North Shore casino developer Don Barden offered concessions to the Carnegie Science Center in an 11th-hour bid to get an agreement over issues relating to bus access and lighting.

But the science center's director, Joanna Haas, said last night the moves proposed by Mr. Barden do not solve transportation problems and in fact may make them worse.

Ms. Haas said center officials are moving ahead with their plans to file an appeal to the state Supreme Court over the city's master plan, which was approved last month.

Mr. Barden submitted a revised proposal to the science center yesterday, just in advance of tomorrow's deadline for filing appeals with the Supreme Court.

Bob Oltmanns, a spokesman for Mr. Barden and his company, PITG Gaming LLC, said the revised proposal allows the science center to maintain the same bus access it currently has to its property.

Mr. Barden, he said, is dropping plans to develop a small parcel of land between the center and his proposed Majestic Star casino. As a result, the service road now used by school buses to drop off students at the science center will not be eliminated.

Fearing its access would be shut off, the center wanted Mr. Barden to widen another road into its property and to improve a parking lot across the street so buses could still drop off students. Mr. Oltmanns said those improvements no longer are necessary.

But Ms. Haas said the casino's offer will create a hazardous traffic situation for school buses and other vehicles trying to get to the science center.

"On the surface, this sounds like a great thing, but what you're going to have is a very dangerous intersection at Reedsdale (Street) and North Shore Drive," Ms. Haas said.

"It creates what we believe will be a very unsafe situation."

Ms. Haas said, however, that she was pleased Mr. Barden agreed to use lighting that will not interfere with the science center's observatory.

Mr. Barden agreed to install casino light levels that will not exceed the standard of 12 lux on nongame nights at PNC Park and Heinz Field, Mr. Oltmanns said.

Meanwhile, a city consultant is recommending approval of a traffic signal at the entrance to the casino, a decision that could remove another stumbling block in talks between Mr. Barden and the center. The center had included such a signal on its list of demands during the master plan approval process.

Damon Rhodes, senior project engineer for Wilbur Smith Associates, said yesterday he expects the city to accept his recommendation to install the signal, which is part of a plan to provide school bus access to the center.

"There are still some Ts to be crossed and some Is to be dotted, but it will be approved," Mr. Rhodes said.

City Planning Director Noor Ismail said the traffic light was a "non-issue." She said it is expected to meet the requirements for installation.

The science center wanted the traffic signal light installed as part of a list of demands it had given Mr. Barden as part of the master plan approval process for the casino.

Mr. Oltmanns called the recommendation on the traffic signal a "helpful development in getting the outstanding issues resolved between Majestic Star and the science center." The casino also wanted the signal installed but couldn't guarantee it because such an action required city approval.