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Transit 2020

quente

By quente
in Providence

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mental757 Burg

mental757

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great, thanks. I thought there was only 1 tunnel. The train tunnel must curve to the south to meet up with the abandoned tracks on the east side and the upright bridge, yes?

Where does the other end of the bus tunnel open to?

The train tunnel is better suited for my light rail ideas since it is further north and the opening is further east of the bus tunnel. An elevated track could extend along Elizabeth, Canal to Park Row and then a new section of the train station could be built above the tracks on the northeast side of the existing station.

thanks for the map help, BTW.

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Pseudo_Work Hamlet

Pseudo_Work

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great, thanks. I thought there was only 1 tunnel. The train tunnel must curve to the south to meet up with the abandoned tracks on the east side and the upright bridge, yes?

Where does the other end of the bus tunnel open to?

The train tunnel is better suited for my light rail ideas since it is further north and the opening is further east of the bus tunnel. An elevated track could extend along Elizabeth, Canal to Park Row and then a new section of the train station could be built above the tracks on the northeast side of the existing station.

thanks for the map help, BTW.

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runawayjim Metropolis

runawayjim

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Only slightly more easterly - we are talking yards here. If you are in the area, and you are on Main St. looking at the bus tunnel (the one at street level), turn left. Cross waterman and Thomas, and there are some stores on the right. You will notice that right after Thomas there is a driveway leading up to a small parking area, there is a little sidewalk that goes up there next to the building with the restaurant in it (can't remember which one). If you walk up there, that's the tunnel entrance. Pretty plain to see.

The tunnel curves a bit once it enters the hill off of Main st., but from there is it pretty straight. I was always under the impression that the trains tunnel had a slight downward slope while the bus tunnel had an uphill slope, but I guess I may be wrong about that. THe other portal to the train tunnel is off of Gano, but it is in the woods and I have never seen it.

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Mij Whistle-Stop

Mij

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Only slightly more easterly - we are talking yards here. If you are in the area, and you are on Main St. looking at the bus tunnel (the one at street level), turn left. Cross waterman and Thomas, and there are some stores on the right. You will notice that right after Thomas there is a driveway leading up to a small parking area, there is a little sidewalk that goes up there next to the building with the restaurant in it (can't remember which one). If you walk up there, that's the tunnel entrance. Pretty plain to see.

The tunnel curves a bit once it enters the hill off of Main st., but from there is it pretty straight. I was always under the impression that the trains tunnel had a slight downward slope while the bus tunnel had an uphill slope, but I guess I may be wrong about that. THe other portal to the train tunnel is off of Gano, but it is in the woods and I have never seen it.

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Recchia Town

Recchia

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There's another transit study being conducted by URI Landscape Architect students that should be finished this summer or fall. I got a preview of it at a conference yesterday and it details right-of-ways wide enough for fixed route transit, good station renderings, etc. Hopefully they'll post it on the web when its finalized.

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runawayjim Metropolis

runawayjim

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Money of course is a huge issue, but what is really lacking is the political vision and will to invest in the infrastructure we need, including transit and public amenities. Other cities have learned that if you create the infrastructure -- and that means the proper street layouts, parks, transit systems, utilities --- it provides the basis for the value that is added by incremental private development. Instead, we rely on the developers to build their own utilities, and then complain when we don't like the products because they're cheap, shoddy, and indifferent to the public interest!

To me, one of the greatest disappointments of the proposed comprehensive plan is its acceptance of mediocrity and meager goals. To be unwilling to even consider stating an ambitious vision for the city's future --- because it might be considered a taking if it includes properties now privately owned --- is sad and self-defeating. How will we recognize and seize opportunities that arise if we can't even envision what we would like to see?

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Pseudo_Work Hamlet

Pseudo_Work

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I generally consider myself an optimist as far as Providence is concerned (and it is a great city), but some days it's really tough to maintain. I like to think that every city has its cross to bear, and that ours just happens to be corruption. But that cross gives birth to so many other ones.

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JimmyGreaves Hamlet

JimmyGreaves

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There are days that are more frustrating than others. It's hard to keep things in perspective when we are impatient for change, but the transit problems that we are facing took decades to be created and they will not be solved overnight. However, there are positives that we need to be cognizant of:

I believe RIPTA does have competence.

Ridership is up 6.5 million people in just the last 4 years.

Incentive programs like "Keep Eddy Moving" and the extension of the UPASS program have increased ridership and revenue.

The new fare boxes will be a great asset on making it easier for riders to pay and for RIPTA to collect ridership data.

Two large transit studies at the state and city of Providence level have been completed that we can cite as the basis for policy decisions.

Weekend commuter rail to Boston (and game day service to Gillette Stadium) from Providence is now available.

Our airport will be served by commuter rail increasing access.

Extension of commuter rail to the southern part of RI will soon be offered.

There is still more work to be done, for sure. Tell your state rep to support transit bills that have been introduced but not enacted like priority traffic light signaling or adding state colleges to the UPASS program so that state university students can ride for free. Tell them to supply RIPTA with $3.5 million so that the 50% of routes that are overcrowded can be addressed.

We need to keep chopping wood until the tree falls. There are positives, and we need to apply more pressure. To those who have worked hard to help bring about this change, keep up the good work.

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mental757 Burg

mental757

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I think that mass-transit in RI has (at least) finally entered the realm as being recognized as something that needs to be improved and expanded. In RI, all too often, it seems like issues don't even seem to reach the outer memnbrane of the State's collective political attention. RI needs as many "champions" for mass-transit as possible. Champions that will remind the elected officials constantly that something needs to be done and mass-transit improvements cannot be ignored or shelved, or put on the back burner. The commuter rail extention will act as the spine for an expanded mass transit in RI. From the new stations will spur (no pun intended) new travel nodes that create new methods of travel across the State and into MA & BOS. I feel good knowijg that RIPTA knows this and recognizes the need to evolve with it - we need to get the money to them by telling our elected officials to give RIPTA the money they need.

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