2618 replies to this topic

[walker]

Ran into the rail map in the link below on another forum that was discussing proposed updates to Chicago Union Station and it made me think of these posts:

arcturus, on 24 September 2011 - 09:40 AM, said:

In taking the Pere Marquette the other day it struck me the metro area could use a second station ... Wilson and Chicago Ave. Plenty of parking. Close to the freeway. . .  Residents in the south and notably west might be more inclined seeing, as it stands now, that they need to go downtown to hop the train which takes them back to where they started.

suydam, on 26 September 2011 - 08:48 AM, said:

.... over the course of 30 agonizing minutes at 10mph.

I agree with the need for the station to be downtown, but it eliminates much of the benefit of rail travel when the first hour occurs at such slow speeds.

If for some strange reason Amtrak decided to start the Pere Marquette at Holland then head for Grand Rapids then head for Kalamazoo and only then turn west toward Chicago would you still want to get on the train in Grandville?  The“30 agonizing minutes at 10mph” would be in the other direction then.  

I don’t know how serious it is but this is a proposal that has been floating around for some time.  I’m guessing the idea is that when the upgrade of Amtrak owned rails running west from Kalamazoo for high-speed is completed, the trip from Grand Rapids to Chicago via Kalamazoo would take about the same time as it does now and the cost to Amtrak would be less because about half the trip would be on their rails.

I can’t imagine that anyone in Holland other than an occasional rail nut would ever buy a ticket to Chicago on this route.
Here’s a link to the map:
http://farm4.static....512d87f2c_o.jpg

Edited by walker, 17 December 2011 - 07:43 PM.

[tSlater]

I wonder what line they'd use.. the one that goes through Wayland?  That's the only GR-Kzoo line I can think of, and I think I recall someone saying it would need to be upgraded to be used for passenger service.

[suydam]

I think you'd lose a lot of ridership that currently originates in GR as they'd drive to Kalamazoo and catch the train there.  Certainly Hollanders might do that (or just skip the train altogether).  For me, the greatest strength of the Pere Marquette is its simplicity... I park, I climb on the train and when I get off the train I'm already in Chicago.

[RegalTDP]

Residents of Hudsonville will be voting in May whether or not to join the Rapid:
http://www.mlive.com...ld_put_hud.html

Quote

A city survey last year found that 42 percent of residents would vote yes or lean toward voting yes on a 0.5-mill tax increase to fund public transit via The Rapid. The tax would be opposed by 55 percent, with 3 percent undecided.

If the measure does pass, I think we can consider the city a fully-fledged member of Greater GR, and welcome them accordingly.

However, should there be any future ballot measures similar to what we had in May, their inclusion in the voting pool will probably make passing such measures more difficult... Just sayin'.

[tSlater]

Hopefully the rapid looks into more area-based millages in the future for proposals like the one last year -- rapid-wide small increase for all of the features and an extra one for just GR, Kentwood, and Wyoming for the Silver Line.  I think an approach like that, if possible would work much better for the future.

[Rizzo]

RegalTDP, on 16 January 2012 - 11:01 AM, said:

Residents of Hudsonville will be voting in May whether or not to join the Rapid:
http://www.mlive.com...ld_put_hud.html



If the measure does pass, I think we can consider the city a fully-fledged member of Greater GR, and welcome them accordingly.

However, should there be any future ballot measures similar to what we had in May, their inclusion in the voting pool will probably make passing such measures more difficult... Just sayin'.

That's probably one reason why it won't pass. To some Ottawa county burbs the City of Grand Rapids is the boogie man. Anything can happen though, the birthplace of public transit advocacy was in the southwest suburban areas.

Edited by Rizzo, 31 January 2012 - 03:59 PM.

[GRDadof3]

According to the city, DASH lot 6 (where the new Amtrak station is going) officially closes March 16th. Should see land clearing in the near future.

Also, this FREE event is coming up March 22nd, being put on by Rapid Growth Media. Should be a good one.

https://www.facebook...78706405578519/

[John E]

Beginning March 15, 2012 The Rapid will be running Route 2 (Kalamazoo) up and down Ionia between Central Station, Cherry and Franklin. This is a permament route change.

There is no information on their website about it. I saw the large notice at the stop by Van Andel Arena.

[John E]

It is now up on their website. It looked like a permament change but it is due to the construction on Fulton.
http://www.ridethera...ction-rerouting

I would like to see this as a permament change.

[sfloria]

Has there been a rendering of the new Amtrak station?  Is it going to be as stunning as the current shed?

[John E]

sfloria, on 23 March 2012 - 10:54 AM, said:

Has there been a rendering of the new Amtrak station?  Is it going to be as stunning as the current shed?

Found renderings with the follow post in this thread:
http://www.urbanplan...60#entry1150952

[sfloria]

Thanks John.  Somehow I had missed those.  Im glad that there is a tall element to it so it'll be noticeable from the highway, otherwise i'm not sure it'd be visible.  I think that'll be a great addition to that area.  Seems like a hotel in that empty warehouse next door could be a good use.

[tSlater]

With the GR Amtrak station being a terminus rather than an actual station, I'm not sure it'd be prime for a hotel.  If, however, GR were a transfer point for a train connecting to other cities, then definitely.

[sfloria]

A new article posted about the Amtrak station:
http://www.mlive.com...pids_amtra.html

It looks like that tall tower might be translucent, lit up from inside.

[wingbert]

Does anyone else have the first impression that it seems kind of small?  I think it will look nice (especially compared to the current station) but it just seems a little underwhelming.

[GRDadof3]

wingbert, on 30 March 2012 - 08:06 AM, said:

Does anyone else have the first impression that it seems kind of small?  I think it will look nice (especially compared to the current station) but it just seems a little underwhelming.

Yeah, I think even The Rapid thinks it's smaller than they'd like to see. I think it's an issue of how much funding is available.

[GRDadof3]

The green roof on The Rapid's Wealthy St Operations Center is pretty awesome. This picture doesn't show even 1/4 of it.

[John E]

Amtrak plans to add 25 bi-level passenger rail cars to its Michigan lines.



http://www.mlive.com...tes_to_get.html

[RegalTDP]

GRDadof3, on 21 April 2012 - 10:22 AM, said:

The green roof on The Rapid's Wealthy St Operations Center is pretty awesome. This picture doesn't show even 1/4 of it.

It is big.  Here's an aerial shot:
http://maps.google.c...002328&t=h&z=19

Google, you're really starting to creep me out!  It won't be long before I start seeing little people and cars going across my screen in real time.  How often do they update that site?  I could have sworn it wasn't there that long ago.

Edited by RegalTDP, 24 April 2012 - 01:57 AM.