Freeways Divide Cities - How Can We Fix Them? | Cities: Skylines Pittsburgh

[@GaseousStranger]

Is a freeway cap park a realistic improvement for I-279? Or should the city remove the freeway entirely and replace it with new development, lower capacity roadways, or new transit options? Let me know in the comments below!

[@paullaure]

I live on the North Side (Marshall-Shadeland) and IMMENSELY enjoyed this video! I have always wanted to see a series of deck/cap parks built across I-279 between East Ohio Street and East North Avenue. The only issue is where would the financing come from?

[@trudynasty738]

TEAR DOWN THE FREEWAY!!! Trains Trains Trains!! Busses, Bikes, and TRAINS!!

[@coraelizabethbrna439]

I live in Pittsburgh and I'm a Pittsburgh Paramedic, your city is INCREDIBLE on here!!

[@Leadfoot866]

I would say a combination of those options. I wouldn't tear out 279 completely, given how many people rely on it because of how terrible public transit in this city currently is (VERY car-centric), but it could definitely use a rework. A freeway cap park like you demonstrated would be a nice improvement over that eyesore between East North Avenue (North) and Tripoli Street (South). Along with the cap, I would also remove the center HOV lanes and replace them with rail lines for either heavy or light rail transit (similar to how the DC Metro Silver line cuts down the middle of I-66 West of DC). The HOVs are not used all that much, which kind of makes them wasted space. These rail lines could be used to extend the Light Rail ("The T") northward to Ross/McCandless/that general area. Maybe build a small station under the cap park too? Alternatively, they can be used for heavy rail and revive the old PATrain commuter service of the '70s and '80s. Would also serve as an opportunity to work out something with Norfolk Southern to interconnect PATrain service along the Conemaugh/Pittsburgh/Fort Wayne lines for East and West commuter services. This could also allow PATrain to connect with Amtrak's Pennsylvanian and Capitol Limited services. That said, given how notoriously difficult Norfolk Southern is to work with for passenger service, it will probably just be better if the city/county/state full-stop buys out the right-of-ways instead, à la Glorious People's Republic of New Jersey. NS would still be able to operate their trains, but the city would have control over them. It'll be expensive, no doubt, would probably require some form of tax hike, which I know many are bound to complain about, and will likely take decades to complete. But I think it'd be worth it. It'd be nice to live in a city that wasn't so car-centric. For all of its faults, I sometimes envy Chicago. Every time I've visited that city, I've been able to get just about anywhere via bus, "L" or Metra train. Pittsburgh is a beautiful city, don't get me wrong, but I will admit it is monumentally flawed.

[@Zeakthecat]

i don't think the city should have a cap or a total removal. rather, keep the freeway but move it underground. think what boston and seattle did with freeways and moved them underground. yes, you have the substantially increased cost but they can work, if they are built right.

[@alexanderbrown7105]

I live in Pittsburgh and I literally was just dreaming about doing this. Thinking man wouldn’t it be great if someone used CS to improve Pittsburgh. I had a visceral reaction when I discovered this. Thank you for the work you do. When I run for mayor I will use these videos extensively.

[@MisterMotel]

I like that at 1 second after placing the old house at 0:48 the house catches fire.

[@paullaure]

That's Pittsburgh in a nutshell! 🤣

[@qtipmotha]

Its fine, there's a fire station just down the hill on spring garden ave

[@randomcontent1159]

I just showed my uncle from Polish Hill one of your videos it was the one about Polish hill and when got to you building that one club ympaa he said oh I used to drink there a lot when I was young

[@GaseousStranger]

That's awesome to hear! Love hearing feedback like this from actual locals. Thanks for sharing that. Hope he enjoyed seeing his old neighborhood!

[@paullaure]

I lived on Brereton Street a few doors down from the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church for years before I was gentrified out to the North Side. I miss Polish Hill!

[@Jim.Hummel]

Nicely done! I love the integration of actual history with your build. It adds an intriguing aspect to the game. It definitely makes the video more entertaining and richer. I'm a flatulent fan!

[@GaseousStranger]

Haha I have to say that’s a new one! Thank you for the kind words, glad you enjoyed :)

[@pauljarski7977]

I've never lived in Pittsburgh so I don't truly know how demolishing the freeway entirely would impact the region. But in an ideal world I think a combination of lower capacity roadways, a new light rail line and development could be worthwhile.

