Denver International Airport Expansion & Transit Hub

[bunt_q]

We don't do full shelters at any of our stations, really. Canopy only, and a wind break in places (not necessary here because of the depression). Even the new Union Station development will be open on the sides. Mostly because the myth of Colorado as the arctic is, well, false. Colorado is all about sunshine and fresh air; snowy renderings are for bringing in skiers! It'll be fine. This could actually be the most comfortable station weather-wise in our whole system. Besides, I think the cantilever is mostly for effect. There will be a huge (too huge, I fear) more sheltered plaza immediately adjacent to the platform, between this and the main terminal.

The slopes on either side of the train platforms lead up to the roadways. The arrivals/departures/bus/shuttle/taxi accesses alongside the terminal are on levels 3, 4, and 5, which are immediately next to that slope in the picture. That's more visible in the full aerial renderings, I think. Those renderings might only be posted in our local thread, not sure.

[bunt_q]

Snyder - I posted that link you had above over in our local section. There was some info in there on the architecture that I don't think was included in any of the other press releases, e.g. matching tensile materials for the hotel roof.

[mhays]

Seattle is nowhere near as cold, and on cold days I'm VERY happy that there's already a train waiting at the airport (for a few years it's the end of the line). At other stops, the wind and rain protection both come in handy. If it's 40 and windy, like today, who wants to stand in it if you forgot to dress for standing and only dressed for walking?

I lived 6.5 years in Boise, which has a Denver-like climate. Didn't much like standing in the cold there either.

[SnyderBock]

The East Corridor EMU service between Denver Union Station (DUS) and Denver International Airport (DIA) is:
Frequency of Service (Rail): 15 min (peak)/15 min (off-peak)

Obviously, it's a stub-end station. The fully enclosed and environmentally controlled portion comes right up to near the stub-end platforms. People will litterally walk out the doors and be right on the platforms, more or less. The design will allow maximum sunlight through and being depressed in a trench, will also protect all the platforms from the blunt of any winds. I think the design is just fine.

It's also important to make note, the airport tram people mover, is said to also be extended, right up to this rail station/platforms. It's still unclear, how this will be intregrated into this design/plan, as little or nothing has been said about this.

Bunt, I noticed that too. It was interesting details about the construction materials and how the designs will be "messed into" the existing structure of the Jeppessen Terminal.

[mr1138]

Originally Posted by mhays

Seattle is nowhere near as cold, and on cold days I'm VERY happy that there's already a train waiting at the airport (for a few years it's the end of the line). At other stops, the wind and rain protection both come in handy. If it's 40 and windy, like today, who wants to stand in it if you forgot to dress for standing and only dressed for walking?

I lived 6.5 years in Boise, which has a Denver-like climate. Didn't much like standing in the cold there either.

A quick check of each city's climate average shows that Boise is about 10 degrees colder on average in the winter months than Denver. The only time the temp. ever really drops below 40 here is either during a storm or immediately afterward (and these events drag our average winter temp down into the 40s... the average "normal sunny" winter day here is usually in the 50s). And as a college student who has to walk about a mile across campus every day regardless of weather conditions, I will tell you it really isn't the end of the world to go outside in the cold... if it's that cold outside, you simply dress for it and everything is fine.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by mhays

Seattle is nowhere near as cold, and on cold days I'm VERY happy that there's already a train waiting at the airport (for a few years it's the end of the line). At other stops, the wind and rain protection both come in handy. If it's 40 and windy, like today, who wants to stand in it if you forgot to dress for standing and only dressed for walking?

I lived 6.5 years in Boise, which has a Denver-like climate. Didn't much like standing in the cold there either.

It's a different cold. I don't know, I don't think the weather has impacted ridership so far, or else we wouldn't be planning all of our future facilities the same way. Plenty of things about Fastracks have been ridiculously controversial, but I don't recall the shelter provided ever being one of those things.

