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Public Transportation Role in Amazon HQ2 Site Selection


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#1 KevinKorell

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Posted 24 September 2017 - 01:36 PM

Letter to the Editor in Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, VA, 9/24/17:

 


 

Lack of light rail could kill Amazon proposal

 

...  Unfortunately, and despite Sessoms’ support for the expansion of The Tide — which was voted down by a referendum last year — most Virginia Beach voters believe that improving transportation among the Southside cities is not in their best interest.

 

 

Letter



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#2 KevinKorell

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Posted 26 September 2017 - 12:06 AM

Philadelphia, PA Inquirer, 9/25/17:

 


 

Is Philly's public transit ready for Amazon's new headquarters?

 

The city that attracts Amazon’s new second headquarters would gain 50,000 jobs, billions of dollars in economic development, and potentially a lot more people on roads and public transportation.

 

 

Story



Kevin Korell


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Lakewood, NJ


#3 CNJRoss

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Posted 01 October 2017 - 05:00 PM

WTOP radio, 9/26/17:
 

Metro (WMATA) chips in to help lure Amazon’s new HQ

 

WASHINGTON — The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is expected to vote this week on a proposal to offer up Metro development sites as part of the D.C. region’s bid to win Amazon’s new headquarters.

 

Metro will not make any pitches itself directly to Amazon, but instead would offer to negotiate deals to include its development sites in any proposals area developers make to Amazon.

 

If the board votes in favor, General Manager Paul Wiedefeld would be able to negotiate inclusion of Metro property in any headquarters solicitation.

 

Continue here.



#4 CNJRoss

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Posted 01 October 2017 - 05:35 PM

Letter to the Editor in Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot, Norfolk, VA, 9/24/17:

 


 

 

Lack of light rail could kill Amazon proposal

 

 

...  Unfortunately, and despite Sessoms’ support for the expansion of The Tide — which was voted down by a referendum last year — most Virginia Beach voters believe that improving transportation among the Southside cities is not in their best interest.

 

 

Letter

 

FWIW,

 

VA Governor Terry McAuliffe discussed Amazon during his monthly appearance on WTOP radio.

 

Amazon has advised Virginia that their RFP 'wish-list' is not hard and fast; there is not "litmus test," such as a lack of rail transit, that would disqualify any viable proposal.  Amazon encouraged Virginia Beach to submit a proposal.

 

Ross



#5 CNJRoss

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Posted 02 October 2017 - 08:36 PM

RTD news release:

Will RTD help bring Amazon headquarters to Denver?

Mass transit is top priority for 2nd Amazon HQ Location

Posted on 09.11.17

 
Denver region's transit was highlighted by The New York Times as lure for new Amazon HQ. The Times article outlines link between investment in RTD transit services and economic growth.

Access to public transportation services primarily provided by the Regional Transportation District (RTD) is a key amenity that makes Denver a strong "finalist" in a list of cities that The New York Times suggests as potential hosts for Amazon’s second headquarters.

The newspaper recently published an analysis of roughly fifty American metro areas and used guidance that Amazon included in its request for proposals to narrow down the field. Strong job growth, a well-educated workforce, and high quality of life are among the attributes making Denver a strong contender, according to the newspaper’s analysis. Access to public transportation is a key factor that helps set Denver apart as the final choice Amazon should make for its site.

“RTD’s transit investments have elevated the Denver region into a top-tier candidate for companies like Amazon and many others,” said RTD General Manager and CEO Dave Genova. “RTD has connected the airport to downtown with the University of Colorado A Line, creating a corridor that offers unparalleled opportunity for economic growth.”

In addition to helping alleviate congestion and providing alternate modes of transportation throughout the region, multimodal public transportation is also a key driver of economic growth that has made the Denver metro region one of the fastest growing areas in the country.

Every dollar spent on public transportation investment generates a $4 economic return, according to the American Public Transportation Association.

Denver metro area leaders have a history of making insightful investments that have helped the area establish itself as the economic engine of the region. RTD is proud to be part of that legacy and will continue developing a world-class transit system that connects residents to resources and drives development throughout the region.

Read the entire article at nytimes.com

 

 

 



#6 CNJRoss

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Posted 02 October 2017 - 08:56 PM

The New York Times,​ 9/9/17:

Dear Amazon, We Picked
Your New Headquarters for You

 

 

 

Amazon has set off a scrum among cities that are hoping to land the company’s second headquarters — with the winner getting the prize of a $5 billion investment and 50,000 new jobs over the next two decades. We’re offering to help, using Amazon’s own criteria to identify a winning city.

