Passenger Trains > Chicago Union Station Master Plan

The final Chicago Union Station Master Plan was recently released. Here is the website which includes links to the plan. Nice to know that the planning for growth of passenger train service even when things look murky for the future of passenger rail in the US.

http://www.unionstationmp.com/

The website has some interesting historical information which I posted on the Nostalgia & History Board.

RuleG Wrote:
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> The final Chicago Union Station Master Plan was
> recently released. Here is the website which
> includes links to the plan. Nice to know that the
> planning for growth of passenger train service
> even when things look murky for the future of
> passenger rail in the US.
>
> http://www.unionstationmp.com/
>
> The website has some interesting historical
> information which I posted on the Nostalgia &
> History Board.

There's been a lot of good discussion a few months back on the master plan website and additional info over at http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,2657024 and http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,2633644

I've seen this popping up in the news this week too. Have they announced any new dates recently? IMO, work can't get started fast enough on this plan.

I hate to throw around the phrase "shovel ready", but maybe I can start a new one. How about "shovel desperate"?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/12 19:17 by DR04.

Until they do something with the building that sits where the old concourse building used to be, they won't be able to do much to straighten out that crazy rabbit's warren of passageways and facilities. One of the long term plans calls for a new building on that side. The old arrangement was much superior but even that might not be the ideal. Did people go downstairs from the head building and then up into the concourse and then ramp down to their individual platform? What if you had a new concourse facility as part of a new building but connected to the head building by a level walkway? You would depress Canal St. to go under it.

Are they planning access/parking for long distance buses, like Megabus, Greyhound?
Why would you want to accomodate your competition?

jbaker Wrote:
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> Are they planning access/parking for long distance
> buses, like Megabus, Greyhound?
> Why would you want to accomodate your competition?

A diverse intermodal network for public transportation is the alternative to private automobiles.

DR04 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've seen this popping up in the news this week
> too. Have they announced any new dates recently?
> IMO, work can't get started fast enough on this
> plan.
>
> I hate to throw around the phrase "shovel ready",
> but maybe I can start a new one. How about
> "shovel desperate"?


I'm pretty sure the East-West BRT project is in the final engineering phase. They really can't operate any of this until the Wacker Drive rehab is completed early next year. The Union Station Transportation Center project is also in the final engineering phase and I beleive it may be ready for construction in 2013.

The Canal Street viaduct replacement has not even started the engineering process. I suspect this will end up being at least a two-year design process (based on my experience with several CDOT projects).

ts1457 Wrote:
?
>
> A diverse intermodal network for public
> transportation is the alternative to private
> automobiles.


That's fine, but they should charge them rent and utilities appropriate to the location.
Probably won't happen owing to Amtrak's business dysfunctional nature.

Yes, AN alternative to the automobile. Autos will be around a long time, thank goodness;
They might be running on peanut oil, but they will be here.