Amtrak connections to local rail transit - Is Chicago the worst?

[bretton88]

Boston South has the Red Line.

Atlanta is easily the worst, the bus only comes once every 15 minutes during the week, unless the Crescent is late in which case you're stuck waiting as much as 30 minutes if you came in on #20. The weekend is every 20 minutes.

I am going to say this, that frequency isn't bad at all for a bus. Light rail lines in the west run at those kind of frequencies.

 

[PaulM]

I think the fact that the connection from Chicago Union Station to the Chicago El system is not exactly well planned or convenient has very little to do with whether such is observed by an easterner, midwesterner or a Russian.

I more or less agreed with the OP regarding the Clinton station.

It's the title of the thread - Amtrak connections to local rail trainsit - Is Chicago the worst? - which makes the OP sound like he doesn't get around very much.

 

[reppin_the_847]

The thing about Chicago is that I think it has so much potential to become one of the most well connected hubs, but just doesn't invest in that final step of the infrastructure to make it happen. Folks that are from Chicago or have commuted frequently into Chicago at some point will understand what I am talking about for sure. Union Station is where the Amtrak trains feed into. The other lines that you can easily connect to within the same building are various Metra commuter rail lines to the suburbs (ie. BNSF, Milwaukee North, Milwaukee West, North Central, Rock Island District, Southwest Service, Heritage Corridor, etc.). If you are connecting to these lines you are golden. Given the tough weather conditions in Chicago, they should also create an indoor feeder tunnel (walkable) to the Ogilvie Transportation Center which is situated about 2 blocks north. Chicagoans know that you can technically cut across the northern tunnels out of the station onto Madison Street and just cut right across into Ogilvie. Ogilvie station gives you access to three other key Metra lines (Union Pacific North, Union Pacific Northwest, Union Pacific West).

The CTA Blue Line - Clinton stop is just a couple blocks south of Union Station. It would be so nice if there was an indoor walkway connecting to this station. Also, Ogilvie Transportation has the CTA Pink / Green line Clinton stop just a couple blocks north. It would be a lot easier if there was a way to connect all of these stations into a gigantic West Loop transportation complex (CTA Pink/Green, Ogilvie, Union, CTA Blue). The only other main train stations in the city are Millenium Station (South Shore Line, Metra Electric) & LaSalle Street (Rock Island District Metra line) stations in the Loop.

 

[BCL]

Oakland and Emeryville: Bus only. BART is not even close.

I was thinking that, although the free Emery Go Round does go to Macarthur BART. I think many going LD to EMY or OKJ will end up taking the bus to San Francisco, although the transit options will require a bit of walking from the bus stop.

San Jose Diridon is pretty good for transit and commuter rail connections, including buses in front, VTA light rail built right on the side, and ACE/Caltrain operating out of the same station.

 

[BCL]

I don't agree with Oakland and Emeryville. Those individual two stations are bad but Amtrak California is well served with BART connections by Richmond to the North and the Oakland Coliseum Station to the south.

You can take the CZ to Richmond, but not the CS. Also - those stations are in some pretty sketchy neighborhoods. The former is unstaffed and the latter is really only useful for commuters. Emeryville is the end of the line for the CZ, and that means a lot of people get off there because they feel they should. However, the thruway service is what makes it practical. That'll put the passenger reasonably close to BART and MUNI, in addition to service directly to a Caltrain station.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Pittsburgh is really, really bad. True, it's not much of a "destination" on Amtrak; only two long-distance routes (Capitol Limited and the Pennsylvanian) stop here, and each runs only daily. And the CL arrives and leaves in the wee hours because Pittsburgh is the halfway point between Washington and Chicago. But even so, connections to local transit are poor. Several bus routes stop within a few blocks, but you won't find map or schedule information at the station. And there isn't even a safe pedestrian route. The only sidewalk is narrow, cobbled, and impossible for anyone with rolling luggage, and we won't even mention a wheelchair. Sure, you could cross to the opposite side (by the Greyhound terminal). But in a nice touch, that involves crossing four busy lanes of traffic. Without a signal or even a painted crosswalk.

