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Transit Updates for Greater Grand Rapids


GRDadof3

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  • 4 weeks later...

is it possible to have some sort of tunnel or underground walkway connecting the 2 stations? (like detroits international airport terminals)

Also, it wouldve been cool to make the whole loading area indoors like a subway station so it would be heated and cooled...

Edited by gvsusean
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^Nice pictures John.  I am really excited for the Amtrak station.  A modern and efficient fixed guideway system that can get you to a global city is a great thing for Grand Rapids.  Projects like this, the Englewood Flyover in Chicago, the new 125mph locomotives, ect. are important pieces to the larger puzzle.  Also, does anyone have information on the Pere Marquette being relocated to the tracks that lead to Kalamazoo?  That would be great since we could hook into the upgraded track in Kalamazoo and also have a rail transportation choice to Kzoo.  I remember a while back people talking about it here, but I thought that was only speculation.  This is listed as a potential project by MDOT, which I did not realize they were even serious about it.   

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is it possible to have some sort of tunnel or underground walkway connecting the 2 stations? (like detroits international airport terminals)

Also, it wouldve been cool to make the whole loading area indoors like a subway station so it would be heated and cooled...

 

A tunnel for what? You're just walking across a sidewalk and a parking lot, not an airport tarmac.

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. . .   Also, does anyone have information on the Pere Marquette being relocated to the tracks that lead to Kalamazoo?  That would be great since we could hook into the upgraded track in Kalamazoo and also have a rail transportation choice to Kzoo.  I remember a while back people talking about it here, but I thought that was only speculation.  This is listed as a potential project by MDOT, which I did not realize they were even serious about it.   

 

The idea of using the tracks going from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo I think is dead or at least dormant.  However the City of Bangor along with MDOT keep applying for a TIGER grant to build a junction for the Pere Marquette just north of Bangor from the CSX tracks to the high speed AMTRAK tracks.  So far they’ve been turned down twice.  Currently the CSX tracks pass right over the high speed tracks.  Besides allowing the Pere Marquette to partially travel on the high-speed tracks, this would allow the Pere Marquette to avoid the Norfolk Railroad right of way which is where most of its delay problems occur.  The total cost of this junction I’ve seen estimated to be about $20 million.  Usually applications for grants like this need to be sponsored and shepherded through the bureaucracy by local congressmen.  Having a couple of tea-party congressman along the Pere Marquette route probably doesn’t help that process.    

 

Here’s an optimistic story about the last application:

 

http://www.harborcountry-news.com/articles/2013/09/04/news/doc521e34b299e79912167237.txt

 

 

Here’s the follow-up story when it was denied:

 

http://www.harborcountry-news.com/articles/2013/09/27/news/doc52309a3ce158d890652324.txt

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The idea of using the tracks going from Grand Rapids to Kalamazoo I think is dead or at least dormant.  However the City of Bangor along with MDOT keep applying for a TIGER grant to build a junction for the Pere Marquette just north of Bangor from the CSX tracks to the high speed AMTRAK tracks.  So far they’ve been turned down twice...

 

 

Thanks Walker.  Yeah, I thought the most recent plan was to build the junction at Bangor as well, but I didnt see it on the updated MDOT list of projects and yet the track work to Kzoo was.  So thats why I was confused.  The listed price by MDOT for the Kzoo track work is only 37m and if that is anywhere close to accurate I think I would prefer that to the 20m junction at Bangor.  It is unfortunate that we have Congressional representation from folks stuck in 1880 who have a Somalian model of governance.  Neither of these projects will ever get done unless a senator or even the governor takes the lead.

Edited by hygge
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**Note: the junction is in New Buffalo, not Bangor. ;)

 

You are very right, thanks for the correction.  I had Bangor on my mind.  I was in the process of making some reservations for a trip to Maine including Bangor about the time I was writing the post and Bangor Mi. is a stop on the Pere Marquette but a ways north of New Buffalo. 

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A tunnel for what? You're just walking across a sidewalk and a parking lot, not an airport tarmac.

A tunnel or walkway to give a sense of connectivity.. for some reason, having to walk across parking lots and across streets cheapens it for me.. Im not sure why.... I guess I wanted a transit hub.

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A tunnel or walkway to give a sense of connectivity.. for some reason, having to walk across parking lots and across streets cheapens it for me.. Im not sure why.... I guess I wanted a transit hub.

 

I think it will just be a very small percentage of people going from the ITP station to the Amtrak station, or vice versa. Most people drive to Amtrak or get dropped off. Carry all your bags on the bus?

 

Sometimes "centralized" hub for everything doesn't make sense.

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I think it will just be a very small percentage of people going from the ITP station to the Amtrak station, or vice versa. Most people drive to Amtrak or get dropped off. Carry all your bags on the bus?

 

Sometimes "centralized" hub for everything doesn't make sense.

How much baggage do most people take when going to Chicago? I think there will be some who will use the Rapid to not inconvenience others with the new Amtrak Station there. How many is yet to be seen. We have to admit that options are good to have.

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I think it will just be a very small percentage of people going from the ITP station to the Amtrak station, or vice versa. Most people drive to Amtrak or get dropped off. Carry all your bags on the bus?

 

Sometimes "centralized" hub for everything doesn't make sense.

 

I've always driven to the current Amtrak location or had a friend drop me off, but now that it is going to be next to the bus station I'm more likely to take the bus.  Luckily my house is along the #2 route so it's easy to take downtown.  I'd rather leave my car at my house while I'm gone than downtown in an unsecured lot.

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