[@GaseousStranger]

There actually used to be a pretty significant light rail/streetcar presence in this area North of Pittsburgh. It has been the inspiration for more than a few proposed light rail maps serving the North Side. You can see a map and read more about it here - www.google.com/amp/s/www.publicsource.org/mapping-pittsburgh-transit-from-streetcars-and-grandiose-plans-to-the-buses-and-trains-we-see-today/

[@Zeakthecat]

i don't live there either but considering that americans still love cars (mainly due to how we know we can commute better with it) just put it underground or have it similar to what denver and CDOT did with project I-25. have it a sunken highway with parks overhead at certain parts, while widing the freeway and make it smarter for the long term. such as adding HOT/express lanes (maybe 2-3 lanes per direction of travel here), that way you have travel that goes through the city seperated from local traffic, and also adding Intelligent Transportation System devices along the corridor, like traffic cameras. think of it like this, its TDOTs SMART Corridor and CDOTs project I-25 or MassDOTs big dig project, combined with HOT lanes like in georgia, and miami.

[@lopoa126]

@@Zeakthecat Burying car traffic is a waste of funding tho...We don't need more lanes. Better to remove lanes and put a bike lane or transit. Keep expanding car infrastructure and Americans will keep hating transit and keep loving their cars.

[@Zeakthecat]

@@lopoa126 except the automobile is one of the best inventions out there because it provides unlimited mobility. thats not propaganda, or just me being a pro car fanatic, you could go anywhere in a car, even offroad with the right modifications. this is why people love the car, because it provides unlimited mobility.

[@Pedro-A-88]

@@Zeakthecat car is definitely a great invention, the problem is when it is the only viable option, turning it into a necessity. I'm not in the "omg look how the Netherlands are great" camp, I don't think it's reasonable copy-paste systems from countries with very different geography and culture, but Anglo-America definitely needs to learn how to integrate neighbourhoods better. People need to have the option of using a car, not be forced to drive.

[@thejoshchannel]

What you are doing here is absolutely incredible. Blows my mind every time I watch one of these. -- I grew up on the east side of Ohio, about 45 min to an hour from Pittsburgh. I love that city. Absolutely unreal how well this is done.

[@Tuxedoed]

Incredible dude! The sheer amount of effort you must put into these videos is insane, not to mention how your building skills in-game are amazing and you really tackle the issues with urban planning. As someone from the UK (London Specifically), the idea of freeways is very unnatural to me, so I wouldn't know much about what Pittsburgh could do, but as you said, I think the idea of a freeway cap would be all that policymakers would be happy with (although maybe reducing the amount of lanes could be another thing that local government would allow?) Anyway, once again great video :D

[@GaseousStranger]

Thank you so much for the very kind comment! It was also nice to hear your perspective as someone not from the US :)

[@mrcat5508]

Wow. Really detailed and nice story.

[@breadfreshbaked]

Can’t wait for the video!! I’m personally not a fan of freeways IRL but I think they can look really nice in cities skylines :)

[@GaseousStranger]

I have to say I agree! Large infrastructure projects like this are always fun to take on in-game. I think there’s room for improvement in real life cities though 😄

[@supersoulty]

I vote for a T line out to Ross and McCandless Crossing. Cap the Parkway North at key locations and put stops at those locations until you get out to McKnight Road.

[@paullaure]

Development in the North Hills just really isn't dense enough to support rail, unfortunately. You would have to convince people to drive from some subdivision to a park and ride and then to take the train into the city vs. a 20-minute drive into Downtown with ample parking available. If the T gets extended to the airport I would like to see it go up the Ohio River Boulevard area with stops in Marshall-Shadeland (selfish because I live there), Brighton Heights, Bellevue, Avalon, Sewickley, and then crossing over the river with a stop in Coraopolis before hitting the airport. That area is generally much more densely populated than anywhere in the North Hills except for that dead stretch of development between Ben Avon and Sewickley.

[@gamophyte]

You just don't get the CSL alone, you get a history lessing. Very happy to find this channel!

[@FahlmanCascade]

Your attention to detail is phenomenal.

[@rvgytroblox634]

I love how you listed most of the assets you used, it must have taken so long. The details in the city looks so nice and the graphics look so good with it.

[@GaseousStranger]

Glad you liked it! I try my best to highlight all the other creators and assets that help make this possible :)

[@jt-music-media]

Bro you're a madman. Incredible build

[@GaseousStranger]

Thank you!

[@pekwalker]

I have to say, I have watched a bunch of KZbin videos this past year and longer and this one has got to be the best hands down to date. Entertaining, informative, and thought-provoking. What more could one ask for? Great job on the video and the city. You earned a new subscriber. I used to live near Pittsburgh in Robinson Township and it was very interesting to see. Thank you so much for this quality content.

