IN PROGRESS: Metro Centre Plaza | T.F. Green Station

[mental757]

PBN: "Air, rail connection questioned"

http://www.pbn.com/detail.html?sub_id=40463

"...when it came to access to transportation, Integlia said prospective tenants only cared about one thing: Highway exit and entrance ramps were located just 200 yards away."

poster's commet:

So because a bunch of law firms and insurance companies that have new offices in Warwick don't care about close/easy airport access and future rail service, no one else does???

Whatever.

[FjmArch]

As of last week, there is a large steel framing visible between Jefferson Blvd and Post Rd (on the Post Rd. side of the tracks) and lots of foundation work next to Jefferson Blvd. I'll try to swing by and get some pics this weekend.

As of today there is a large precast structure starting to appear on the Jefferson Blvd. side of the tracks.

[spanky]

You can also see the precast pieces waiting to go up in the empty lot on airport rd (with the big geo-dome).

[mental757]

Warwick Beacon: "Rail advocates urge Amtrak stop here"

http://www.warwickonline.com/pages/full_st...&open=&

[mental757]

from www.pvdairport.com

21 May 2009

"Intermodal Overview

The Intermodal Project is a collaborative effort of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, working in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration.

The $267 million transportation hub will allow MBTA commuter rail service to TF Green airport and Warwick, RI. This will be the closest rail line (1,570 feet) to a major airport terminal in the country.

A six level parking garage will span the railroad tracks and accommodate both commuter parking and rental car facilities. East of the tracks and adjoined to the garage will be a Customer Service Operations (CSO) building that will house rental car agency staff. Connecting the CSO building and TF Green will be a 1,200 ft. sky bridge with moving walkways to accelerate travels.

The project is broken into four major areas of construction - the Terminal End Improvements (TEI); the Skywalk; the customer service operations building (CSO) and the parking garage and fueling platforms. These four major components of the Intermodal project are being built concurrently.

Terminal End Improvements (TEI)

The Intermodal Project at TF Green Airport reached new heights in the early morning hours of May 12th with the addition of the sky bridge. The 150-ton steel truss bridge was a major undertaking from design to fabrication and installation. A team of steel workers spent several weeks assembling the 166-foot long span in the terminal parking lot. Two cranes and a skilled crew attached rigging weighing 9,000 lbs. to the crane

[mental757]

PBN: "Intermodal Station skywalk taking shape"

http://www.pbn.com/stories/42706.html

[09/21/38]

The parking garage is going up quickly as is the skybridge. This will be an impressive station when it is completed.

[mental757]

Intermodal Overview

The Intermodal Project is a collaborative effort of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, working in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration. The $267 million transportation hub will allow MBTA commuter rail service to TF Green airport and Warwick, RI. This will be the closest rail line (1,570 feet) to a major airport terminal in the country.

The project is broken into four major areas of construction - the Terminal End Improvements (TEI); the Skywalk; the customer service operations building (CSO) and the parking garage and fueling platforms. These four major components of the Intermodal project are being built concurrently.

The project continues to move forward at a steady pace with the Skywalk structure crossing over Post Road. Next steps for construction include the connection of the Skywalk to the CSO structure sometime in July. There are no plans for additional road closures in the near future, however there may be some night work and therefore lane restrictions near the Airport

[numonex]

Is it just me? Am I the only one that sees that this is going to end up just another epic fail project that RI sinks money into? Just like the epic fail that is called "the Dunk"? Should call it the "Sunk".

This state needs to get its head out of the sand. Adding a train station to an airport that isnt even large enough to serve the west coast is silly. If this project is going to be remotely considered a success the airport will need to be expanded and we all know how that is going...

[RLucas83]

Is it just me? Am I the only one that sees that this is going to end up just another epic fail project that RI sinks money into? Just like the epic fail that is called "the Dunk"? Should call it the "Sunk".

This state needs to get its head out of the sand. Adding a train station to an airport that isnt even large enough to serve the west coast is silly. If this project is going to be remotely considered a success the airport will need to be expanded and we all know how that is going...

