PRT selects consultant for Monongahela Incline review

Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) has brought on a consultant to conduct an independent review of the Monongahela Incline to improve the reliability, maintenance and operations of the 154-year-old funicular.

Talson Solutions, a capital project advisory and consulting services company, will review recent incline contracts and current procedures and protocols. The cost is still being finalized.

Talson will assess the Monongahela Incline in phases and will provide regular reports to a review committee made up of community members, business owners and other key stakeholders.

During the next several months, Talson will make recommendations for future contracts and help to identify short- and long-term improvements to the operations and maintenance of the incline, which has been closed since March 5.

PRT engineers and an engineering consultant last week determined that at least one pair of resistors that prevent the brakes of the incline from engaging in the middle of each trip was underrated for that function, causing the resistors to fail and leading to the incline’s subsequent closure.

PRT is currently reviewing an updated electrical design that incorporates new resistors. Once accepted, the contractor will purchase, install and test the incline before PRT can submit an amended permit application to the Pennsylvania Department of Licenses and Inspections and submit for an inspection.