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If we all agree that the healthiest city core is not automobile dependent what comes next?

If we all agree that a regional rail service will strengthen the Knowledge corridore what comes next?

At some point mass transit needs to be looked at as something to strive for at all cost, and not a something to be done half assed.

as of right now, the best people movers in the worlds cities is the subway. The subway can convert to a regional train network for commuter traffic from the suburbs. Assuming that some form of regional rail service is developed around Hartford, what do you think would be the best plan for getting people around Hartford?

And yes, I know that $ might make any and all ideas unrealistic or something but this is a discussion. Obviously the best ideas would be both efficient and more on the affordable side, but areas of service are important for getting around downtown.

I will post my ideas in a minute.

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The things that would need to be linked in order to gain the most possible usage are unfortunately not in a streight line. They are all over the capitol area.

I would most want to be sure office workers can get to where they need to be. so...

Considering the reginal rail is based on Union place,(UP Station) other locations would need to be spaced appropriately to discourage people from driving downtown.

A stop near State House square makes obvious sense. But I would build it at the Society for Savings site and incorporate into whatever is built there.. This station might also be the catalyst to make a building here make more economic sense. Pedestrians would be dumped out onto Main street closer to the Pratt street corner (MAIN ST. Station)

Travelers and the Wadsworth deserve a stop on Gold St. (GOLD Station)

A stop near Aetna and their 6000 employees makes sense.

A stop near the Hartford and their 7000 employees also makes sense.

since these buildings are .36 miles apart, a central station between the two should serve more than 13,000 office workers as well as the rest of Asylum Hill. (AHILL Station)

The State employs thousands in its offices near the capitol building. This area also features the Bushnell theater. I would think a station would be necessary here and also be very symbolic for the state leaders. (CAP Station)

A stop at the convention center is essential otherwise we would not be taking advantage of our regional strengths. Also this station would benefit Front street and serve the candycane building (CCC Station)

Other area where Stations could transform the city and serve a greater population would be North of 84 in the area currently undeveloped around butt ugly building. North downtown (NODO Station)

and the Meadows Dodge Theater (MDT Station)

Main and Park (MP Station)

Washington and park (WP Station)

Broad and Park (BP Station)

Somewhere between Park Place towers and the associated Office building at 25 Sigourney street. (PP Station)

St Francais Hospital (STF Station)

Hartford Hospital (HH Station)

Expanding beyond these locations I can think of West Hartford Center (WHC Station)

and Rentschler Field (RENT Station)

Now how would you string them together?

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Looking at the stops I have outlined above I came up with this idea.

A line connecting West Hartford Center to Asylum Hill insurance companies downtown and then East Hartford and then Rentschler field.

Using the above stations the line would be WHC-STF-AHILL-UP-MAIN-CCC-EHART-RENT

This line would be all of 5.5 Miles long and I think do a lot of good for the region.

The second line is harder for me to think of. But I am leaning towards somthing that would connect from the Dodge Meadows Music thingie to Hartford Hospitol and Trinity college. I think it might also be good to make a turn from the meadows to UHART. so in a maximum build out scenerio

UHART-MDT-NODO-MAIN-GOLD-MP-HH-TRINITY

These two lines would connect most everything in the downtown area. Unfortunately The Capitol as well as Park street would have to be put on the back burner.

since this is more exercise than a possibility I will just leave it at that.

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Here is my take for a rapid transit line across Hartford. The 13 mile spine would be anchored by multimodal transportation depots with direct access from the interstates.

The western 3.5 miles would run in the median of I-84. After leaving the highway at the Park Rd exit, it would become a subway (Farmington Avenue) for the next 4.5 miles. For most of the east side of the river, it would run in the HOV lanes of I-84.

subway08smallxq1.gif

The State Street station would be located between Market and Columbus. State House Sq, Constitution Plaza, and Science Museum would have direct access.

subway08small2up8.gif

Bus routes would be reconfigured to interact with the spine. Many routes would operate in their own regions. For example, WHC would be a major hub for bus routes in the western region.

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There will never, ever, ever, ever, ever be a subway in Hartford. I doubt there will even be a light rail. There isn't enough demand for a subway because most people are coming from the 'burbs and they don't want to give up their precious SUV ride to get on public transportation. Hartford has about a million other issues that would need to be addressed before a subway would even come up. And even then, there is no way the state/city/anybody would or could fund it. If you read this week's Hartford Business Journal, they can't even come up with $20+ million for more buses. http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news5090.html

