Washington DC Union Station Expansion

Good news. Apparently FRA is reconsidering the need for the fugly parking garage and will redo the plans. Likely this may be a combo of lots of criticism and the new administration in town

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... story.html

I have never been to Washington Union Station, so I am going by what I am reading. The parking garage was supposed to be 2/3 the size of the existing parking garage, but even that is too large? I assume the parking garage portion fully recovers it's cost. Of course the residents of DC don't want or need a parking garage, but aren't they being selfish? This station belongs to Amtrak, not DC, and should cater to Amtrak riders not DC residents. Is the existing parking garage not being used? Is it not being used by Amtrak customers? Aren't they just shifting the parking problem, forcing riders to park in a lot somewhere else and take the subway or local buses? (and would Amtrak riders do that)? Will Amtrak riders drive through washington (increasing traffic) to get to another Amtrak station to park? Is the new parking garage actually "fugly"? How about the existing one?

Would Amtrak riders be very likely to drive to Union Station through city traffic and pay $24 a day to park in order to catch a train to some other place? DC folks would take public transportation or a cab; people from outside easy cab-or-metro range would probably go to a different station or not take the train at all. Anyway, the garage is pretty clearly not for Amtrak passengers at all. As noted above, it's mostly used by monthly passholders who most likely live out in the suburbs and work near the station. Good or bad? Depends what station improvements have to be given up to leave space for the garage.

It's hard to get a feel for it, but overhead it's almost as large as the main station:
https://goo.gl/maps/xBEQE9ymcfFX22pB6
and hard to tell from here, but it is taller
https://goo.gl/maps/vTdQUziovqK7ZzVd6
Overall, it's pretty large.

That said I'd say it's about as useful as a parking garage at Penn Station in New York.
I can definitely see a smaller parking garage working.
There's decent integration with DC Metro (Red Line) inside the station, and the main level of the parking garage is turned over to busses.
And the second link shows the bike parking station and bike lanes.

If you're going city center to city center, it's not overly useful. If you want a lot of parking, go north to New Carrolton or even BWI. Or go south if you want.

I'm assuming if you are south of DC you are kind of out of luck and would have to switch trains/subway, if you are much north of DC you are already using one of those other stations. I think I read CT New Haven line calibrated the number of monthly passes sold so that there would be some available spaces remaining.

I kinda question if the use of the air rights over union station will even happen, since there is now a real estate glut.
Which should also be taken into account for the garage, as there will be a lot less monthly parking spaces needed.

Subscription Required (Paywall): Washington Post

Amtrak makes case in court for immediate takeover of Union Station

Amtrak presented its case Monday for seizing control of D.C.'s Union Station, arguing before a U.S. District Court judge that an immediate takeover of the station’s leasing rights — now controlled by a private company — is necessary to modernize the nation’s second-busiest intercity train hub.
...
Amtrak presented its case Monday for seizing control of D.C.'s Union Station, arguing before a U.S. District Court judge that an immediate takeover of the station’s leasing rights — now controlled by a private company — is necessary to modernize the nation’s second-busiest intercity train hub.
...

Full article up for free via partner MSNBC:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/amtra ... r-AA1gz2n3

"Took 'em a while", but The Journal's Editorial Board has some "predictably sweet" comments on Amtrak's initiative to seize control of the Head House by means of eminent domain.

Go look at the Termini Station in Rome, the Gare de Lyon in Paris, or the Barcelona Sants station. Compare any of these three to CUS or Moynihan Train Hall. Allow me bluntness: Amtrak needs to show it can actually have a world class terminal designed.

I’m not counting on it.