 

The company announced this week that it was looking for a metropolitan area in North America with at least a million people, so we’ve started with the map above. (With apologies to Canada, we’ve set aside Toronto and several other large cities because they’re not included in most of the data sets we’ve used to determine which places meet Amazon’s needs.)

 

In the eight pages of guidance that Amazon has provided cities, one of its central requirements is a “stable business climate for growth.” That led us to this subset of places:

 

SNIP

 

So Denver it is. The city’s lifestyle and affordability, coupled with the supply of tech talent from nearby universities, has already helped build a thriving start-up scene in Denver and Boulder, 40 minutes away. Big tech companies, including Google, Twitter, Oracle and I.B.M., have offices in the two cities. Denver has been attracting college graduates at an even faster rate than the largest cities. The region has the benefits of places like San Francisco and Seattle — outdoor recreation, microbreweries, diversity and a culture of inclusion (specifically cited by Amazon) — but the cost of living is still low enough to make it affordable, and lots of big-city refugees have been moving there for this reason. Amazon would be smart to follow them.

 

More here.



#7 CNJRoss

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Posted 03 October 2017 - 09:44 PM

Curbed Philadelphia, 10/3/17:
 

30th St. Station master developer search delayed due to Amazon HQ2

Amtrak has postponed its search until early 2018

 

 

Amtrak’s search for a master developer to take on its 30th Street Station District Plan just came to a halt in light of all of the Amazon hubbub.

 

SNIP

 

Why the halt? Amazon.

 

It sounds like Amtrak is seriously considering Philly’s pitch to bring Amazon’s second headquarters to the city. The area surrounding the 30th Street Station District Master Plan, which includes Schuylkill Yards, is said to be one of the spots being pitched by the city to Amazon.

 

More here.

 

Cross posted in  PHL 30th St Station Master Plan



#8 CNJRoss

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Posted 10 October 2017 - 11:05 AM

​The Washington Post, 10/10/17:

Tysons Corner — darling of corporate America — passed over in Northern Virginia’s pursuit of Amazon headquarters

 

 

 

Capital One, Hilton, Northrop Grumman and other industry heavyweights have established Tysons Corner as a popular landing spot for top corporations, but Northern Virginia officials have sidelined the area in their pursuit of Amazon as the online retailer seeks a second headquarters location with as many as 50,000 jobs.

 

Members of the Fairfax and Loudoun county boards of supervisors, with the blessing of Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), have decided to propose another site for an 8 million-square-foot campus for Amazon: the Center for Innovative Technology, adjacent to Dulles International Airport.

 

SNIP 

 

 

Local officials’ selection of CIT, which straddles the Fairfax-Loudoun line, has chaffed developers in Tysons, who have spent years advancing plans aimed at landing such a prize. A new comprehensive plan envisions an urban street grid and allows increasingly tall office towers, such as the 470-foot headquarters that Capital One is building.

 

Tysons, still peppered with auto dealerships and strip malls, does not present a blank canvas the way CIT can offer farther west. But it is already home to dozens of restaurants, thousands of apartments and four Metro stations. A Metro station at CIT isn’t expected to open until 2020.

 

 

More here.



#9 Sloan

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Posted 18 October 2017 - 11:06 AM


 

Oklahoma City, Tulsa tout quality of life to lure Amazon HQ2

 

SNIP:  

"MAPS changed everything," said Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, a Republican candidate for governor next year. "All three of the MAPS initiatives are adding to Oklahoma City's quality of life and what we would offer."

http://www.kwch.com/...-451435223.html

 

Maybe the push to Amazon will speed up development of proposed commuter rail for Tulsa.   :mellow:  Sloan


Edited by Sloan, 22 October 2017 - 10:08 AM.
Merged w/ Amazon thread, add headline


#10 Sloan

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Posted 22 October 2017 - 10:12 AM

 

 

A monorail in Moreno Valley? It’s part of Riverside County’s pitch for Amazon’s new headquarters

Video and text are here:

 

http://www.pe.com/20...w-headquarters/

 

Good creative concept for the video, although I am not keen about viewing a close-up of someone's teeth.  ^_^   Sloan






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