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KENNEDY PLAZA

Mij

By Mij
in Providence

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Cotuit Megalopolis

Cotuit

Posted
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Rethink RIPTA, not plaza

Problem is, rethinking RIPTA is the furthest thing from anyone's mind on Smith Hill, which is where the money will come from to rethink it.

I don't know what the interpersonal relationships are between the mayors of Providence, Cranston, Warwick, East Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Newport (I'm assuming Laffey is the odd man out :lol: ), but it would behoove them all to get together and have a transit summit. Then they can go up to Smith Hill, and hold the General Assembly's hands as they write legislation to fund and improve RIPTA.

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Baines Hamlet

Baines

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Problem is, rethinking RIPTA is the furthest thing from anyone's mind on Smith Hill, which is where the money will come from to rethink it.

I don't know what the interpersonal relationships are between the mayors of Providence, Cranston, Warwick, East Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Newport (I'm assuming Laffey is the odd man out  :lol: ), but it would behoove them all to get together and have a transit summit. Then they can go up to Smith Hill, and hold the General Assembly's hands as they write legislation to fund and improve RIPTA.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Absolutely. But it goes back to the RI mentality. They and their constiuents se each city as separate..."I live in Cranston".

The challenge is to get people to see it as it is - Providence is the core of IT'S metro area that includes all adjacent communities and beyond.

I would sponsor a field trip to other cities to educate suburbanites that when people in other states say "Providence" they mean the entire metro.

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  • 2 years later...
quente Whistle-Stop

quente

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City told to think and dream big in reinventing plaza

Although the city just spent $9.5 million in 2002 to transform Kennedy Plaza into an intermodal transportation hub, I think it's a good time to revisit how downtown has changed and how Kennedy Plaza can help sustain and enhance that change. Based on the article, it sounds like there were a lot of exciting ideas such as the inclusion of streetcars in the intermodal mix, looking toward European rather than regional models of urban development, and using the space for regular, open air markets.

Did anyone go to this meeting at the Biltmore? I'm curious if this effort will get off the ground.

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CtownMikey Burg

CtownMikey

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That would be a big improvement.

And while we're talking about parking, would it be possible to construct an underground parking garage (like the one at the Boston Common) to keep RIPTA staff and others from parking on the bricks along the skating rink? I'm not sure if it's feasible because of 1) cost and 2) ground water but it would be a nice amenity for those who want to go to City Hall, the rink, the Post Office or any of the other businesses in the area.

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Cotuit Megalopolis

Cotuit

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And while we're talking about parking, would it be possible to construct an underground parking garage (like the one at the Boston Common) to keep RIPTA staff and others from parking on the bricks along the skating rink? I'm not sure if it's feasible because of 1) cost and 2) ground water but it would be a nice amenity for those who want to go to City Hall, the rink, the Post Office or any of the other businesses in the area.
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Pseudo_Work Hamlet

Pseudo_Work

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Another idea was to terrace Burnside Park, so it would be a collection of 'rooms' at different levels. I suppose the top of East Approach (after being closed) could be an upper terrace with parking below, but yeah, cost...

Getting cars out of that area along by the Channel 10 booth was a top priority as well.

I'm really busy and itching to get a full post of what transpired and my impressions, but I think it's gonna be a couple days before I have a chance to sit down and do that.

Well, hopefully at some point we'll get some federal streetcar money, some of that could be used for other spin off uses, but most really couldn't be used to improve the parks and such.

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quente Whistle-Stop

quente

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Cotuit - Perhaps you could address this when you get the time to write your post on the meeting, but I'm interested in knowing what's driving this effort to look at Kennedy Plaza now? Is it the possibility of re-introducing streetcars to Providence (which would be phenomenal!)? Is there a new federal program that can be tapped into to, once again, re-create Kennedy Plaza? Is there dissatisfaction among downtown interests that the 2002 transit hub was a major gaffe and needs to be re-worked? I'm just curious what the chances are that this effort will come to fruition.

Since many of the same parties are involved, I'm hoping that the focus on Kennedy Plaza doesn't take away from the efforts to reopen Cathedral Square and reconnect Westminster Street to the West side.

