Quote:
Originally Posted by ucsbgaucho
The Anaheim station was also built with anticipation of the high speed rail project in CA using it as a major stop, as well as the end of a proposed MAGLEV train to Vegas. It's also walking distance to both Angels stadium and the arena where the Ducks NHL team plays. Lots of Metro service there as well as Amtrak Surfliner, the 2nd most traveled Amtrak line in the US. So there's a few other factors that justified that station. I used to take Amtrak and Metro to Angels games, they had a podunk little stop on the outskirts of the parking lot of Angels stadium, so this is a HUGE upgrade in facilities. Cost $185 million to construct.
|
Right, there's always more than ridership that justifies a large station building, but I maintain there are more similarities than differences between the two stations. SLC is right now the little podunk platform within walking distance of the Jazz arena and downtown. That last part is crucial, since most of the ARTIC's financial troubles come from it being located far from any urban density - it is surrounded by parking lots.
Also, a new SLC doesn't need to be nearly so big, and it doesn't need to significantly change the tracks of platforms the trains already use. Here is a quick idea:
Red is the station building. I tried to draw the parabolic arches like Anaheim, but I'm an engineer not an artist. I've pointed the building southeast to focus on the cottonwood areas.
Red is also the pedestrian bridges over the tracks and bus area. The first bridge connects the FrontRunner sland platform to the main building, and then extends to the new Amtrak platform in
Blue (the current one is just in an awkward place...) The second bridge is to the greyhound/intercity bus loading area (in
Black), which will be where the current bus terminal is (no need for duplicate waiting and ticketing areas - they can use the new building as well). Local buses, TRAX and the FrontRunner side platform (southbound) will be directly accessible without the need for a bridge.
Yellow is the future extension of TRAX down 4th South and beyond.
Green is space that can be sold to a developer, preferably one who is willing to pay a premium and/or help fund the station. Perhaps a hotel? It would be great for Amtrak passengers, who arrive or depart at 3:00 AM, if the train is on time...
This design is on a much smaller scale than the ARTIC, but it could work just fine (the station building itself is the same size, but the bridges are shorter, and the rail and bus facilities are more compact).
And it isn't as though SLC is shy about doing large projects. The main library building would cost over $120 million in current dollars ($84 million in 1998). Why spend that much on a fancy library, rather than a merely adequate one? Because it was meant as an incentive, to entice people to come downtown and live in Salt Lake City, and for businesses to relocate here as well. The ARTIC was build fancier than strictly necessary for the same reasons - to entice the large projects of HSR and Maglev to serve their city (neither project is fully funded and decisions are still yet to be made). I do not see how it would be inconsistent for SLC to spend a similar amount on a fancy train station in order to entice people and business into the downtown area.
But perhaps this will fall into the Black Line territory, a thing that is obviously good and needed but isn't being done because nobody can agree on who will pay for it.