also help pay for a 541-space parking garage.
Don’t be impressed by 15,000 square feet of retail space: that’s about the size of a new Trader Joe’s. The average Trader Joe’s is about 12,000 square feet, but the newer ones are bigger. Of course, if they actually attract a Trader Joe’s, they might be able to fill the apartments, but the fact that Pittsburgh has one of the most affordable housing markets in the country probably means there is little demand for stack-and-pack living.
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So once again it is proven that light rail doesn’t stimulate economic development; it merely stimulates subsidies for economic development. Pittsburgh officials complain that “transit-oriented development is very difficult in Pennsylvania” because “there is no dedicated funding source” that can be used to subsidize it. So why are they bothering? Apparently just because they want to follow the latest fad.
The Antiplanner wrote:
Pittsburgh officials complain that “transit-oriented development is very difficult in Pennsylvania” because “there is no dedicated funding source” that can be used to subsidize it. So why are they bothering? Apparently just because they want to follow the latest fad.
I must disagree with the statement regarding the lack of a “dedicated” funding source (other than fares) for public transit operations. I understand that the Pennsylvania Constitution forbids use of motor fuel tax revenues on things other that roads and highways.
But Act 44, rammed through the Pennsylvania Legislature by ex-State Senator Vince Fumo (D-1, Philadelphia) (who had to leave office after being charged by the federal government with well over 100 counts of corruption and later convicted, leading to a 55 month stay in federal prison) provided a massive source of dedicated funding for transit across the state, and for PennDOT highway projects unrelated to the Turnpike. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission had to issue mountains of debt to come up up with the cash to give to PennDOT (amounting to billions of added Turnpike Commission debt since 2008 when Act 44 was passed). More recently Act 44 was superseded by Act 89, but that was no favor to the PTC or its patrons (Turnpike tolls go up every year to fund Act 44 and now Act 89 debt payments), as the money hemorrhage continues, but now all of the hemorrhaging cash goes to transit, and none to PennDOT highway projects.