Monday, July 19, 2010

RP Residents Present Alternatives to Raleigh Union Station's Passenger Rail Task Force


The Raleigh City Council has asked the Passenger Rail Task force to make recommendations on a number of critical issues regarding the proposed Raleigh Union Station. One of these issues involves a controversial extension of West Street through a tunnel under the railroad tracks, and through the newly renovated homes on Saunders Street.

The justification for the potential demolition of our neighborhood comes in the form of a study generated by an out of state consulting company, which has labeled the option going through our neighborhood, the “preferred option”.

The residents of Rosengarten Park are working to convince city officials of the value in preserving this dynamic urban neighborhood as an important historical landmark and as a unique feature of Raleigh’s downtown core. We believe there are far better alternatives available that acheive the goals of the Union Station plan and city of Raleigh in general.

Specifically, we believe that the study is flawed for the following reasons:
  • The technical study set requirements that unnecessarily limited the design criteria for options other then the “preferred option”, falsely skewing the study in that direction.
  • The technical study excluded enormous costs that would be specifically associated with the ‘preferred option”, masking the fact that the actual cost would be far greater then the other options considered.
  • We also believe that the other options that are available offer a number of important advantages.
We consolidated most of our arguments into a presentation that has been forwarded to the task force members. Please take a look at our presenation and let us know what you think.

2 comments:

Ryan said...

Great presentation! It shows very clearly that there are points in the study that were not well researched by the city. The West to West bridge would be the best option for the continued improvement of the area. The city plans for years have encouraged development in the blighted residential areas around S. Saunders St., now that it has begun, why would they want to stunt that growth , and completely stop any future residential improvements in the area?

Jerry said...

Very good presentation, Richard. You made compelling, logical arguments for why the city should choose the West-to-West option. It seems to be the simplest, most cost effective, and aesthetically pleasing choice. I hope the city of Raleigh listens to reason and goes with the West-to-West extension.