75 replies to this topic

[Frankie811]

MainStreet Economic Recovery

http://www.usmayors....c...ce&State=RI

[Patrick Ward]

Frankie811, on Feb 1 2009, 06:47 AM, said:

MainStreet Economic Recovery

http://www.usmayors....c...ce&State=RI

Maybe I am reading this wrong. A street car system would only cost $20 million? Seems like too much money for a study and too low for actual construction cost.

[mental757]

I agree.  Maybe thats for just the tracks for the first line?  Maybe that just buys the cars?  Not sure.  

I do like the 22M to fix up the Amtrak station & garage.  That seems like quite a bit of money for a renovation (unless the building has bigger issues than any of us know about).

3M to expand RIPTA 56, 20, 99, 11 sounds good too.

Does anyone know the details of what the "downtown circulator" might be?

[frymasterspeck]

mental757, on Feb 2 2009, 09:26 AM, said:

Does anyone know the details of what the "downtown circulator" might be?

I'm sure it's a plan to bring Providence street traffic up to the high standards set by Pawtucket.

[Liamlunchtray]

mental757, on Feb 2 2009, 10:26 AM, said:

I do like the 22M to fix up the Amtrak station & garage.  That seems like quite a bit of money for a renovation (unless the building has bigger issues than any of us know about).

Thats actually just for the escalator.

mental757, on Feb 2 2009, 10:26 AM, said:

Does anyone know the details of what the "downtown circulator" might be?

Could this be changing Empire and Weybosset to 2 way?

[Pseudo_Work]

Liamlunchtray, on Feb 2 2009, 10:14 AM, said:

Could this be changing Empire and Weybosset to 2 way?

I think that's what it's for - changing Weybosset and Empire to 2-way streets.  It might also have to do with the plan to transition Kennedy Plaza from the only RIPTA hub to one of several spread around downtown.

I think the streetcar quote is just for the first line.  It probably shouldn't say "system", but it does for some reason.  Bear in mind, this wish list was put forward before the "governer" cut all aid to cities and towns, so there was probably more money from the city going to the streetcars before that.

Edited by Pseudo_Work, 02 February 2009 - 01:51 PM.

[Cotuit]

mental757, on Feb 2 2009, 10:26 AM, said:

I do like the 22M to fix up the Amtrak station & garage.  That seems like quite a bit of money for a renovation (unless the building has bigger issues than any of us know about).

A building that young should not need renovation, deferred maintenance... so sad.

There are plans to expand parking capacity here, I assume that is part of the $22million.

There is a very tentative proposal to expand the station as a northern hub for RIPTA, the so-called Gaspee Station plan. I'm not sure how far those plans have progressed or if one could call the plans, "shovel ready."

Liamlunchtray, on Feb 2 2009, 12:14 PM, said:

Could this be changing Empire and Weybosset to 2 way?

Yes, I'm pretty sure "Downtown Circulator" includes two-way Weybosset and Empire as well as work at Emmett and LaSalle Squares and Fountain Street. Fountain is being put on a diet and realigned slightly. The road will be brought in so that it is no longer this big wide dragway, I think plans called for angled parking around the Fogarty Building area.

Pseudo_Work, on Feb 2 2009, 02:48 PM, said:

I think the streetcar quote is just for the first line.

What I heard a long long time ago is that the city wants one line (literally, one track) connecting the train station, Brown, and the Hospitals. I think technically, it is just about feasible for that amount, but I can't imagine that includes overhead like train maintenance, drivers' salaries, a trolley barn...

[mental757]

Perhaps the RIPTA "Gaspee" hub and the street car line are connected, which would mean that $40M+ would be somewhat combined to make it all possible.

What is the most likely route that would connect Brown, the train station and the Hospitals?

[Cotuit]

mental757, on Feb 3 2009, 09:33 AM, said:

What is the most likely route that would connect Brown, the train station and the Hospitals?

That was the $20million question last I heard.

[Garris]

Quote

1000-Space structured parking facility to serve Garrahy Judicial Complex and the relocation of the Brown University Medical Education Center

So this is interesting...  They want to put the medical school in the parking garage complex?  That's actually quite an interesting idea.  Why not?  

Brown (in theory) has 100 million to spend in part on the medical school, so maybe the two team up for a bang-for-your-buck project?  That location would be close enough to the hospitals and the other Jewelry District Brown properties...

