Jump to content


Photo

Joliet, IL Transportation Center construction, relocations


  • Please log in to reply
18 replies to this topic

#1 KevinKorell

KevinKorell

    Board Leader

  • Sr. Admin
  • PipPip
  • 82315 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Lakewood, NJ
  • Interests:Making America TRAIN again!

Posted 29 October 2010 - 04:32 PM

Progressive Railroading, 10/29/10:

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn recently announced the state will provide $32 million from the Illinois Jobs Now! program to construct a multi-modal transportation station in downtown Joliet. The facility is expected to lay the groundwork for future transit-oriented development in downtown Joliet, and help improve Metra and Amtrak service reliability, according to a prepared statement.

Story is here.


Kevin Korell


OTOL Board Leader


Lakewood, NJ


#2 CNJRoss

CNJRoss

    Administrator

  • Admin
  • PipPip
  • 43390 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Fairfax, VA

Posted 08 May 2014 - 07:39 PM

The Bugle, Plainfield, IL, 5/8:

Joliet Transportation Center on track

Someday soon, Union Station won’t be a train station.

There will be a new place in downtown Joliet to buy tickets and wait for Metra or Amtrak trains. The construction should begin in 2015.

The new station will have modern bathrooms and a large second-floor waiting room. There might even be a small coffee shop or café.

It’s good news for commuters who have wanted a better place to wait for trains.

Continue.

#3 KevinKorell

KevinKorell

    Board Leader

  • Sr. Admin
  • PipPip
  • 82315 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Lakewood, NJ
  • Interests:Making America TRAIN again!

Posted 09 May 2014 - 12:24 AM

If I recall correctly, Joliet Union Station is a fairly large facility. The problems people are complaining about are cosmetic:

“The biggest complaints we have at the existing Union Station is that the washrooms and elevator require service,” said Lisa Dorothy, Joliet’s civil engineer.

So fix them. Does that require an entirely new building?

Remember this is a true Union Station. The east-west track is the Rock Island, and is the endpoint for the Metra Rock Island District. The north-south tracks are the endpoint of Metra Heritage Corridor, and also they host Amtrak's Texas Eagle and Lincoln Service. There are also freight trains going by in all directions, including BNSF on the former Santa Fe mainline. So moving the station facilities out of the existing Union Station will cause a longer walk to at least one of the passenger platforms.

Around the time we had our 2005 Fest there was a sports bar in the lower level of the station, although I think it has been replaced with something else since then. When our group went there intending to have dinner, they were too busy so we altered our plan, went back to Chicago earlier, and ate there.


Kevin Korell


OTOL Board Leader


Lakewood, NJ


#4 KevinKorell

KevinKorell

    Board Leader

  • Sr. Admin
  • PipPip
  • 82315 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Lakewood, NJ
  • Interests:Making America TRAIN again!

Posted 26 September 2014 - 12:28 PM

From Amtrak website:

Joliet Amtrak Station Moves to a Temporary Facility Across the Street from the Silver Cross Field Baseball Park


Effective Friday, September 26, 2014

The Joliet, Illinois, Amtrak ticket office and boarding platform is relocated to accommodate a long-term construction project. The temporary station is located on the northwest corner of East Jefferson St. and Mayor Art Schulz Drive (formerly N. Michigan St.) on the east side of the rail line. The temporary facility is about two blocks northeast of Joliet Union Station, directly across from Silver Cross Field baseball park. The address is 53 Mayor Art Schultz Drive, (corner East Jefferson Street), Joliet, Illinois 60432. The temporary facility will be in use until late 2016 or until new construction is finished.

Please refer to the information below regarding the transition of service to the temporary station:

On Friday, September 26, 2014: Joliet Union Station

* Trains 300 and 301 will be the last trains to stop at Joliet Union Station. The ticket office will remain open at Joliet Union Station until 3:00 pm. On Friday, September 26, 2014: Temporary Station at 53 Mayor Art Schultz Drive
* Trains 303 - 307, and Trains 21/321/421 and 22/322, will be the first trains to use the temporary station. Ticketing services will not be available at the temporary station on September 26.

Effective Saturday, September 27, 2014

All trains will begin serving the temporary facility at 53 Mayor Art Schultz Drive. The ticket office will be open at the temporary location during its normal morning and afternoon hours. Amtrak services will not be available from Joliet Union Station until further notice. Once construction is complete, Amtrak will move to the new Joliet Regional Multi-Modal Transportation Center.

Allow Extra Time

Passengers parking at the Joliet Union Station parking lot should allow an additional 10 to 15 minutes to walk to the new boarding platform.

Drop-Off/Pick-Up at the Temporary Trailer Facility

Passengers who are not parking at the lot should be dropped off and picked up at the temporary Amtrak facility north of Jefferson St. on Mayor Art Schultz Drive.

Getting to the Temporary Facility from Joliet Union Station: Cross the Street Safely

For your safety, do not cross the street at Jefferson Street and Mayor Art Schultz Drive due to heavy vehicle traffic at that intersection. Passengers walking from Joliet Union Station to the temporary facility should follow directional signage leading to the stop light at Jefferson Street and Scott Street, cross to the north side of the street, turn right on Jefferson Street, then walk east under the railroad viaduct to the trailer on the left side of the street.

Thank you for traveling with Amtrak. We appreciate your patronage. The most up-to-date arrival and departure times are available on http://Amtrak.com/ , our free mobile apps and at 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).