[@GaseousStranger]

Thank you for the kind words! Much more to come soon :)

[@NorthCdogg22]

So glad I found this series! Absolutely love it when creators realistically recreate real cities. Especially American Rust-Belt cities! Can’t wait for the day when you get down to and build Century III Mall!🤣🤣 Keep up the good work!

[@aaroncrawford9575]

I just want to say great job! I’ve never cared to learn anything about Pittsburgh before today. Thanks for the great content. Can’t wait to learn more.

[@dragade101]

I'm in favour of converting major arterial and high capacity freeways with far more equitable and accessible transit options. Like looking at Seattle - Tacoma bay, that area would be perfect for trains and efforts to remove the need for cars. LA also needs some help. It isn’t like we can expect to change these cities in just a few decades but a new outlook for transit is needed. (The list of cities that need this level of long term planning is extensive.) Thank you for talking about and simulating these changes.

[@kevinouellette4443]

Up here on this side of the Lakes, in Toronto, we're working on putting a cap park over our downtown railyard, and in my hometown, the highway to the future new bridge to Detroit was designed with many cap parks over it in an attempt to re-connect the two sides of the region. YOU get a cap park! And YOU get a cap park! And YOU! My standard fantasy highway replacement consists of a simple at-grade parkway/boulevard/dual carriageway (low capacity, mid-speed,) separate bike highway, pedestrian promenade with kiosks and small vending areas for start-ups, and either a light rail/tramway or rail/s-bahn, depending which is better for the city.

[@weinhel2996]

This is the definition of entertainment :)

[@GaseousStranger]

Happy to hear you enjoyed the video!

[@tyleralberico]

Hey! I just found your serious and WOW this is stupid realistic it’s so impressive! My Nonno and Nonna immigrated to McKees Rocks, so I know pittsburgh well!!

[@GaseousStranger]

Thanks! Glad you found the channel, I hope you enjoy the project 😄

[@paullaure]

Thank you for what you are doing! As a North Sider I wish PennDOT could utilize this video as inspiration for a deck cap/park over I-279 between East Ohio Street and East North Avenue. Pittsburgh has 300,000 city residents and about 2,000,000 suburbanites. Pennsylvania is a "purple"/moderate state politically where the rural and suburban areas hold nearly the same amount of clout as urban areas. As such I think there MAY be a viable way to eventually find funding for the deck parks, but I-279 will never be going away. There are hundreds of thousands of people living in the North Hills now from Ross Township all the way up to Jackson Township in Butler County, and funneling all that traffic onto city surface streets would be a disaster.

[@sebastientumahai9560]

I thought I followed all cities skyline players but it seems I missed this gem of a channel

[@paullaure]

Me too, and I live five minutes from the focal points of this video!

[@WillKoz]

This is remarkable! Wow what amazing work!

[@crow775]

as someone who's been/stayed there many times, you are really capturing it. also, we tend to call it a "rat's nest" of all the bridges. great work. ive been wanting to see this in cities skylines for a long time.

[@ramonecastro]

This is the first video I've seen of this channel, and the whole project sounds amazing, great job

[@martinlehtonen]

It is so strange to me the size of the highway infrestructure inside cities in the US. Why are the the structures made so large? If you are inside the city, why arent the speeds lowered and the curves tighter. So much space is used even though the intersections could be made much compact. The amount of noice and pollution that those large high speed roadways are causing inside cities is just aweful for someone that lives outside of us. The riding comfort of suburbanites seems to be much more important than the health and quality of life of the people inside the city center.

[@tonythat_tiger]

You deserve so many more views for your talented work. I love you forever. Thanks dad❤

[@cyberscythex8952]

very informative, what they should do is take out some of the inner lanes and replace them with a train line. When people see how much faster the train is when it speeds past them on the freeway it would encourage more people to use it.

[@csestini]

I love the cap on 279 idea. However, I don't think it's possible to downsize 279 since there is so much population in the north suburbs. I would definitely love to see the T extended out in to the North Hills like it does to the south though.

[@Cassandria]

Hey, good job so far. Just wanted to let you know that at 9:31 the interstate symbol is a bit too overstretched on the fort pitt bridge sign. Also, as someone who lives to the west of Pittsburgh, I can tell you that without the parkway north, getting to Pittsburgh would be much, much, MUCH worse. It’s a relatively vital artery for those within Butler county, much like how 376 is a vital artery for Beaver County and those who live in Youngstown.