People need to loose the "its just a train station for the airport" mentality... its WAY more than that... AND they need to remember they are getting the station practically free because of all of the federal funds. Rhode Island is getting this extrremely unique facility for pennies on the dollar.

1) consolidated rental car facility - currently all rental cars are scattered up and down post road occupying various parcels of realestate and shuttling customers to and from the terminal all day long.

2) commuter rail for warwick - enough said, convenience for the city and residents

Lets assume amtrak decided to throw in a few traisn per day arriving/departing to the south; now add in shuttle busses from Foxwoods/ Worcester/ Cape Cod

Now you have multi-modal connectivity all hubbed in Warwick

Sample potential itineraries:

NY resident takes Amtrak to Warwick, rents a car and drives to the cape

New London, Ct resident takes Amtrak to Providence and flies to Las Vegas

Attelboro couple takes thw train to the airport, then takes a shuttle bus to Foxwoods

Martha's Vineyard business man flies Cape Air to PVD, then takes the train to a meeting in Stamford, CT, or Sharon, MA

[09/21/38]

Most people who have a choice will choose pvd over logan at any chance they can because of the ease of geting in and out of the airport. the cost to park also is a concern. it is much cheaper to park at green and there is space not far from the terminal.

The other factor will be the demand from southern RI and CT. when the station is completed.

[Frankie811]

New hub at Green airport is where planes, trains and automobiles converge. It

[ohhleary]

The city

[mental757]

Warwick Beacon: "DOT chief confident of intermodal rail service"

http://www.warwickonline.com/pages/full_st...e_news_2nd_left

[09/21/38]

There should definitely be an agreement already signed by the state and the MBTA. The state should also work on getting an agreement with the State of Conn. to extend the Shore Line route east to Providence.

If there are not trains stopping on the day that the new station opens in Sept. 2010 the governor and the entire state will look foolish.

P&W should also be encouraged to run an in state train from Westerly to Woonsocket every day using the exising freight rail and stations. If addtional stations come on line they can be added to the route. (Cranston, EG, Pawtucket/CF, Wickford)

The fourth option would be for Amtrak to also stop there. that will only happen if ridership increases and there is a demand for a station stop.

[cloudship]

Could you imagine what could be on this route if everyone was willing to work together and put the effort in?

This is a totally electrified route between Boston and New York. this route would be ideal for efficient EMUs if Amtrak allows the use of it's wires and line. You could have an electrified route to Boston, to Providence downtown, to Connecticut, and even to New York. Mohegan sun lies just up the tracks from New London, and the line all the way from Worcester extends right into Providence.

What it is going to take is a lot of cooperation between agencies and businesses, making sure that there is frequent, comfortable, useable access to the airport, and making sure that the parties involved find efficient vehicles and invest in the proper infrastructure.

[mental757]

The latest update about the intermodal project is on the airport's website:

http://www.pvdairport.com/main.aspx?guid=3...bc-1e38df9387a5

30 July 2009

Intermodal Overview

The Intermodal Project is a collaborative effort of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, working in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration.

The $267 million transportation hub will allow MBTA commuter rail service to TF Green airport and Warwick, RI. This project will have the first elevated fueling platforms in the country.

The project is broken into four major areas of construction - the Terminal End Improvements (TEI); the Skywalk; the customer service operations building (CSO) and the parking garage and fueling platforms. These four major components of the Intermodal project are being built concurrently.

Overnight work will include some lane shifts and single-lane closures, but traffic will still be able to navigate in and around the airport.

CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) has joined the project team. CBRE will serve as a project manager working on behalf of the rental car operators. Floors three through six of the garage will be used solely by the rental car operators. These floors will be outfitted with fueling and cleaning equipment for the quick turn around of rentals. CBRE will handle the hiring of general contractors to execute this work.

