Richmond Region Transportation

[tparkerzut]

Stupid idea.

[blopp1234]

14 minutes ago, hikendesign said:

Where ever the station ends up, could be a great anchor for developments.  I do like main street station, it's a beautiful building newly renovated and may be the best option.  I do think it has flaws, primarily access and direction.  It faces east, back to the city, buried under I95 and it's elevated with steep steps.  One of the biggest gripes for the stadium was access, main street is the same. Having gone thru and physically walked out of 30th station in Philadelphia, Union station in DC and Penn station in NY, the nice thing was the openess and expanse of visibility as you walk out of these onto the street.  The Boulevard location is further away from downtown but I'm not sure it's the worst idea or location, yet. An anchor building with urban development around it, probably baseball, etc. it just doesn't sound terrible.  To bad the science museum is out, that could be good at least closer to Broad and the pulse, etc.

I think it would be cool to have a sort of park in front of Main Street station with public art and smaller stores since nothing big could get built there. That and a redo of the 95 bridge would do wonders for that area. I really wish that 95 hadn't been built where it currently is. I remember seeing a graphic from the 50s showing I95 crossing the river near belvidere. Wish that would have happened so Main Street station could have spurred more development. There really are 2 reasons why I think the boulevard is a bad spot for a station.1- train says that it would help get cars off the road, however, it has no access to mass transit so people really would still be driving there cars there. 2- it is so far from downtown and it would take years for the entire area to be developed. Also most of our major corporations are downtown meaning that most business travelers would find a boulevard station useless. Plus the real only argument against Main Street station is that it isn't as easy to access from 95, which is kind of a good thing because people headed to the station will be more likely to take mass transit if they have to worry about accessing the station from the highway, which gets cars off the road. All in all, I really think the only location that could rival Main Street station is broad street station, but that would be near impossible to kick out the science museum. 

[Wahoo 07]

I agree that Boulevard is not a good idea.  Broad Street Station is a superb beaux-arts building and would make an excellent entry point for Richmond.  Given the space restrictions and logistical issues with MSS, perhaps MSS would be better as a regional transit hub (Pulse, light rail, commuter rail) while Broad Street Station handles intercity passenger rail.  The Science Museum could be relocated to Boulevard, thereby contributing to that neighborhood's growing entertainment options.

[drayrichmond]

Just want to point out when comparing our station options with stations in Philadelphia, NY, DC, etc... Their rail is underground, that's not going to happen in Richmond (too big of an investment for the amount of use and space), So any station in Richmond will have above ground rail to connect it, this makes putting a new station on the boulevard fool hardy in my opinion, we would lose so much possible development space just in expanded rail connections, let alone how much space the parking would take up.

With that in mind, I think that dressing up the space under I95 in front of Main street station would do wonders. Park grounds and dressing up the columns for the highway would go a long way to make the space look more inviting.

[tparkerzut]

Let's be honest, the Science Museum is NOT turning back into a train station. They are currently adding a huge pavilion/addition to the back, and the cost of that move would be huge not to mention renovating the building back into a train station while preserving the history. The cost of any new train station would be huge, which means it is just ridiculous to think of another one considering we already have a centrally located, beautiful building that now has an entire area that can be developed to be turned into a bigger attraction for Richmond.

[drayrichmond]

4 hours ago, hikendesign said:

Underground helps them for sure.  Could main street have passengers exit on the north end with a renovated, new entry in that direction?  That's the more open end and would be nearer to the new developments footprint, less under the interstate. 

that's not a bad idea

[Icetera]

18 hours ago, hikendesign said:

Underground helps them for sure.  Could main street have passengers exit on the north end with a renovated, new entry in that direction?  That's the more open end and would be nearer to the new developments footprint, less under the interstate. 

Perhaps have an exit on both ends once the train shed development is done.

[Wahoo 07]

43 minutes ago, Icetera said:

Perhaps have an exit on both ends once the train shed development is done.

I like this idea.  That area of Broad does feel a bit cut off from the southern part of Shockoe/CBD.

[blopp1234]

It would be kinda cool if they built a hotel mid/high rise connected to that side of the station that would feature a grand entrance and some retail.

[jbjust]

On 3/2/2016 at 1:33 AM, RiverYuppy said:

 

I could really picture this right there on Broad Street...

 

Denver Train Station

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

Comforting to see others agree with us, including the project manager at the city ECD and former DRPT planner:

http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/article_a4e27262-d77d-5509-847c-171c074dac2e.html

In an op-ed published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch last month, former state Sen. John Watkins, R-Powhatan, a major player on transportation issues before his retirement, and Eugene Trani, who was president of Virginia Commonwealth University for 19 years, threw their support behind a new single station on the Boulevard near The Diamond, an area they called the “true and rapidly redeveloping downtown of our entire region.”

.....

Welliver and Badger beg to differ.

“They’re wrong,” Badger said.

[tparkerzut]

http://richmondbizsense.com/2016/11/02/brokers-catch-glimpse-of-main-street-station-train-shed/

Good update on Main Street Station. That last quote sounds like a strong statement against the conversations to move/make a new train station.

