Gateway station (Pittsburgh Regional Transit)

Gateway
Pittsburgh Light Rail station
Gateway Center station platform in 2015
General information
LocationStanwix Street and Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Coordinates40°26′30″N 80°00′12″W / 40.4416°N 80.0032°W / 40.4416; -80.0032
Owned byPittsburgh Regional Transit
Line(s)Downtown subway
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
AccessibleYes
History
OpenedJuly 3, 1985 (old station)[1]
March 25, 2012 (new station)[2]
ClosedOctober 30, 2009 (old station)
Rebuilt2012
Previous namesGateway Center
Passengers
20205,357[3] (weekday boardings)
Services
Preceding station Pittsburgh Regional Transit Following station
North Side
toward Allegheny
Blue Line Wood Street
Red Line
Silver Line Wood Street
toward Library
Former services
Preceding station Port Authority of Allegheny County Following station
Terminus Brown Line Wood Street
47D Drake
1984–1993
Wood Street
toward Drake
Location
Map

Gateway station is a station on Pittsburgh Regional Transit's light rail network,[4] located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Until October 30, 2009, it was the network's westernmost extent within downtown Pittsburgh. The Port Authority closed Gateway Center as part of construction work on the North Shore Connector project, and a new station opened in 2012 (though its name was truncated from "Gateway Center" to simply "Gateway"). The former station entrance was demolished and a new station was built.[5] Gateway station and North Side station lie at the southern and northern ends of the Allegheny River Tunnel, respectively.

History

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Gateway Center station was opened on July 3, 1985 as part of the new subway system that replaced the remaining downtown street running trolleys.[1] Named for Gateway Center, the adjacent office complex, the station served the western portion of downtown. The stop also served major buildings such as One PPG Place and Fifth Avenue Place, the shopping and dining district at Market Square, and the historical and recreational hub of Point State Park.

Station entrance

Gateway Center closed on October 30, 2009, as part of the North Shore Connector project, and a newly constructed station (named Gateway) opened just north of the original station on March 25, 2012. The original platform under Liberty Ave was left intact and abandoned, and can be seen while riding the train towards Wood Street.[6]

The station features a mural by artist Romare Bearden. Commissioned by Pittsburgh Regional Transit as part of the original station complex, the mural is now valued at $15 million.[7] The Heinz Endowments has pledged $250,000 toward the costs of removal and refurbishment.[8] The mural was removed when the station was demolished, but was reinstalled in the new station. The original mural had one tile which had accidentally been placed upside-down, and the reinstallation of the mural faithfully reproduced this error.[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Pittsburgh's Graffiti Resistant Subway to Open on July 3". The Indiana Gazette. July 2, 1985. p. 25. Retrieved May 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ^ "Tunnel Under Pittsburgh River to Open March 25". The Latrobe Bulletin. March 13, 2012. p. A7. Retrieved May 6, 2024 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ "System Map Fall 2020". Port Authority.
  4. ^ Official Port Authority information page
  5. ^ Schmitz, Jon (November 2, 2009). "Subway station closing causes no major delays". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2009-11-28.
  6. ^ "Old Gateway Center Station". 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Pittsburgh subway station tile mural worth $15 million". Associated Press. April 24, 2008. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved 2008-04-24.
  8. ^ "Heinz Endowments gives $250,000 to restore $15 million mural". Associated Press. May 1, 2008. Archived from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
  9. ^ Thomas, Mary (14 March 2012). "Romare Bearden's tile mural once again shows his love for city and its people". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
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