Scoping study for Rochester intermodal station

[sd80mac]

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/art ... sportation

"An open house Thursday all but ended the public comment phase of a planned intermodal train and bus station in Rochester.

Plans, combining functionality and grandiose design, drew comments from dozens of residents during a four hour information session at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center."

"Rochester resident Harvey Botzman weighed in during the open house.

"I have no use for going back on old designs. I think Rochester concentrates much too much on old designs," he said."


I thought that design looks so-so... nothing like the Albany station... I think that they can do better than that.

[Benjamin Maggi]

The saga continues. Never getting anywhere, never producing anything. While the city slowly dies...
(and yes, I am a former Rochester resident for 20+ years)

[Otto Vondrak]

I thought that design looks so-so... nothing like the Albany station... I think that they can do better than that.

I looked at the drawing, it's a decent homage to Claude Bragdon's design for Rochester Central Station. I like it! It is large and impressive and gives the impression that Rochester is worth stopping at!

[Scott K]

I agree with the "slowly dies" comment. Does the new station need to be that grand? No, but it would be a large step in the right direction to restore that area. I wonder how many of the people who posted negative comments on the D&C site actually drive past there, ever. I just finished a 3 month contract job in that area, and I drove by there almost every day. The lot IS almost always full, and the bus traffic across the street is booming. If for nothing else, they need a decent bus terminal there (for log-distance buses, NOT local ones), that is better than the glorified construction trailer that's there now. It certainly looks to me like it would be worth it to put in a decent combined facilty, especially if, in conjunction with the inner loop fill-in, they get rid of that nightmare of one-ay streets that seems to make no sense (to me, anyway).

Scott K.

[scottychaos]

"I have no use for going back on old designs. I think Rochester concentrates much too much on old designs," he said."

right...
because this beautiful modern structure:


is SO much better than this old relic:



and since when is Rochester concentrating on old designs?
I havent seen that anywhere..

newer has not been better for 60 years at least..
personally, I like the proposed design! based on the Bragdon station..
they could (and probably will) do much worse..
IMO, they *should* base modern stations on old designs..we could end up with a larger Amshack
that will also be rundown and hideous in another 30 years..

Interesting blurb from the article in the paper today, referring to the proposed design Otto posted above:

"closly resembles a past Rochester railroad station, N.Y. Central Station Union Depot"

We expect reporters to always get it wrong when it comes to railroads..
obviously he meant to say:

"closly resembles a past Rochester railroad station, N.Y. Central Railroad Union Depot"

I see the postcard of the Bragdon station says "Union depot" on it..so that must be where they got "Union" for the article..
but im pretty sure it was never called "Union depot" or "Union station" in reality...
traditionally a "Union station" is a city's large central "unified" (thus:Union) train station..used by many different railroads..
Rochester never had a "Union station" by that defination..all the railroads always had their own passenger stations..

anyone know if the Bragdon station was ever in fact called "Union station"?
im pretty sure it wasnt..but im not 100% sure..
could just be an assumption by the postcard printer!

Scot

[sd80mac]

I thought that design looks so-so... nothing like the Albany station... I think that they can do better than that.

I looked at the drawing, it's a decent homage to Claude Bragdon's design for Rochester Central Station. I like it! It is large and impressive and gives the impression that Rochester is worth stopping at!

the reason I said "so-so"... I liked the window main part. but the tower... bland.. and doesn't fit along with windows.. I know that they can do much better than that tower.. Tower threw whole design off.. the old station with block building at ends look nice and merger together well... this tower does not merger with front very well...

[joshuahouse]

I think the tower may be an elevator, but I've not seen any floor plans.

The comments on the article are really funny. One guy complains about the interference of the government in private enterprise by supporting highways and airports. Guess he still thinks that the Central is running the trains.

[scharnhorst]

I agree with the "slowly dies" comment. Does the new station need to be that grand? No, but it would be a large step in the right direction to restore that area. I wonder how many of the people who posted negative comments on the D&C site actually drive past there, ever. I just finished a 3 month contract job in that area, and I drove by there almost every day. The lot IS almost always full, and the bus traffic across the street is booming. If for nothing else, they need a decent bus terminal there (for log-distance buses, NOT local ones), that is better than the glorified construction trailer that's there now. It certainly looks to me like it would be worth it to put in a decent combined facilty, especially if, in conjunction with the inner loop fill-in, they get rid of that nightmare of one-ay streets that seems to make no sense (to me, anyway).

Scott K.

Maybe there thought is to combine the BUS, Taxi and Train stations into one building much like they did in Syracuse??

[scottychaos]

Maybe there thought is to combine the BUS, Taxi and Train stations into one building much like they did in Syracuse??

yes, its been well known all along (in Rochester) that that is definitely part of the plan..
with the destruction of Midtown plaza, downtown Rochester has lost its primary bus and taxi terminal,
and the plans are to make this new station the main rail/bus/taxi terminal for the city..

Scot

[erie2521]

Remember back in the early 1950's, there was a similar proposal for a consolidated rail-bus terminal? IIRC, the tab was $500K for the building and another $300K for such things as roads, equipment and the like. This was the same time as the airport was being moved from Scottsville Rd. to its present location on Brooks Avenue and that took priority. Ted