Question of the Week: Uptown Transit Station
Uncategorized — By Cedar Phillips on April 20, 2011 2:00 am
The Uptown Transit Station is now celebrating its tenth anniversary. What do you like best about the Uptown Transit Station? What could use improvement? What amenities would your dream station include?
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16 Comments
The bus benches are my personal pet peeves; too tall for sitting, and I slide off. They look nice, but they’re essentially useless. On the plus side, I love the fact that the Transit Station is located on the Greenway, and think there’s tremendous potential for the future. And the overall design of the place looks good. Maybe one of these days it will be bustling enough that they can open a shop or food vendor inside. Even better, how about a newsstand? There’s no good place to buy magazines in Uptown. That’s dreaming big, I know, but it would be nice.
I agree, the benches are the worst. They seem intentionally designed to prevent someone from enjoying it what so ever.
I assumed they were designed to prevent loitering or something. I HATE them; too tall for me to sit on easily, WAY too tall for Jack, and precarious at best for those who actually might NEED to be able to sit down while waiting. I would love to see them changed out at some point in the future.
First thing it needs is restoration to working order. I’m sure Clark Gassen’s connection with MoZaic will ensure we get the same fine work he’s done with condos and property ID 04-028-24-12-0107.
I love the open-air-with-roof observation deck on the east side. Its shielded from the noise of traffic on Hennepin, and in nice weather its a great, relaxing place to wait for the bus. They even have the observation binoculars, which is a nice touch.
Also nice are the NexTrip signs (when they are functioning). Although, an electronic display that listed all departures for all routes within the next 30 minutes or so would be more helpful than the current sign, that just periodically displays the next departure for one route at a time.
I would like a direct vertical connection to the greenway from both sides of the station. On the east side, a stair could be placed in the little landscaped area between the station and the Old Chicago parking lot.
Yeah, I’d say the NexTrip signs could be improved. Use the same kind as along Marquette and 2nd downtown — all coming trips, displayed at once. The current signs are small and make you wait for the info you’re actually seeking. Planters and other greenery on the platforms themselves would be nice as well. If only we had a Business Improvement District like downtown’s.
I like it! It would be nice to see a direct connection to the Greenway (I believe the Mosaic development is piecing that together).
I like Cedar’s suggestion of potentially having a food vendor inside or outside, although their might not be enough foot traffic to place a food cart in that spot until MoZaic is complete. Good idea to keep in mind.
More public art, something like murals or sculpture installations. Maybe a little bit more plant life as well.
So when will the new ramp be complete?
The bus detour is scheduled to end in mid to late September 2011. Parking will reopen with more capacity (but not completely done) in September or October 2011, with full project completion in early 2012.
I should’ve been more precise. When will the new pedestrian bridge and ramp down to the Greenway be complete?
Thanks!
September/October 2011 is the plan.
Great. Thanks!
What the transit station really needs it to get rid of that bizarre cable ‘supported’ clock tower. It would look delightfully art moderne without it.
But, I love having a clock! I think public clocks are sadly lacking in our modern world, and often look around wishing I could see one – or worse yet look at one that was built but is broken and get confused (like the one at the 2300 Hennepin shopping mall).