Funny actually, I'm downtown to go skating while I'm reading this. Today is 40s and windy here. A gorgeous 45 right now. And it's hopping with people today; beautiful day to be out. Dry sunny 45 (even with wind - which is more often than not a warmer Chinook) is nowhere near the same as a Seattle 45. I only wore a fleece...

(the day is made nicer because the highways to the mountains are all closed - nasty storm up there).

[mhays]

Ok, maybe it's not as cold as I thought. But air passengers don't always predict the weather correctly, and 15 minutes is a long time. I bet many will huddle inside rather than wait on the platform.

As for maximum sunlight, for those of us who try to avoid sun except on cold days, I guess we'll stay inside then...

I bet RTD would get more riders if they had shelters.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by mhays

Ok, maybe it's not as cold as I thought. But air passengers don't always predict the weather correctly, and 15 minutes is a long time. I bet many will huddle inside rather than wait on the platform.

As for maximum sunlight, for those of us who try to avoid sun except on cold days, I guess we'll stay inside then...

I bet RTD would get more riders if they had shelters.

Well with 15 min headways most will only wait half that. And staying inside won't be a big deal on those occasional storm days. I would much prefer it be open to the air rather than fully enclosed, and I think most locals would agree. It may make 20 days per year less pleasant, but it makes the other 345 much nicer.

Accommodating sun haters isn't something I see us ever embracing here.

[min-chi-cbus]

Originally Posted by mr1138

A quick check of each city's climate average shows that Boise is about 10 degrees colder on average in the winter months than Denver. The only time the temp. ever really drops below 40 here is either during a storm or immediately afterward (and these events drag our average winter temp down into the 40s... the average "normal sunny" winter day here is usually in the 50s). And as a college student who has to walk about a mile across campus every day regardless of weather conditions, I will tell you it really isn't the end of the world to go outside in the cold... if it's that cold outside, you simply dress for it and everything is fine.

Odd.....I can't stop hearing about how amazing Denver is for a winter city on C-D, yet here it's "mild and rarely cold". Denver needs an identity, IMO. At least in terms of weather.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by min-chi-cbus

Odd.....I can't stop hearing about how amazing Denver is for a winter city on C-D, yet here it's "mild and rarely cold". Denver needs an identity, IMO. At least in terms of weather.

Elevation does wonders. The city itself has a completely different climate as compared to 30 miles west. Today's a perfect example. I stayed in town where it's sunny and relatively mild. But the school my fiancé teaches at 30 miles west of downtown is getting 16 inches of snow - a powder day if you don't mind the snowy drive.

[mr1138]

Originally Posted by bunt_q

Elevation does wonders. The city itself has a completely different climate as compared to 30 miles west. Today's a perfect example. I stayed in town where it's sunny and relatively mild. But the school my fiancé teaches at 30 miles west of downtown is getting 16 inches of snow - a powder day if you don't mind the snowy drive.

Exactly. The mountains and ski resorts are about 4,000-9,000 feet higher than Denver and are actually in a different atmospheric layer. Although they are an easy day trip from town, they are a guaranteed "winter wonderland" of sorts (comparable to climates much further north), while Denver stays mild and dry in the mountains' "rain shadow" the majority of the time. The same thing happens to Nevada with the Sierra Nevada's catching the moisture coming in from the Pacific and leaving Nevada in a rain shadow. The (higher) Rockies catch the moisture that the Sierras miss. You could actually watch it happening today... as the snow clouds blow downward toward Denver, they literally evaporate into the warmer, drier, denser air down below.

[ardecila]

Originally Posted by SnyderBock

It's also important to make note, the airport tram people mover, is said to also be extended, right up to this rail station/platforms. It's still unclear, how this will be intregrated into this design/plan, as little or nothing has been said about this.

Bunt, I noticed that too. It was interesting details about the construction materials and how the designs will be "messed into" the existing structure of the Jeppessen Terminal.