[@ElDimitrius]

Love your storytelling way of content. Great eye for detail and some great music! Love it

[@jimduffy7199]

The building of freeways/motorways through city cores is a phenomenon particularly associated with the US thanks to the Eisenhower administration. That administration was effectively bought by the car lobby, and as part of that slashed non-car based alternatives. Europe has followed a totally different approach, and placed emphasis on alternatives to car use. major Motorways go around city cores, not through them. Restrictions keep most cars out of the city core, and instead focus on using public transport (bus, rail, metro, light rail). It works far better. It transports far more people, using far less space, cuts inner city pollution, and avoids ripping the heart out of communities and dividing them in two to make way for motorways. The Eisenhower approach is seen internationally as the worst possible solution that gets people into the city core in the least efficient way possible, with maximum pollution and destruction, coupled with vast waste of space then for car parking.

[@GaseousStranger]

It nearly had a lasting influence on other countries such as the Netherlands as well. Thankfully, they have since worked to replace their urban freeways inspired by the Highway Act. You can read more about an example of one such freeway here - amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/14/utrecht-restores-historic-canal-made-into-motorway-in-1970s

[@aMMa1726]

I just hope whatever the revitalization options are chosen they include some transit right of way.

[@thevoid5503]

European here: we had a similar issue in Maastricht (Netherlands) where the A2 highway became essentially a state route right through the middle of a low income neighbourhood. What they did a couple of years ago to solve the problem, was to put the whole thing within city limits in a tunnel and seperating the N2 state route from the A2 highway due through different side-by-side tunnels (thus seperating local from through traffic). The area above the tunnel is now a park.

[@MakeSomeNoisePlaylists]

very interesting background info for city planners and mobility professionals

[@PoloxPlox]

Great video. First time around the channel. Very impresive build. Love this game so much.

[@flover1037]

this concept is so sick i can't wait to see the entire series

[@ConnectionKiller]

As someone who lives just north of the city limits, I-279 is vital for me and many of my co-workers to get to work. Without I-279 my commute would easily double in duration. Also great job on the video!

[@paullaure]

Yeah. As a North Sider I agree I-279 is vital with how massively the North Hills suburbs have grown. With that being said I would love to see it deck-parked over between East Ohio Street and East North Avenue.

[@paulschmidt9827]

I love just south of Pittsburgh, but as a Paramedic I went to the north side almost everyday as that is where Allegheny General Hospital is, I think a lower capacity road would be a mistake because of the amount of stuff coming in an out of that area…279 is the way that I would go to get from the south side of the city to the hospital. but a cap park would greatly improve the area in My opinion

[@wagonhound_official]

I don't live in Pittsburgh yet, but I'm a prospective home buyer. I think a rail right of way down the corridor of 279 to connect the T to Cranberry Twp would be brilliant. As a CDL driver who doesn't want to commute by car, a lot of the good higher paying jobs are out in Cranberry. Along with a 24 hour T line connecting the airport to south side flats, meeting the current where it crosses the Mon, or possibly making its way to Penn station, probably by crossing where the current T line already does, and then snaking it back down toward the southside bridge. It could also eventually extend down the Mon to Mckeesport. The third thing I would do is turn the MLK busway into a full on light rail, with multiple pathways connecting the hill district to the strip district via rail stations and parks. That would be huge for revitalizing the Hill District. Possibly even homewood further down the line. That particular T line could eventually end up in Monroeville. Other than more connective bicycle infrastructure across the city streets and ESPECIALLY the canyons, as well as more entrances to the highly closed off GAP trail, that's about the extent of my ideas for now.

[@robbiewales3007]

My nearest city was supposed to have heaps of freeways built. Some of them were cancelled due to it would have destroyed suburbs and parkland. However a fair few freeways were built and it's likely more will be built in the future including connecting a few of the freeways. Others won't because of the reasons I mentioned above

[@cjmorganfla]

My home! i was born and raised in the northside (specifically spring hill) but my family (grandparents and aunts/uncles) were all from the east street valley, some were forced out when 279 got put in in the 80s. Honestly, this is a needed artery that would snarl traffic if removed. The bigger issue the city needs to focus on right now are the hundreds of structurally deficient bridges in allegheny county, not removing highways or putting in highway caps. Secondly, there needs to be a study on the feasibility of bypassing the squirell hill tunnels, as well as widening the fort pitt tunnels or bypassing them entirely. As someone who commuted daily into and out of the city, that would be at the top of my priority list. Also, The problem will always be pittsburgh’s topography: it’s almost impossible to accommodate the sheer volume of people with the hillsides and rivers constraining the ability to expand roads and highways, as well as build new infrastructure. One thing Penndot should have done is rip out the HOV lanes from 279 and expand the T using that Right of way.