Terminal End Improvements (TEI)

Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) walls are being placed. Spray fireproofing is being applied to the building

[mental757]

PBN: "Intermodal station nearly half complete"

http://pbn.com/detail/44201.html

PROJO: "At Rhode Island's Green Airport: planes, trains and automobiles"

http://www.projo.com/news/content/INTERMOD...13.38b1712.html

[09/21/38]

I think the governor likes to have these press events because he looks so handsome with the contstruction hat on. But I am glad there is no glass up on the walkway yet as we are about to get some weather via the tropics in the next few weeks. They will be able to find the orange mesh in Boston after 8/24.

When the first train stops in Warwick and Don and entourage get off I will believe it.

[numonex]

Most people who have a choice will choose pvd over logan at any chance they can because of the ease of geting in and out of the airport. the cost to park also is a concern. it is much cheaper to park at green and there is space not far from the terminal.

The other factor will be the demand from southern RI and CT. when the station is completed.

Unless I am mistaken isnt the only confirmed rail service 4 stops a day from MBTA? I dont see how that would link southern RI. If we had frequent rail service between Attleboro and say New London that could help. I myself refuse to go to Logon because its so conveluted, I can imagin people in CT and Souther RI taking commuter rail to Green to fly and moreso could link the souther part of the state to Providence. But the first question still stands, 4 stops from MBTA will give a little boost but wont to much at all for the southern half of the state.

[cloudship]

Would it be possible for a private railroad to institute passenger service along the NEC? It is an electrified route, getting surplus EMUs should be possible, I wonder if a private group could manage to run hourly train service?

[mental757]

Unless I am mistaken isnt the only confirmed rail service 4 stops a day from MBTA? I dont see how that would link southern RI. If we had frequent rail service between Attleboro and say New London that could help. I myself refuse to go to Logon because its so conveluted, I can imagin people in CT and Souther RI taking commuter rail to Green to fly and moreso could link the souther part of the state to Providence. But the first question still stands, 4 stops from MBTA will give a little boost but wont to much at all for the southern half of the state.

According to several older articles, the tentative agreement between RI and the MBTA is for 8 weekday roundtrips - that would mean 8 in each direction.

[Cotuit]

Would it be possible for a private railroad to institute passenger service along the NEC? It is an electrified route, getting surplus EMUs should be possible, I wonder if a private group could manage to run hourly train service?

It would be possible and Providence and Worcester Railroad has made noises that they may want to do so (they'd probably want some state or Federal subsidies, but I think they could also do without that). P&W *might* actually own the third track from Pawtucket to Quonset (I'm not sure on that one), if so, they wouldn't need to fuss with Amtrak too much, though Providence Station movements would likely include working with Amtrak somehow.

[Cotuit]

Unless I am mistaken isnt the only confirmed rail service 4 stops a day from MBTA? I dont see how that would link southern RI. If we had frequent rail service between Attleboro and say New London that could help. I myself refuse to go to Logon because its so conveluted, I can imagin people in CT and Souther RI taking commuter rail to Green to fly and moreso could link the souther part of the state to Providence. But the first question still stands, 4 stops from MBTA will give a little boost but wont to much at all for the southern half of the state.

Ideally, eventually, we will have commuter rail service all the way to Westerly and perhaps New London, that is part of long range planning. But even once we get service as far as Wickford Junction, that is a bonus for South County. Driving to and parking at Wickford Junction should be an attractive option. The current set up, driving to Providence or Attelboro is not as attractive to someone in South County, once you've fought traffic through Providence, you might as well drive all the way to Boston.

Even for commuters going into Providence only, a Wickford Junction station with quick, easy, inexpensive parking should prove to be preferable to some over fighting Providence traffic and finding and paying for parking in Providence. Especially attractive if your employer does not subsidize parking, but does subsidize your transit. Also, we'll need somesort of MBTA/RIPTA combo pass system, something that is at the very least, on RIPTA's radar from what I hear.

[09/21/38]

The more trains stopping the better. What RIPTA should have is a shuttle that goes from Wickford to Providence and back with stops every 15 minutes. You would need a few trains to keep that schedule. The problem with only 4 trains a day will be most travellers will not want to wait more than 15-25 minutes for the next train. Anything longer and they will want to take a cab or bus.

Otherwise this station will be more to let people off who are coming to the airport rather than picking passengers up who have just landed.