- Garris
Greater City Providence Urbanism Blog
http://www.gcpvd.org

[frymasterspeck]

Cotuit, on Feb 2 2009, 04:04 PM, said:

There are plans to expand parking capacity here, I assume that is part of the $22million.

Jeez, I hope they expand it. Garage was full and closed at 6:30 am today.

Note to transit planners: Be Prepared for Success!

[Cotuit]

frymasterspeck, on Feb 3 2009, 01:17 PM, said:

Note to transit planners: Be Prepared for Success!

The entire train station is a lesson in not planning for success. Imagine if more than one train an hour pulled through there, where would people wait. There's what, room for 30 to sit comfortably in the rotunda?

[Pseudo_Work]

Cotuit, on Feb 3 2009, 08:35 PM, said:

The entire train station is a lesson in not planning for success. Imagine if more than one train an hour pulled through there, where would people wait. There's what, room for 30 to sit comfortably in the rotunda?

...Sit on the floor like people do in every other train station.

[Lone Ranger]

Great news, but what we really need is to get some tracks out towards the Valley, Olneyville, South Providence, PC, and up towards Pawtucket.  Where do we get the other $200m or so that we would need to accomplish this?

Even a rudimentary streetcar system could do so much for a city like Providence.  And fudge, if Newark can have a subway line ...

[mental757]

The multiplyer effect of any streetcar line is the ability for RIPTA to then free up some buses/trolleys to do other things or add them to high demand routes.

[Patrick Ward]

What I heard a long long time ago is that the city wants one line (literally, one track) connecting the train station, Brown, and the Hospitals. [/quote]

The NIMBY crowd on College Hill will never allow a light rail line to be built in that area. The first line built should go from downtown right down Broad St to RW Park. That area has a greater need for public transpotation and will offer the least resistance.

[Pseudo_Work]

Patrick Ward, on Feb 4 2009, 11:27 AM, said:

What I heard a long long time ago is that the city wants one line (literally, one track) connecting the train station, Brown, and the Hospitals.

The NIMBY crowd on College Hill will never allow a light rail line to be built in that area. The first line built should go from downtown right down Broad St to RW Park. That area has a greater need for public transpotation and will offer the least resistance.

Unfortunately for the NIMBY crowd, I think Brown has a lot more power to make decisions than they do.  I do agree with you though, that the city should probably be looking to use this to serve areas other than the east side first.  As for which areas that should be, it's anyone's guess.  You represent Washington Park, so of course it's a given that you'd like to see it there.  I happen to think Broadway/Atwells/Olneyville would be a great choice as well.

[Patrick Ward]

Pseudo_Work, on Feb 4 2009, 01:38 PM, said:

Unfortunately for the NIMBY crowd, I think Brown has a lot more power to make decisions than they do. I do agree with you though, that the city should probably be looking to use this to serve areas other than the east side first. As for which areas that should be, it's anyone's guess. You represent Washington Park, so of course it's a given that you'd like to see it there. I happen to think Broadway/Atwells/Olneyville would be a great choice as well.

I live on Health Ave in the Valley and represent no one. Not enough votes my way.
A small group of residents in Hingham MA held up construction on the MBTA Greenbush commuter rail line for over 10 years and added tens of millions of dollars to the project because they did not want a train running through Hingham center. Never underestimate the power of the NIMBY crowd.

[Cotuit]

Patrick Ward, on Feb 4 2009, 01:27 PM, said:

The NIMBY crowd on College Hill will never allow a light rail line to be built in that area. The first line built should go from downtown right down Broad St to RW Park. That area has a greater need for public transpotation and will offer the least resistance.

I agree on both counts. A Broad Street/Elmwood Ave. line would serve a population of people who are already accustomed to using transit and would welcome improvements. And connecting Downcity to the Zoo would be a boon for tourism. Tourists don't want to take "bus 20" to the Zoo, but they'd be all over a trolley.

I'd swing it past the Zoo to Park Ave. in Cranston and make a park n' ride and bus hub there. Commuters from Cranston could bus to the trolley and zoom into the city.

Throw in some Transit Oriented Development along Elmwood Ave. while you're at it.

[Lone Ranger]

Patrick Ward, on Feb 4 2009, 01:27 PM, said:

The NIMBY crowd on College Hill will never allow a light rail line to be built in that area. The first line built should go from downtown right down Broad St to RW Park. That area has a greater need for public transpotation and will offer the least resistance.

An excellent point.

Has anyone made the NIMBY crowd on College Hill aware of the fact that they live in the middle of a freaking city?