[@echocanidae]

I think it might be a cool project to identify a few different options for handling the I-279 area (capping, replacement with lower-capacity road with transit priority or removing it entirely) and present all of them with some analysis of their benefits and drawbacks. There's never a 100% right answer to almost any question in urban planning, and it would be interesting to see that quandary laid out in a series like this.

[@mallywally85]

You did a great job of telling the history of a community and making it entertaining. All of this information is so important to think about when we m,=ake plans to reshape and revitalize communities. Looking forward to seeing more content

[@GaseousStranger]

Thank you!

[@kevinjhjung]

First off, great work on the CS build.. I found you on Reddit and have been following you on KZbin since. As for the "solution" to I-279, a more radical approach as you mentioned may be more suitable, at least in real practice. I frequently pass by the cap park that covers I-576, and while part of the reason is some constructions happening in the area, I still feel the roads surrounding the park is too busy and has too much volume to truly take advantage of daily pedestrian needs. There have been talks of repurposing the area for further urban development in the future, so we will see how that holds up, but seeing that the 279 interchanges are even more hectic,, I think a potential light rail or BRT route following a minimized parkway corridor up to Ross Twp/McCandless,,, etc. may be more interesting!

[@Crittbeast]

A cap on 279 between Northside and deutschtown is probably as realistic as is possible for the issue… next most likely is an adoption of additional transit options up the 279 right-of-way (busways, T-service)… complete removal seems unlikely to me - the northern suburbs (Cranberry, Wexford, Sewickley) around 279 are growing too rapidly and too significantly - I doubt any county or state official would be happy to see the 279 PGH interchange downsized, or entirely removed at risk of adverse impacts on those growing suburbs

[@twisted_cpp]

Wow, such an Interesting concept for a youtube series. I subscribed immediately. I wish to to something similar for the city I live someday, but can't find the energy and time to set up modded cities skylines. Where I live, we do not have massive urban freeways, and the suburban sprawl like that in US cities simply does not exist. Therefore, I find it interesting learning more about those topics, and if I have to give my feedback for phase 2, I'd say that realistically the removal of the highway isn't likely. So, it would be nice to cap the freeway, creating large amounts of park space for the city. If you'd like to make more radical changes, you could replace the highway with a high capacity road and rail lines

[@alisacrowder4833]

I would love to see a city-wide metro system. The area in part three of the video I would love to see it gentrified.

[@JW-bz9cz]

Very relaxing and educational 👍

[@jonhanrahan1642]

I live on the Northside, I can hear 279 from my front porch, and I very much hope to see the removal of I-279 in my lifetime. But until then, I'm thrilled that the city is apparently exploring the idea of putting a cap park over the parkway. (The 2023 capital budget suggested completing a study of the proposal in-house.)

[@GaseousStranger]

No way! I couldn’t find any plans of a cap park from my research, do you have a link/source? Would love to learn more

[@JaCrispy3060]

Very impressive build man. You gotta tackle Cleveland next lmao

[@GaseousStranger]

Cleveland was actually pretty high on my list to be honest!

[@peskypigeonx]

In the game, lower the priority of it to a boulevard getting popular in the U.S, take the former Embarcadero freeway in SF for example, or the Sheridan Boulevard in NYC.

[@OddlySpecificGaming]

Love seeing a realistic city, too many builds are too pristine and idealistic for me

[@eno3085]

You need to have a realistic but also radical aproach to the North Section to the Freeway. My Proposal would be, tear it Down to the next Mayor Interchange. Build a sunken Arterial (4 lanes) with sliplanes here and there to the neighbourhood. On top some parks and a mayor Tram and Bike Right of way so you can connect people to the City without using there Car. This solution could bring a more dense development without bringing more oeople on the roads and further even scaling down the road alltogether. You also could get some space by redesigning the I279 to I579 interchange. A Simple Roundabout with a Flyover connecting the 2 Interstates should be plenty enough.

[@c.edillo3dvisualizer25]

AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LOVE IT!

[@junebaileyhappyhalloween6745]

100 out of 100!

