Pittsburgh mayoral candidate Michael Lamb today said he supports a new commuter rail system connecting Downtown and Oakland, using existing rail lines.

Lamb said the city could work with railways to connect those two job centers, as well as Hazelwood, using new passenger rail cars that hold 200 commuters each. The main expenses would be the $2.9 million cars and new stations, which he said could be partially funded by Oakland hospitals, universities and other non-profits. The proposed route would be the same one used as Amtrak and share Amtrak's Downtown station.

Lamb also described his position on the Pittsburgh region's largest transportation project, the extension of the Mon-Fayette Expressway toll road.

The Democratic candidate from Mount Washington, who serves as Allegheny County's Prothonotary, said he supports extending the highway only to Monroeville and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, but not erecting another branch into Hazelwood and Oakland.

Another candidate for the Democratic mayoral nomination, Bob O'Connor, previously announced his support for a commuter streetcar line connecting Downtown and Oakland that would share streets with autos.