I don't know how that would work. The people mover is secure-side, so extending it to the rail terminal would require a new series of security checkpoints, which would be virtually useless to anybody without a pre-printed boarding pass, or anybody that needs to check a bag.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by ardecila

I don't know how that would work. The people mover is secure-side, so extending it to the rail terminal would require a new series of security checkpoints, which would be virtually useless to anybody without a pre-printed boarding pass, or anybody that needs to check a bag.

We've been discussing this quite a bit in the Denver section.

The South Terminal always included expanded check-in counters (level 5, I think), new security checkpoints (level 4), and an extension of the underground people mover (= level 3 in the new building).

The confusion we're having is whether a new passenger concourse is included with the people mover extension (which would be "secure side" underneath security in the terminal, like the existing setup). It was included in some parts of the EE (new 24-door passenger concourse in emissions calcs, for example), but isn't explicitly mentioned in most descriptions of the overall program. At a minimum, the hotel design will include provisions for that underneath.

[mhays]

Originally Posted by min-chi-cbus

Odd.....I can't stop hearing about how amazing Denver is for a winter city on C-D, yet here it's "mild and rarely cold". Denver needs an identity, IMO. At least in terms of weather.

Chicago isn't that windy, and Seattle isn't that rainy. Denver isn't the only one.

[SnyderBock]

Here's what we've been waiting for. All available renderings of the just released final design:

South Aerial


Southwest Aerial


South Perspective


Train Platform


Train Hall



Hotel Lobby Interior (notice roof material)


Convention Center Interior


Hotel Pool & Fitness Interior

Source: http://business.flydenver.com/bizops...ignConcept.asp

[glowrock]

Those interior renderings are incredible!

Aaron (Glowrock)

[wong21fr]

Originally Posted by min-chi-cbus

Odd.....I can't stop hearing about how amazing Denver is for a winter city on C-D, yet here it's "mild and rarely cold". Denver needs an identity, IMO. At least in terms of weather.

Our weather is bat-shit crazy? Yes, we get a good amount of snowfall, but we often get six inches of snow and watch it all melt in the 55 degree weather the following day.

I'd say Denver's identity is having 300 days of sunshine each year along with crazy weather patterns that give us periodic bouts of snowfall.

[s.p.hansen]

The DIA Expansion renderings look great!

After paying the cab fares I can't cheer on more the speedy completion of the new airport light rail connection.

[bunt_q]

Originally Posted by s.p.hansen

The DIA Expansion renderings look great!

After paying the cab fares I can't cheer on more the speedy completion of the new airport light rail connection.

Amen to that.

It's not light rail, though. We're really going to have to come up with a non-mode-specific brand for our system, and soon. Or else I'm just going to start calling everything a steam engine.

[SnyderBock]

It's heavy rail, so there will be more room for bags and such. It will use the Hyundai-Rotem Silverliner V EMU's. Though technically called Commuter Rail (not light rail), the 15min peak / 15min off-peak service frequency, is more typical of what Americans would think of as metro or light rail type of service and not so much commuter rail. It won't have full grade-seperation at all crossings, but will only have at-grade crossing in the most remote intersections. It will be nearly full-grade seperated and could be upgraded to such in the future, without too much cost. This year, will bring full scale construction of the DIA Terminal expansion, as well as the EMU commuter rail line to the airport. In fact, all these projects will be in full construction this year (2012)...


2012 full scale construction projects (project cost - year complete):

-Denver Union Station (~$500 million - 2014)
-Denver International Terminal Expansion/Station ($500 million - 2015)
-East Corridor EMU - Union Station to DIA ($1.14 billion - Jan. 2016 or sooner)
-Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility (~$180 million - 2015)
-West Corridor Light Rail (~$707 million - 2013)
-Gold Line EMU - Union Station to Arvada ($590.5 million - Dec. 2015)
-NW Rail Electrified Segment EMU (~$175 million - Dec. 2015)

I add that up to $3,085,500,000 ($3.0855 billion) in Denver area mass transit projects which are or will be in full construction this year.