[@DeanFeeneyMusic]

I put them underground. :)

[@luceas6834]

As someone who lives in pittsburgh i think i’d be a great idea to remove the freeway and replace it as surface roads. I could see some like this happening when I276 gets old and needs to be rebuilt. This is wouldn’t be unrealistic either in the US its becoming increasingly popular. Examples would by syracuse which is removing its downtown freeway or rochester which did so too. The problem with a cap park is that it’s not that effective of a solution because often it’s only at specific points that it reconnects the grid. Like for example the other cap park has many problem because of the location of where it connects. The street scape around it is very harsh.

[@luceas6834]

I’d also like to add onto this that’d it be more attractive for the city too because the land could be redeveloped which means it makes the city money instead of just sitting there

[@Limosethe]

Id love to see a video where solutions are introduced in order to show us better alternatives for what Pittsburg could be.

[@georgeg7259]

Enjoyed your content. Pittsburgh native here, how yinz doing? I am shocked how far city simulators have come since I played sim city 4! I would like to add about the segregation. Allegheny county contains the most municipalities of any county in the country. Typically, when so many municipalities exist they would merge to form a larger entity. Efforts to combine the city and county governments were proposed various times over the decades. However, this has always failed because people who move to these municipalities outside the city limits favor their own school districts and do not want to see inner city kids bused in if they were to merge. This is why we have so many municipalities that have refused to merge with the city after all these years.

[@markknudsen1755]

A question I always have (though also understand I don't agree with how highways were built and divided neighborhoods) is how would you remove/improve a highway areas such as I-279? Unless you eliminated lanes forcing traffic to take alternative routes. I feel caps and pedestrian friendly paths is the best. It doesnt fully help in unifying, but its a step. Because we in the US are so dependent on cars it makes things tough unless can change our habits.

[@Tall_dark_and_handsome]

My 2 cents in an extended but abbreviated book. Thanks in advance for reading the entire thing. I live on the North Shore right on the river and there are not too many grocery stores that I can do most of my shopping at. Sure there’s the Giant Eagle by East Village Commons…. But i don’t feel safe shopping there. I have to drive out to Ross, McCandless, and Mount Nebo. Building a new light rail or heavy rail line would be my vote, and still cap 279. Build a park or actual affordable housing for the working community. To build a line north you could split off at Steel Plaza and have a stop at the convention center. From there cross the river and use the HOV lanes. Put a stop at East Ohio run up through Ross with various stops near the larger shopping centers on McKnight Rd all the way out to McCandless Crossing. Even add a branch line towards the stadiums from my proposed East Ohio station. I also think extending the T west to the airport from Allegheny Station is important and should happen. It would have “local” stops along Ohio River communities of possibly Brighton Heights, Bellevue, Avalon, Ben Avon/Emsworth, and either Sewickly or Coraopolis, or even both, and finally the airport. You would also need a more express style with limited stops along the route. The express would have to be more reliable and faster than driving from downtown to the airport though. The drive is roughly 25 minutes, and that’s with delays through the tunnel and up the hill to Green Tree. If it’s not faster the only benefit is reduced cost of travel and parking. Light and heavy rail just isn’t for coming into the city to work but also getting out for shopping, dining, and entertainment. Combining both routes west to the airport through the river communities and north to McCandless you theoretically would greatly reduce everyday traffic on 279/19 north/south and 65/51/19 east/west. Could also limit trips to and from the airport on 376 through the tunnels. Also, think of the reduced traffic for games, that would be fantastic. And as an added thought, run a line west toward Swissvale and Monroeville.

[@Tall_dark_and_handsome]

Only downside of my idea is, who is willing to pay for this? Cause it’s definitely not the city….

[@JohnKennethHuszagh]

BIG DIG BIG DIG BIG DIG. KEEP THE HIGHWAY AND CAP LIKE ALL OF IT WITH PARKS AND LIGHTRAIL

[@GaseousStranger]

Those underutilized HOV lanes seem perfect for a new LRT right of way too 👀

[@jack_douniels]

Such a good video

[@cjmorganfla]

But seriously Bravo on the accuracy! where did you get all these assets, specifically the new PNC tower!!!

[@GaseousStranger]

That was actually a really lucky find! steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2394081355 and thank you for the kind words :)

[@Toucanlol]

The build looks really nice, have you built randyland yet?

[@GaseousStranger]

Thanks, that’s coming VERY soon! 😄

[@CustomBooch]

You could do something like what Boston did with moving their highway underground in 2003?