Join us on http://facebook.com/Amtrak , and follow us on http://twitter.com/Amtrak .



Kevin Korell


OTOL Board Leader


Lakewood, NJ


#5 KevinKorell

KevinKorell

    Board Leader

  • Sr. Admin
  • PipPip
  • 82315 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Lakewood, NJ
  • Interests:Making America TRAIN again!

Posted 26 September 2014 - 12:45 PM

Joliet, IL Patch, 9/24/14:

Joliet Union Station Platforms to Close Friday


Beginning at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 26, Metra and Amtrak passenger rail services for Joliet will relocate from the existing Joliet Union Station Platforms to the newly constructed platforms for the Joliet Gateway Center.

Here's that story.


Kevin Korell


OTOL Board Leader


Lakewood, NJ


#6 KevinKorell

KevinKorell

    Board Leader

  • Sr. Admin
  • PipPip
  • 82315 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Lakewood, NJ
  • Interests:Making America TRAIN again!

Posted 26 September 2014 - 12:51 PM

An excellent .pdf map that you can enlarge. It shows the locations of the new Metra RI platform and the new Metra Heritage/Amtrak platform as well as the temporary ticket offices, in relation to the old Joliet Union Station.

http://www.visitjoli...documentid=3565

Downside of this change is the decentralization of all rail services in Joliet, at least temporarily. There will be a walk of a couple of blocks between the two platforms if changing between the lines. It also means no up close and personal view of the diamonds anymore. The upside is that those walking to or from Amtrak or Heritage Corridor trains no longer have to cross the BNSF right of way.... and thus those freight trains won't have to be held to protect the pedestrian crossing.

Edited by KevinKorell, 26 September 2014 - 12:57 PM.


Kevin Korell


OTOL Board Leader


Lakewood, NJ


#7 KevinKorell

KevinKorell

    Board Leader

  • Sr. Admin
  • PipPip
  • 82315 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Lakewood, NJ
  • Interests:Making America TRAIN again!

Posted 26 September 2014 - 01:04 PM

OK you've seen Amtrak's own alert about the Joliet station. Now here are the Metra alerts for each of the lines, since they will use different platform locations:

New Heritage Corridor Joliet Union Station Platforms



Attention Joliet Riders: Starting after 10 am on Friday, Sept. 26, the Joliet Union Station platforms will close. Heritage Corridor trains will start using a new temporary platform north of Jefferson St. and across the tracks from the old platform. Please go to http://www.metrarail.com/ for more details, including a map showing the location of the new platforms and pedestrian routes to the platforms from nearby parking lots.

09/23/14 | 12:14 PM

New Rock Island Joliet Union Station Platforms



Attention Joliet Riders: Starting after 10 am on Friday, Sept. 26, the Joliet Union Station platforms will close. Rock Island trains will start using a new platform directly east between Michigan Street and Eastern Avenue. Please go to http://www.metrarail.com/ for more details, including a map showing the location of the new platforms and pedestrian routes to the platforms from nearby parking lots.

09/23/14 | 12:12 PM



Kevin Korell


OTOL Board Leader


Lakewood, NJ


#8 CNJRoss

CNJRoss

    Administrator

  • Admin
  • PipPip
  • 43390 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Fairfax, VA

Posted 18 December 2014 - 11:25 PM

The Herald News, Joliet, IL, 12/17:

 

Joliet pushes for people-mover at temporary downtown rail platform

 

JOLIET – The city is doing what it can to keep pressure on Amtrak in hopes of improving accommodations for people with disabilities at Joliet’s temporary commuter platform downtown, City Manager Jim Hock said.

 

But it’s unclear whether those efforts will do much to change how quickly Amtrak can follow through.

 

At issue is the 216-foot-long ramp leading up to the boarding area at Jefferson Street and Mayor Schultz Drive. While the design is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, some commuters in recent weeks have complained to City Council members that it’s quite a challenge to reach the top.

 

Continue here.



#9 KevinKorell

KevinKorell

    Board Leader

  • Sr. Admin
  • PipPip
  • 82315 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Lakewood, NJ
  • Interests:Making America TRAIN again!

Posted 21 January 2015 - 02:14 AM

Metra alert:


Amtrak Temporary Ticket Trailer Is Now Available For Heritage Commuters

Effective January 14, 2015, the temporary Amtrak ticket/waiting room trailer at Joliet Union Depot is now available for Heritage Commuters while waiting to board their train.



Kevin Korell


OTOL Board Leader


Lakewood, NJ


#10 CNJRoss

CNJRoss

    Administrator

  • Admin
  • PipPip
  • 43390 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Fairfax, VA

Posted 22 April 2015 - 07:18 AM

The Herald-News, Joliet, IL, 4/21:
 

Amtrak budget cuts undermine plans for Joliet transportation center

 

JOLIET — Proposed state budget cuts to Amtrak would "certainly fly in the face” of the city's efforts in building a new multi-modal transportation center downtown, Joliet Mayor-Elect Bob O'Dekirk said Tuesday.

 

SNIP

 

The downtown transportation center is one of the biggest — and most expensive — capital projects going on in Joliet, with a price tag of $46 million.

 

The city is “pumping a lot of money” into the new transportation center, O'Dekirk said, with hopes that improved services and high-speed rail will help bring businesses and other development to the downtown area.

 

Continue here.






0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users