[RVA-Is-The-Best]

GRTC apparently wants to build a multi-modal transfer/transit center on a plot of land at Grace and Adams.

http://www.richmond.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/article_c0c1effb-dcea-5aa1-ba51-c172f8aeb53b.html

Which reminds me of the time SMBW architects made this cool rendering of a hypothetical transit center across the street from the Carpenter Center.

Maybe we'll get something cool like that

http://www.aiarva.org/uploads/2/2/6/6/22663524/8461902_orig.jpg

Edited November 3, 2016 by RVA-Is-The-Best

[Wahoo 07]

9 hours ago, RVA-Is-The-Best said:

GRTC apparently wants to build a multi-modal transfer/transit center on a plot of land at Grace and Adams.

http://www.richmond.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/article_c0c1effb-dcea-5aa1-ba51-c172f8aeb53b.html

Which reminds me of the time SMBW architects made this cool rendering of a hypothetical transit center across the street from the Carpenter Center.

Maybe we'll get something cool like that

http://www.aiarva.org/uploads/2/2/6/6/22663524/8461902_orig.jpg

That would be a good use for that parcel.  I would like to see something on top of the parking podium -- maybe a few stories of offices or apartments.

[tparkerzut]

10 hours ago, RVA-Is-The-Best said:

GRTC apparently wants to build a multi-modal transfer/transit center on a plot of land at Grace and Adams.

http://www.richmond.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/article_c0c1effb-dcea-5aa1-ba51-c172f8aeb53b.html

Which reminds me of the time SMBW architects made this cool rendering of a hypothetical transit center across the street from the Carpenter Center.

Maybe we'll get something cool like that

http://www.aiarva.org/uploads/2/2/6/6/22663524/8461902_orig.jpg

Yea I remember they were doing some soil testing there last year, I guess they liked what they saw. I'm curious how this will differ from what is on 9th street now, obviously an actual building will change things.

[drayrichmond]

I think this may be a little premature, we're in the midst of an overhaul of the system and the construction of the BRT. However, just an initial look, this location appears to be a good fit (just make sure all your ducks are in a row before jumping on something). The article mentions the thought of whether a transfer station is really even necessary given the new BRT; I've gotta say it is necessary. A real headquarters/transfer center is a necessity for any major PT system, a central location where one can easily change lines and get help if needed. 

1 hour ago, tparkerzut said:

Yea I remember they were doing some soil testing there last year, I guess they liked what they saw. I'm curious how this will differ from what is on 9th street now, obviously an actual building will change things.

I've been to the 9th street location several times, (didn't have a car when i moved here so buses it was). There is practically nothing there. its pretty much a wide spot in the road that can sort of fit some buses. The new location, a dedicated location would have ticketing booths, security, waiting sections/benches, shelter, restrooms and probably more

[blopp1234]

I like the spot but would have rather had it at 14th and main. Does anyone know if this will have retail?

[drayrichmond]

this will most likely have no retail component, it's designed for streamlining bus transit, not a whole lot of retail potential there. 

[blopp1234]

That sucks we need grace to have some more retail. Hopefully this will stimulate more development.

[RiverYuppy]

I think that land could be put to much better use.  

If it is possible, I think under the highway near main street station would be the best place.  It would be near the BRT, Main Street Station, and allow us to utilize otherwise difficult to develop land.

[Icetera]

17 hours ago, RiverYuppy said:

I think that land could be put to much better use.  

If it is possible, I think under the highway near main street station would be the best place.  It would be near the BRT, Main Street Station, and allow us to utilize otherwise difficult to develop land.

While I would love the transfer at MSS I think it is better off near the city center where most lines logically converge and streets are less limited.  The two locations looked at on Grace qualify while I also have thought about 5th and E. Broad.

[drayrichmond]

That's exactly it, this location is close to a convergence of many lines and is essentially in the middle of the city, walkable to a lot of different neighborhoods and jobs. The problem with MSS is that the infrastructure just isn't there, the roads are narrow, it's heavily congested, lots of pedestrians, plus put the other services in the mix (megabus and such) it's already pretty crowded. On retail, even though this won't have a retail component retail usually isn't far behind transfer centers, especially in a location like this where there is already a lot of businesses and people living in the area (unlike the current temporary location which is just offices). I know it's a rough comparison but up in NY where ever there's a transfer center (ie Atlantic/Barclays, Flatbush, Fulton), which are not planned with retail, retail grows up around it. Transfer centers are the easiest place to get to on PT, so I would not be surprised if down the road we start seeing retail build up around an official brick and mortar transfer center. Come on Target!

[Icetera]

Funds to reconfigure I-95/Broad Street Interchange pending City Council approval:

http://chpn.net/2016/11/16/funds-to-reconfigure-i-95broad-street-interchange-pending-city-council-approval/


Some interesting notes:

The Franklin St. ramp will close and a ramp moved up to connect to E. Broad St.
N. 14th Street will pass under E. Broad St. and connect to I-95/64

[wrldcoupe4]

Seems to make sense for the most part. A massive roundabout on Broad seems a little out of place and character though. 

[blopp1234]

Good to see something is being done there. That section of 95 is a nightmare any time of the day much less rush hour. Hopefully this gets passed and improves it!