[@paullaure]

Pennsylvanians would never go for supporting the funding of something like that. I am not even holding my breath for deck parks/caps over I-279 between East Ohio Street and East North Avenue, but that would be the BEST outcome for the city's North Side to heal.

[@CustomBooch]

@@paullaure My bad, I don't live in the USA so I have no clue. I saw that Boston moved it's highways underground and the result was beautiful so just thought it could be included in the build as well.

[@N00N01]

--------------------- Bicycle lane ---------------------(seperator) Single lane(slow) -----‐---------------(seperator Tramway ---------------------(seperator) Single lane(slow) ---------‐-----------(seperator) Bicycle lane --------------------- Fill in the channels of freeways

[@PaulBroekemeier]

The destruction of cities during Urban Renewal was radical, so I don't see why the New Urbanist solutions to fixing American cities shouldn't be

[@GaseousStranger]

Well said!

[@tcniatcniatcnia]

sad that 10:19 this is considered radical :( but i would love for a transit oriented development and removing the highway entirely, thats what we should do to all highways in cities / areas where people live in

[@Aphfaneire]

When it comes to highway removal think - Boulevard, Bike and Bus, or BBB. A moderate capacity road that's safe to cross and lined with human scale mixed use buildings. A pleasant walkable environment that repairs the disconnected areas and enlivens the new space. Don't forget the trees 👍

[@arthurdurbin370]

so coming across this rather late but looking at it on google earth that highway needs a damn diet. slim it down from 12 to like 6 lanes and from what others have said its a connector for some communities to the north so looks like free real estate for a rail line of some kind into downtown. after trimming it down i would attempt to cover as much of the roadway as possible with a "central park" like setup and reconnect as many of the cross streets as possible with bike trails and other none car pathways. maybe even a bit of light commercial i.e. small cafes and things that would fit into that park space. tldr: trim the fat. add public transportation and make some community spaces out of wasted asphalt.

[@draecobalance6892]

May Inkmow what mod needs to be used to plop and choose residential buildings?

[@GaseousStranger]

You’ll need this mod - steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2016920607&searchtext=rico+revisited+ as well as Find it 2 - steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2133885971&searchtext=find+it to search for the assets

[@tufty2262]

replace the highway with a lower capacity road with streetcar line running down it. the streetcar line could carry roughly the same amount as the highway in a way smaller space + we will have to reduce car dependency as much as possible to adequately fight climate change!!

[@GaseousStranger]

I actually about exactly that in the next episode, totally agree that is the way to go. :) Thanks for stopping by, hope you enjoyed the video!

[@liveslyrics]

Can you please do the jersey shore? Maybe asbury park area

[@romanrat5613]

I kinda just bulldoze through without too much thought, expect for the occasional arterial that needs to go under or interchange

[@endingtasks8538]

I'd love to see a series on Austin, but I know these two series must be seriously overwhelming to build and film.

[@GaseousStranger]

I wish I had time to cover additional cities, but thanks for understanding the time commitment of the current two that I have!

[@liamleveto9208]

I feel like lowering the highway capacity and capping the highway to reconnect those north side neighborhoods would be extremely beneficial for not only downtown and north shore, but also those immediate historical north side neighborhoods. I also would like to think a project like that would open opportunities to utilized unused ROW for T expansion to the North Side, potentially to the Ross Park Mall. The north suburbs are in dire need of public transportation and connection between downtown and Ross Twp would be an excellent start.

[@jgolden2976]

Is this in a save file or possible to download from Steam? I lived in Pittsburgh and have many friends/family there. It would be make me feel at home to go though this.

[@GaseousStranger]

The save file is available as one of the benefits to my Patreon Supporters and is updated monthly! You can check it out here - www.patreon.com/GaseousStranger

[@jgolden2976]

@@GaseousStranger Thank you!!

[@jgolden2976]

@@GaseousStranger unfortunately I won't be able to be a $10 a month patreon to gain access to save files, currently unemployed studying in Taiwan. Maybe in the future I will return and become a patreon and get the save file.

[@whynotagain3639]

What mod and how do you use whatever is happening at 1:28? And 2:01 please?

[@GaseousStranger]

@ 1:28 the mod I'm using is Procedural Objects, specifically the customization tool. Same for 2:01, but in that instance I'm using the Edit > Rotate tool to give the transmission poles a bit of an angle. Sorry for missing those in the video! Hope this helps :)

[@whynotagain3639]

@@GaseousStranger thanks for the help. I subscribed to Procedural objects but had absolutely no idea how to use it. So have up..... Are there are guides on how it's used that are easy to find.

