The Morning Commute

Well, today was my second day of commuting from the top of Mt. Washington to Pittsburgh's Cultural District, which is where I work. There are a variety of options available to me:

1. Car - this is the suburban way of commuting, and is what I used when driving from Gibsonia. I didn't mind the traffic that much, and I enjoyed listening to the radio in the morning and relaxing before starting work. However, I didn't like paying $5 a day to park, in the Strip no less, which led to a 12 minute walk to my office. All told, the commute was usually about 52 minutes, costing $5 plus gasoline each way.

2. Bus - this is the working man's way of traveling. The bus system is relatively easy. You can get a monthly pass for $75/month in zone 1. There are two particular buses that are available to Mt. Washingtonians: the 41E and 43E (aka Mt. Washington Express). These buses drop you off right downtown at Sixth Ave. and Wood Street. The problem with the express is that, in the afternoons, it leaves basically on the half hour. I finish work at 5, so that would mean I'd have to wait 30 minutes for the bus, and I wouldn't get home until after 6. That doesn't sound appealing.

3. The "T" and Inclines - this is the glamourous way to travel down Mt. Washington. The inclines are included with a bus pass, as is the T. The inclines are super quick; I left early Monday morning because I thought there may be a line and it may take awhile. This was not the case. Monday I used the Mon Incline (a.k.a. the close one) in the morning. I got there, after a 5 minute walk from my apartment, and got right on the car. I was at the bottom of the hill in 5 minutes. Today, I walked to the Duquesne Incline (a.k.a. the not close one). It was an 18 minute walk along Grandview Avenue, looking at the still-rising sun, the bustle of traffic, and generally a city that was waking up to a new day; it was beautiful. Then I boarded the incline, again no wait, and was down at the bottom of the hill in no time.

The difference between the two inclines is their position in relation to downtown and Station Square; one is close, one is not. It just so happens that the one that is close to SS and downtown is the Duquesne, which as you may recall is the far one from my house. The Mon Incline leads to a long, long walk along West Carson Street, and its generally not desirable. The one option is to wait for the bus that comes there, but I don't know how that works. You press a button so a light flashes and a bus stops. Is it any bus that is along this route? Is there a particular bus that comes every 27 minutes? Or other intervals? I don't know, and don't want to ask. Maybe I'll try it once and see how it goes.

Taking the T, though, is so much fun. And let me tell you this: there are a LOT of gorgeous young professional girls that ride it to and from work. I can take the T to either Steel Plaza, Wood Street, or Gateway Center. Today I took it to Gateway, and stopped at Dunkin Donuts.

But taking the T has convinced me, as well, that as a region, southwestern PA needs an expanded T. One that goes to the airport, Cranberry, and Monroeville. There has to be a way to do this relatively inexpensively; you don't need to dig new tunnels like they are doing for the North Shore Connector. This is a way that Pittsburgh will be equipped to deal with the last 80 years or so of the 21st Century. When I run for Mayor, this will be one of the things I promote.

Anyway, that describes the morning commute. I just got back into the office from running over to the Steelworkers building for a press conference on healthcare. I ran into my dad on the way back. Small world, eh?