330 replies to this topic

[DaveRPI]

mental757, on Jan 17 2006, 03:26 PM, said:

progress, while still slow, is still being made on this.  there are so many agencies and private industry entities that have to agree on thousands of details on everyhting from how to build it, with what, with who's money and who will maintain it, etc.

I'm hopeful for some meaningful news within a month...

yea i know how it works... but thanks for the update  

i just think its ridiculous that i heard about this project while i was in high school and now i'm well out of college and working. maybe by the time i retire ill be able to take the train down to tf green to travel, who knows!

1.5 billion invested in westwood, mass by 2 private developers... private money
they only have the train, no major airport, this should be a no brainer for warwick
provide some incentive for private investment and watch the station distruict rise up....

[mental757]

DaveRPI, on Jan 19 2006, 12:00 PM, said:

yea i know how it works... but thanks for the update  

i just think its ridiculous that i heard about this project while i was in high school and now i'm well out of college and working. maybe by the time i retire ill be able to take the train down to tf green to travel, who knows!

1.5 billion invested in westwood, mass by 2 private developers... private money
they only have the train, no major airport, this should be a no brainer for warwick
provide some incentive for private investment and watch the station distruict rise up....

The private investment will come as soon as they announce ground breaking of the intermodal station.  The station is what many will use to justify to the money lenders to back certain projects.  I hear the car rental agencies is the last major hurdle in the project.  Once they all agree on the details, we should hear something...

[Frankie811]

http://www.boston.co..._mishaps_in_05/

[Frankie811]

http://www.projo.com...n.12db20d3.html

Edited by Frankie811, 25 January 2006 - 04:26 AM.

[mental757]

big meeting regarding the intermodal yesterday - no details yet though...

[Lone Ranger]

No people-mover?  Quarter mile skywalk?  Hmmm ...

[Frankie811]

Lone Ranger, on Jan 27 2006, 07:38 AM, said:

No people-mover?  Quarter mile skywalk?  Hmmm ...

What are you talking about? Who said anything about people walking?

[Lone Ranger]

Today's newspaper, front page of the West Bay section.  The people-mover idea has been abandoned in favor of a quarter-mile skybridge with moving sidewalks spanning the distance between the train station and the airport, and also adding another $25m to the price tag (which the state believes will pay for itself in maintenance costs in the long term).

[Cotuit]

Lone Ranger, on Jan 27 2006, 08:02 PM, said:

Today's newspaper, front page of the West Bay section.

Link


I'm frankly surprised the skywalk costs so much (any) more than the people mover. I can't say I'm too torn up about losing the people mover, in my mind's eye I can see it constantly broken down from lack of maintenance, leaving people stranded on either end. I assume at such a price the skywalk will include moving sidewalks, and I can also see in my mind's eye those breaking, but at least you can still walk when those are broken. A quarter mile is really not very far, especially when there are moving sidewalks. The people mover is rather over the top I think when only connecting Point A to Point B, if it were to make stops it might be more worthy.

[Frankie811]

http://www.thewarwic...26154&Itemid=30

[RLucas83]

Final clearing begining...ground breaking should be next month....

http://www.turnto10....873/detail.html

FINALLY... since this should have been completed a couple years ago!

[mental757]

Lone Ranger, on Jan 28 2006, 07:36 AM, said:

Freudian slip?  
You live in a McSuburb, and (on the regional level) the airport is the only thing that makes your town any different from the towns surrounding you.  Get over it.

"...where she has lived for 17 years ago."  Lets see, the jet age began in the 1950's and TFG has been there since the 1930's. Maybe, just maybe you should have thought twice about moving there 17 YEARS AGO!!!!!

ARGHHH - these people bug me so much.

The maintanance costs for the people mover would have made the long term financial agreement with the car rental companies and other agencies cost prohibitive for what is really needed and that is a simple moving sidewalk.  I envision vendor cartes along the corridor of the moviong sidewalks at the breaks anyway (as well as a small food court of some sort in the train station end).

I hear the official announcement should be made soon pending the final agreements with the necessary entities.  I too cannot wait to see this thing get started & built.

[Lone Ranger]

That's still gonna be one heckuva long skybridge.

[DaveRPI]

are there examples of a skybridge this long anywhere to be found online?

I think it will be a great asset for the station district - if that ever gets built!

Will this still be the closest amtrak station to a major airport in the US? I've heard that somewhere along the way...

peace im outta here

[Cotuit]

DaveRPI, on Feb 1 2006, 12:33 PM, said:

Will this still be the closest amtrak station to a major airport in the US? I've heard that somewhere along the way...

As far as I know yes, but it's not clear right now that Amtrak will actually stop there. The other airports with close-by Amtrak stations are Newark and Baltmore-Washington.

[Lone Ranger]

DaveRPI, on Feb 1 2006, 12:33 PM, said:

are there examples of a skybridge this long anywhere to be found online?

I dunno, but here's a long one.  I assume this is approximately what Post Road is going to look like soon:



And another of the same:



That one can be found in Davenport, Iowa, which looks like a nice little city.

But we can only hope that we don't end up with one that looks like this:

Edited by Lone Ranger, 01 February 2006 - 07:21 PM.

[mental757]

the sky bridge will also allow "stops" along the corridor for future tie-ins (a hotel, etc.).

It sounds longer than you think really

[Lone Ranger]

Well, no, not really.  I know a quarter of a mile isn't all that much when talking about most things, but a skybridge?

Picture it.  It has to reach from Jefferson Blvd across Post Rd, across that gigantic surface lot, and (I assume) all the way to the terminal.

I drove home by Post Rd. last night.  Because I needed gas.  And I'll admit, also because I had this project in mind.

That's gonna be an interesting feature.  Noticeable.  And yes, quite long.

[mental757]

Harrisburgh PA (MDT International) has a close in airport/highway/Amtrak station too...

[mental757]

Got a peak at the renderings of the car rental "mall" and the walkway.  The walking "path" will be 1410 feet long - not in a straight line.  There appears to be an actual attempt to put some architectural features to offer the walkway some "flare" for the lack of a better term.  There will be 2 glass rotundas, 3 to 4 "entry" points/stairs to the ground along the walkway (for tie-ins to future development and even possible "branches" for a network of walkways) for pedestrian access from the short term lot and Post Road, and a really nice design where it ties into the street side of the Terminal building.  833 feet of the 1410 feet (59%) will have moving sidewalks and there will be electric cart availability as well.  Airport "viewpoints" have been created from the angles the path of the walkway will take (versus the straight "shot" I was expecting).  The car rental mall looks open and airy and should have some concession offerings as well.   The walkway itself looks to be supported by pre-cast support columns (similar but smaller than the "Iway" supports we see along I-95 now)that will straddle roadways where needed (cars will drive under it in places both perpendicully and parallel) with angled light blue-tinted glass making up the entire sides and parts of the roof.   It looks like there is an electronic scolling message board over the upper level roadway in front of the terminal and some street signage and possible advertising space where it goes over Post Road and parts of the airport roadway system too.

Will share more when I can...