[@GaseousStranger]

@@whynotagain3639 I actually have a short tutorial here that can help get you started! - kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIS1fK2cqJWXpMk

[@tomothan]

Ive read the other opinions on the freeway project and while I was originally in favor of removing the highway, I think it would be best to bury it and allow for actual development on top of it. It is already sunk into the ground. While adding park caps on the freeway is better than nothing, in my opinion that is just a band-aid solution that just falls short. A good park requires a constant flow of people in it throughout the day, with different schedules, lifes, and of different class. Otherwise the park becomes a place to be avoided, and lets be honest the noise from the cars below doesnt help either.

[@paullaure]

If done well a deck park over I-279 between East Ohio Street and East North Avenue would be well-utilized and would spur denser infill development and mid-rises on the many vacant lots that still pepper the surrounding neighborhood.

[@dyiaa926]

i think the mass highway system should be downgraded into smaller highways and transit should replace older lanes such as metro system to get people in and out of downtown to work places to make traffic off roads and for better connectivity

[@regulate.artificer_g23.mdctlsk]

BTW, what's the name of the music playing at 10:30?

[@deadpigeons3136]

hello! is there any way to include everything youve created in a zip file or something for the game?

[@regulate.artificer_g23.mdctlsk]

This video reminds me of one of donoteat01's Cities Skylines videos.

[@regulate.artificer_g23.mdctlsk]

I think it's this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKTIkn54hdCFhrc

[@RedVelocityTV]

What's the theme for that pavement texture

[@GaseousStranger]

SCT-Homecoming

[@exotie928]

Are you or have you built spring hill yet?

[@GaseousStranger]

Haven’t quite gotten there yet! But may eventually complete those hilltop neighborhoods :)

[@r3wturb0x51]

hi, what roads do you use for the freeways

[@GaseousStranger]

North American Freeways by Greyflame

[@grambo4436]

Pedestrianization, mobility and walkability should matter to any improving and quality of urban and metropolitan areas including access to transit. But also town or city squares, centers and social hubs for nightlife, entertainment and cultural history.

[@bobgrey6137]

The last thing that should ever be done is a complete removal of highways. They are absolutely essential to the city and the region around it. A park (or even buildings) above the highway is a great idea. Seattle handled I 5 pretty well, and Dallas with Highway 366 under downtown. If the freeway is already sunken, almost all of the cost ajd work has already been done. Removing the highway will only cost more and cause more damage. Nothing good can come from it. Also, before redeveloping the old industrial area near the river, look at what all is still going on there. You say you wanted to get an old abandoned look out of it, but instead you ended up building a trailer drop lot for the nearby factories. These lots are essential for those factories to maintain a supply of available trailers to keep products moving. If you remove their space, they will be forced to buy out other developments (nearby poor housing) ajd tear them down to make more space for trailers, bringing us back to the start of the debate. Now, if the factories are already out of business, and these trailers have been abandoned for years, then the area is likely suitable for further development. All I ask is for you to not follow these new age urban planners blindly. Look deeper into the "behind the scenes" of the economy, both in the city and the larger region. Consider how these chances will impact both the local population and that of the rest of the county and state, and even nation.

[@666_ezio]

Freeways inside cities are an unheard concept in Europe, at least for majority of cities. You should do an European city once with a focus on walkability and public transport!

[@ManservantPablo]

Better than CPP

[@Poozer1251]

Wasnt this a pres video?

[@GaseousStranger]

I created it independently from his video for the sake of applying it to the Pittsburgh project but after creating this episode, I realized that it was heavily inspired from Pres’s video on the topic. So first, I made sure to reach out for his approval and I also made sure to reference his work in this video as well. I just thought it was an important topic to cover as I recreate and try to improve the city of Pittsburgh, and wanted to open the discussion on freeways as well!

[@trudynasty738]

TEAR DOWN THE FREEWAY!!! Trains Trains Trains!! Busses, Bikes, and TRAINS!!

[@GaseousStranger]

Chaotic good 😂

[@SudsyLoofah]

firsthand experience: Penndot planners and engineers are some of the worst

[@GoldFlightSim]

I erased a freeway that divided my city and replaced with an avenue with a park alongside it

[@fullyawakened]

cool city my own unpopular opinion: using large highways to divided and segregate cities looks good and makes sense socially and economically.

[@thetrainguy1]

Why?

[@moover123]

Maybe we could make use of the dividing feature and cut off the minority district 😉

[@Wright1331]

no thanks