What makes this particularly heartbreaking is that Pittsburgh's station is just an Amshack, though adjacent to the wonderful Union Station designed by Daniel Burnham at the turn of the last century with its beautiful rotunda. Its location is excellent, and Pittsburgh should be a natural hub for long-distance, regional, and commuter rail; but it isn't.

I have made the connection in PIT before I don't remember it being particularly traumatic. I walked from the station to the Steel Plaza station and then took the light rail out to South Hills Village where I walked to my hotel. The guy at the desk was quite confused when I told him that I didn't have a car. So, I guess maybe I'm in the minority in making such a connection.

 

[Big Green Chauvanist]

It may seem like a gratuitous disconnect, but King Street Station Amtrak platforms are basically off limits. Nobody gets on the platform other than detraining or boarding passengers. Boarding passengers stay inside the station behind locked doors until a few minutes before boarding. No such thing as casually waiting or train watching on the Amtrak platform. This versus the platform for Sounder trains, which are open to anyone during the morning and evening rush hour times (the only times when Sounders operate--it is still not an all-day operation.) I know it may seem like a lot to ask and is somewhat cumbersome, but for an arriving Amtrak passenger to get to the Sounder platform, one needs to exit the station, walk a few paces to the outdoor stairs or elevator, walk a few more paces along the sky bridge and then take the stairs or an elevator down to the Sounder platform. And you are wrong: there are no moving cars between the bottom of the stairs of the sky bridge and the doors to King Street Station. Pedestrians use a walkway separated from the parking lot by a fence.

On top of that, Amtrak and Sounder are physically in the same station, but Seattle has somehow managed to disconnect them and make it a roundabout walk with multiple grade crossings. Riiiight. I actually don't know how they managed to make such a mess, and it really shouldn't be hard to straighten out if someone cared.

Regarding Amtrak and Sounder not being connected at King Street Station, I suspect very few people transfer between Amtrak and Sounder.

Sure, but it is the logical way to get from Portland to Edmonds, or from Vancouver BC to Kent. What gets to me is that the disconnect is GRATUITOUS. There's already a large overhead bridge to access the Sounder platform, but it carefully skips over the Amtrak platforms (which are right under it) and dumps passengers out in a parking lot, leaving people to walk through moving cars to get to the station...

...and at the other end of the station, on the other exit, with an overgrade street bridge, Sounder carefully puts its passengers on the north side of the street, while Amtrak puts its passengers on the south side of the street.

Gratuitous disconnect.

 

[neroden]

It may seem like a gratuitous disconnect, but King Street Station Amtrak platforms are basically off limits. Nobody gets on the platform other than detraining or boarding passengers. Boarding passengers stay inside the station behind locked doors until a few minutes before boarding.

And you should read the complaints about the crazy Seattle Amtrak boarding procedures from regular travellers.... 

And you are wrong: there are no moving cars between the bottom of the stairs of the sky bridge and the doors to King Street Station. Pedestrians use a walkway separated from the parking lot by a fence.

I'm glad that's been *fixed*. Hasn't always been true and you can tell it wasn't true from photos.

 

[andersone]

To hear the phrase "Congress Street" again

as a lad in Oak Park I marveled at the construction,

and the "L" was the only way to get downtown,,,,,

dad used to give me a buck,

I could take the L to Wrigley,

get a bleacher seat

and home

Boy am I showing my age

 

[Everydaymatters]

To hear the phrase "Congress Street" again

as a lad in Oak Park I marveled at the construction,

and the "L" was the only way to get downtown,,,,,

dad used to give me a buck,

I could take the L to Wrigley,

get a bleacher seat

and home

Boy am I showing my age

Ha! I was born in Oak Park! We were neighbors and didn't know it.

 

[VentureForth]

Isn't there a new rail line being built that starts right at King St Station?

Ridiculously, the streetcar being built in Seattle will run right past King St. Station (Sounder/Amtrak) and International District Station (Link) and will have stops at neither. They really seem to be trying to prevent easy transfers.
On top of that, Amtrak and Sounder are physically in the same station, but Seattle has somehow managed to disconnect them and make it a roundabout walk with multiple grade crossings. Riiiight. I actually don't know how they managed to make such a mess, and it really shouldn't be hard to straighten out if someone cared.

Write a letter.

To the Editor, to the transportation board, to Amtrak, to Sounder, so King Street station management.

YOU can fix this injustice!