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Cotuit Megalopolis

Cotuit

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Is it the possibility of re-introducing streetcars to Providence (which would be phenomenal!)? Is there a new federal program that can be tapped into to, once again, re-create Kennedy Plaza? Is there dissatisfaction among downtown interests that the 2002 transit hub was a major gaffe and needs to be re-worked?
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KBagley Whistle-Stop

KBagley

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Myself and another gentleman in my group liked the idea that Burnside was the quiet oasis in the "Greater Kennedy Plaza Area." If there were a large event happening at the skating center or in the plaza itself, Burnside would be the place people would retreat to to relax. Not that it should be totally un-programmed, but the programming in Burnside should be quiet and low-key and not distracting to those who want to relax in the park.
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mental757 Burg

mental757

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I still think the Station Park area needs to be introduced to transit use with any re-make of KP. The intermodal link created by being next to the train station is vital to a better overall mass-transit system. It's a blank canvas there, so the opportunity to use this to relieve KP as the mega-transfer hub is huge. KP is better functioned as a bus/street car destination versus it being the primary connecting point for flowing passengers through the system. The very first street car line needs to include the strech between KP and station park/train station.

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KBagley Whistle-Stop

KBagley

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But, on second thought, I didn't really feel Burnside quite worked right for Pride. I think using the other side, the Biltmore Park would be better. The fences and the paths in Burnside made it hard to circulate, I wasn't sure if I had been everywhere, and a few times I couldn't figure out how to get somewhere I wanted to be. Perhaps the commercial/political vendors go on the Biltmore side, and the Kids Zone and some other quieter things go to Burnside.

Also, the food on East Approach. At the Kennedy Plaza end, the food area was very crowded and very noisy from the stage, and from passing traffic. Think of where crowds are going to converge (people lining for food, people entering the rink, people not at Pride just going about their business) and ensure that their is space for people to move and mingle. I think that end of East Approach became an area where people were meeting each other, so the crowds and the noise just got crazy.

A very minor issue about the beer tent. The two sections were labeled weird last year. If memory serves, there was a "Beer" line and a "Wine and Spirits" line. I wanted one of those stupid O vodka drinks (I would normally never drink those, but beer selection at Pride is usually limited by sponsorship i.e. Coors, or Bud, and mixed drinks just don't work for me in a temporary bar). So wanting a vodka drink, I got in the "Wine and Spirits" line, only to find that those bottled vodka drink things were in the "Beer" line. I had the choice of getting into the Beer line after spending forever in the Wine and Spirits line, or just getting a wine and/or mixed drink, so I got a mixed drink and was un happy about it.

I seem to remember at Station Park there was just one big line and you could get whatever you want, that would be ideal.

Geez, look how much I wrote about getting a drink. Alcoholic much!?

PS: I had a good time last year, I'm a little over the festival bit of Prides, but I marched at the parade, and had a really good time bar hopping after.

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citygirl Unincorporated Area

citygirl

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Cotuit - Perhaps you could address this when you get the time to write your post on the meeting, but I'm interested in knowing what's driving this effort to look at Kennedy Plaza now? Is it the possibility of re-introducing streetcars to Providence (which would be phenomenal!)? Is there a new federal program that can be tapped into to, once again, re-create Kennedy Plaza? Is there dissatisfaction among downtown interests that the 2002 transit hub was a major gaffe and needs to be re-worked? I'm just curious what the chances are that this effort will come to fruition.

Since many of the same parties are involved, I'm hoping that the focus on Kennedy Plaza doesn't take away from the efforts to reopen Cathedral Square and reconnect Westminster Street to the West side.

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atheorist Unincorporated Area

atheorist

Posted
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It would be stupid to spend a nickel redesigning, tearing up, rebuilding KP before there is a clearer picture of what transit improvements are in fact on the way. Streetcars? Where will the new hubs go?

How about a transit hub on a deck over I-95 between Broadway and Westminster? Lines from Broad, Westminster, Broadway and Atwells could all connect there to a high frequency service through downtown to another hub at the train station.

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