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There will never, ever, ever, ever, ever be a subway in Hartford. I doubt there will even be a light rail. There isn't enough demand for a subway because most people are coming from the 'burbs and they don't want to give up their precious SUV ride to get on public transportation. Hartford has about a million other issues that would need to be addressed before a subway would even come up. And even then, there is no way the state/city/anybody would or could fund it. If you read this week's Hartford Business Journal, they can't even come up with $20+ million for more buses. http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news5090.html
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There will never, ever, ever, ever, ever be a subway in Hartford. I doubt there will even be a light rail. There isn't enough demand for a subway because most people are coming from the 'burbs and they don't want to give up their precious SUV ride to get on public transportation. Hartford has about a million other issues that would need to be addressed before a subway would even come up. And even then, there is no way the state/city/anybody would or could fund it. If you read this week's Hartford Business Journal, they can't even come up with $20+ million for more buses. http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news5090.html
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There will never, ever, ever, ever, ever be a subway in Hartford. I doubt there will even be a light rail. There isn't enough demand for a subway because most people are coming from the 'burbs and they don't want to give up their precious SUV ride to get on public transportation. Hartford has about a million other issues that would need to be addressed before a subway would even come up. And even then, there is no way the state/city/anybody would or could fund it. If you read this week's Hartford Business Journal, they can't even come up with $20+ million for more buses. http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news5090.html
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There will never, ever, ever, ever, ever be a subway in Hartford. I doubt there will even be a light rail. There isn't enough demand for a subway because most people are coming from the 'burbs and they don't want to give up their precious SUV ride to get on public transportation. Hartford has about a million other issues that would need to be addressed before a subway would even come up. And even then, there is no way the state/city/anybody would or could fund it. If you read this week's Hartford Business Journal, they can't even come up with $20+ million for more buses. http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news5090.html
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Route 4 and 84 are a nightmare in the morning. You cant tell me that people would not use a clean, SAFE rail ine into downtown that would alleviate a 45 minute commute and the cost of parking. It is also pure stupidity that the Griffin Line is not developed into a commuter rail to points north out to Bradley. The line runs literally right into the Convention Center and would make conventions much easier to market when you can tell people you can step off your plane onto a train and get off at your hotel.

When I first came to Hartford as a college student, I had to go to the Atheneum one weekend. I thought the entrances to the underground parking garage for Travelers outside the museum were subway station entrances!

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Here is my take for a rapid transit line across Hartford. The 13 mile spine would be anchored by multimodal transportation depots with direct access from the interstates.

The western 3.5 miles would run in the median of I-84. After leaving the highway at the Park Rd exit, it would become a subway (Farmington Avenue) for the next 4.5 miles. For most of the east side of the river, it would run in the HOV lanes of I-84.

subway08smallxq1.gif

The State Street station would be located between Market and Columbus. State House Sq, Constitution Plaza, and Science Museum would have direct access.

subway08small2up8.gif

Bus routes would be reconfigured to interact with the spine. Many routes would operate in their own regions. For example, WHC would be a major hub for bus routes in the western region.

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I'm generally pessimistic about the chances for a decent light rail system in the area, as too many people still think rail should make a profit while never expecting the same from highways or airports. That being said, a decent light rail system that went from Westfarms through Hartford and East Hartford and ended at Sommerset Square in Glastonbury would see huge use. If I could park at Sommerset (or Westfarms if I lived on that side of Hartford) and hop on a train and be downtown in 20 minutes, I would probably spend double the time I currently do in Hartford. I would also be more likely to want to find a job downtown too.

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If we all agree that the healthiest city core is not automobile dependent what comes next?

If we all agree that a regional rail service will strengthen the Knowledge corridore what comes next?

At some point mass transit needs to be looked at as something to strive for at all cost, and not a something to be done half assed.

as of right now, the best people movers in the worlds cities is the subway. The subway can convert to a regional train network for commuter traffic from the suburbs. Assuming that some form of regional rail service is developed around Hartford, what do you think would be the best plan for getting people around Hartford?

And yes, I know that $ might make any and all ideas unrealistic or something but this is a discussion. Obviously the best ideas would be both efficient and more on the affordable side, but areas of service are important for getting around downtown.

I will post my ideas in a minute.

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Most of Hartford's issues are tied to the automobile. Whether it's creating sprawl, dividing groups racially, causing pollution, causing accidents, thefts, highways the divide the city, and the huge over-supply of parking downtown. Mass transit is coming, despite the fact that you think you know it all.
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VoiceOfReason:

If it connected to a Commuter Rail Hub (New Haven-Springfield,Waterbury-Willimantic, Middletown-Hartford) at Union Station it would be nice. However, I would have it linked to Aetna, Hartford, XL Center (really the new 'XL Center'), UHartford, UConnMedicalCenter, Hartford Hospital, Goodwin College, P&W, Rentschler Field, MCC and others. I think it would reduce traffic on the roads, help businesses and maybe -if we could get someone to build them in CT - create jobs.

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I'm not going to comment on most of this since I've talked myself to death on most of these issues already. What I will comment on is the addition of a direct link to the casinos. I always thought that was a huge oversight by both the State and the Tribal Nations. Having a shuttle or direct link from Bradley would be in everyones best intest.

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I'm not going to comment on most of this since I've talked myself to death on most of these issues already. What I will comment on is the addition of a direct link to the casinos. I always thought that was a huge oversight by both the State and the Tribal Nations. Having a shuttle or direct link from Bradley would be in everyones best intest.
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How about a monorail that goes the distance of Rte. 2 traveling in the median. Bradley to Hartford, to Glastonbury, to Colchester, to Norwich, to the casinos. There could be a north and south track, and maybe a middle one for passing if necessary.

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