Check out the website for Columbus ReWired.

 

http://www.columbusrewired.org/

 

This is a design competition that will focus on designing both a potential intermodal transportation center for intercity passenger rail, local mass transit, etc.  It will also look at the possibilities for development around the three sites.  Info on the wbe link.

 

This is the site that is the most interesting as far as the Ohio Hub Plan is concerned, as it presents some very difficult challenges, not the least of which is designing a site around and over a busy, major railroad junction..... noozer

 

Downtown Central Hub

 

 

A CENTRAL HUB site is a location for all possible transit modes to interconnect in the core of a downtown, with entertainment, hospitality, and commercial destinations along with high rise TOD opportunities.

 

DOWNTOWN CENTRAL HUB

Monday, March 12, 2007

5:00 to 7:30 pm

Meeting Location:

Arena Grande Theater

 

I think everyone eyes that as a central hub when the dream about rail in central ohio.  It's got great access to the airport, the convention center, hotels, the arena district, and linked together with a streetcar, you can span north and south through downtown.

 

I'm sure there are difficulties though.  The corridor already has freight rail lines, there are some grade changes (nothing really severe) and the convention center is a big roadblock.  You'd have to pop up to street level at some point.

It would be great to see a intermodal transit hub/mixed use development at this location.  It has great connectivity to the many of the major destinations.  The major question for me would be how well could it be expanded to accomodate not only intercity rail (Ohio Hub), but also commuter rail (Newark - Columbus, Athens - Columbus, etc) and light rail/streetcar connections.  It appears additional track capacity could come by removing the Convention Center Drive - it is redundant to other accesses to the Convention Center.  It would be interesting to see if track and passenger platforms could be placed between the current tracks (i.e. under the current parking surface).

It would be great to see this type of development accompany the Central Hub location. I can even see the Arena District motif in its design :-D

By Convention Center Drive,  I'm guessing you mean that useless street that was built over what actually used to be railroad right-of-way.  I'm with ya on that.  One interesting alternative would be to elevate the road above the right-of-way and restore the tracks.  You could restore at least two and possibly a third in that space, in addition to the one track that remains.  That would also allow passenger and commuter trains to be brought off the main freight line when they make station stops and not interfere with freight traffic.

 

Another scenario would be to find a way to divert some of the freight traffic to other rail lines so it wouldn't have to go through this junction.

 

Good pick up on the possibility of a Newark to Columbus commuter line.  There is actually interest in that and possibly commuter rail service between Athens & Columbus.

 

 

Just to clarify, by Convention Center Drive, I meant the roadway that is adjacent to RR tracks and runs between the RR tracks and the Arena Crossing apartment complex.  I assume that the Convention Center Drive is to allow trucks to serve the convention center.  Seeing how most of the delivery truck traffic is coming from 670 anyways and there are more direct access points off of 670 (both 670 E and 670 W), I would see no need to keep Convention Center Drive.  In addition, the off/on ramp-like accesses from Third Street that serve the rear of Convention Center seem to be a hinderance - I think those could be eliminated as well.

That's the same road and it could (and should) be eliminated.

Has anyone attended the first two charettes?  Just curious as to the turnout and what the meetings have been like?  Also, I wasn't able to make it to the All Aboard Ohio Rail Summit today, can anyone provide a recap of that?

I attended the AAO Summit today and it was very good.  I took notes but left them at work, so I will put something together tomorrow and fill y'all in on what was said and done.  The power-point presentations will be on All Aboard Ohio's website soon as well.

 

Don't know how the charette's are going.

I go on Spring Break next week and I hope to be able to attened this charette.  It is still possible for me to do so even though I haven't taken part in any of the others.  I've never done a charette such as this before.  What are they like?

 

 

The next and last public charette is this Monday night, March 12th, from 5 to 7 PM at the Arena Grand Theater in the Arena District (yes.... drinks and popcorn will be available). 

 

This will be an excellent opportunity to have input that design teams will use to develop their designs for what could be Columbus' next "Union Station".  Keep in mind as well that these designs are part of an international competition by the AIA, so the ultimate outcome is something the world will view as well as something that may serve as the basis for where passenger trains, light-rail, streetcars, buses, bikes and pedestrians will cross paths.

 

Hope I'll see many of you Monday evening.

Has anyone attended the first two charettes?  Just curious as to the turnout and what the meetings have been like?  Also, I wasn't able to make it to the All Aboard Ohio Rail Summit today, can anyone provide a recap of that?

 

Information about the outcome of the Rail/Transit Summit on March 7th is posted to our website www.allaboardohio.org

Some press from Columbus Business First:

 

Transit hubs taking a turn in the spotlight

Business First of Columbus - March 9, 2007

by Adrian Burns Business First

Janet Adams | Business First

 

http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/03/12/story3.html?page=3&b=1173672000^1429338

 

They may design structures that are stationary, but Columbus architects are generating a buzz about how people will move around Central Ohio. The area chapter of the American Institute of Architects, with the public's suggestions, intends to examine Central Ohio's need for public transit hubs that residents could use when taking a trip across town or to another city.

 

For more information, please click the above link.

Well, I went to the event.  Didn't meet very many people afterward unfortunately because soooo many people left too quickly.  I had a good time.  It wasn't quite what I expected it to be, but it was great to finally meet some people or be in the same room as others who care about  Columbus the way I do!  Things are looking up for mass transit, even intercity rail.  I hope the momentum for all this does pick up.  Well, I am sitting at the MoJoe cafe on the High St. Cap, my check is now paid for and now I am gone.  More later I think. 

 

Oh, did anyone else go?  What did you think?

I was there too.... a little long-winded in the initial presentation.  Wished there had been a bit more time for Q&A.  Overall though, a good event with good info.  Anxious to see what the competing architects come up with for a downtown intermodal hub.

 

 

I made it there as well.  I also wish the Q&A session had been given more time, but it was a good event for the initial meeting.  I'm anxious to see the various designs that are entered for the competition.  I know the architects are looking at the other two sites, but I would find it hard to beat the Nationwide site given the type of are it is in.  For me, the development is already located near the site - convention center, major employer(s), pro sports, and what seems to be the most direct access to the airport. 

 

The discussion on the streetcar was also encouraging, especially after the lack of mention during the State of the City address.  I'm not sure I agree that the streetcar needs to be built first before light rail (as was indicated by Mr Conaway tonight), but any implementation of public transit/rail would be step in the right direction and lead to expansion of additional streetcar/light rail lines.

Actually all three sites are part of the competition and will be designed within the context of their environment.  As I understand it, the designs should give the community three exmples of what is possible within a downtown, inner-ring urban area and suburban location.

 

It's great to see urbanohio represented so well last night!

I agree with the Q&A, I thought it should have been a lot longer.  There were soooooooo many questions that I had and didn't get to ask.  I was surprised though to see that not many people were asking questions.  I am weary about having the site located in the arena district because I think it is too compact of an area and there are already enough attractions down there to bring people to that area.  I was excited when one of the presenters there had mentioned that the Whittear Penn.  could be a possible site.  I like that idea because it is an area that needs to be further developed (or just plain developed) and it is hard to right now because of the contamination on the site as well as the fact that it is located on the flood plain.  Perhaps because it will be a public building and not residential, the need for extensive contamination clean-up will not be as extensive and therefor not as expensive to develope?  Also, there is plenty of room to grow and there are already tracks in place there.

 

I got really excited when they said that Ohio was the bridge between the Mid-West and the East when it comes to pasanger rail lines and the fact that the current Ohio Adiministration (ODOT and the Governor) seems interested in the development of passanger rail.