Tuesday, July 11, 2017 – 8am
Doorley Municipal Building
444 Westminster Street, 1st Floor Conference Room Providence, RI 02903[/alert]
Agenda
- Roll Call
- Waterplace Park
Proposal to erect a storage facility adjacent to the existing pavilion. - Providence Intermodal Transportation Center
Proposal for a new transportation facility in Capital Center. For discussion only. - Adjournment
I hope someone can go to this meeting and report. I truly do not understand a need for another “intermodal center” near the train station which is already intermodal in that it already has a huge number of buses going by (RIPTA routes 50, 55, 56, 57, and the R-line) and bus passengers if they choose have a place to wait in the rr station. There are bus schedules distributed there, there are bike parking facilities, a coffee shop, tourist info.
It would help if the north side routes 50,55, 56, 57 were thru-routed to other lines connecting more of the state with one-seat rides to the train station, but this does not require a new bus terminal. Real bus shelters with real-time info would be desirable right at the stops, something that would cost far less than $35 million.
I think the impetus for this new transit hub was the desire to get all the buses out of Kennedy Plaza, an idea clearly stated by Mayor Elorza and pnroperty owner Joe Paolino. This has proven to be infeasible for a variety of reasons, and would seem to eliminate the need for a new bus terminal.
The underlying problem is how the powers (state and local government, business, labor, the social justice and environmental communities) just don’t see the bus system as anything much beyond assuring basic mobility for the poor, those who cannot drive, and some students. This was reinforced by the long vocal campaign to restore “free” rides for the elderly and disabled, now about 1/3 of RIPTA passengers. RI being a state that cares about such folks, the Assembly put up $3.4 million just for the free ride program, not a cent of which will do anything to improve the system for those who pay, or attract any new passengers. It seems we might as well save the $35 million for the proposed new bus hub.
Just what we need…a 20 bus barn on the State House lawn….and a “residential tower” of a height as yet to be determined…once again Providence takes the prize for dumb ideas and limited vision…
Speaking of vision, RIDOT Director Peter Alviti has said that under the development plan “preserving the views of the State House will be a priority”….take a walk up to Prospect Park on College Hill and see how that will be possible….
Governor Raimondo, come to your senses and stop this project dead in it’s tracks…you too, members of the Capital Center Commission