T. F. Green Airport (MBTA station)

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T. F. GREEN AIRPORT
T.F. Green Platform.JPG
Station statistics
Address 700 Jefferson Boulevard
Warwick, RI 02886
Coordinates 41°43′39″N 71°26′30″W / 41.7275°N 71.4417°W / 41.7275; -71.4417Coordinates: 41°43′39″N 71°26′30″W / 41.7275°N 71.4417°W / 41.7275; -71.4417
Lines
  Providence/Stoughton Line
Connections RIPTA
Platforms 1 side platform
Tracks 3
Parking 650 spaces
Bicycle facilities racks available
Other information
Opened December 6, 2010
Accessible Handicapped/disabled access
Owned by State of Rhode Island
Fare zone 9
Services
Preceding station   MBTA   Following station
Terminus Providence/Stoughton Line
Terminus
 Providence/Stoughton Line
(starting April 2012)

T. F. Green Airport is a train station and intermodal facility in Warwick, Rhode Island on the Northeast Corridor, adjacent to T. F. Green Airport. It extends the MBTA Commuter Rail Providence/Stoughton Line from Boston, which previously only went as far as the Providence train station.

The station was completed in October 2010 and MBTA service began on December 6, 2010,[1] with six inbound weekday trains during morning and evening rush hours and five outbound. Inbound trips to Boston's South Station take approximately 90 minutes, with outbound trips taking 75 minutes.[1]

On November 14, 2011, service expanded to 10 inbound weekday trains and 10 outbound.[2]

The station's primary purpose is to serve local commuters to Providence and Boston, but it will also bring passengers and employees to and from the airport. The station will make it possible to move between T.F. Green and Logan International Airport in about two hours for approximately a $10.25 fare ($2.00 for subway plus $8.25 for commuter rail).

Amtrak trains cannot and do not serve the station because the track that serves the single platform is not electrified. Funding was not provided for the necessary track and electrical work.[3] Note that the IATA airport code for T. F. Green Airport, PVD, is also used by Amtrak for its Providence train station.

Contents

[edit] Facilities and cost

Interlink skyway as seen from the garage

The new station includes a four-level, 3,500-space garage with facilities for airport car rental companies and park and ride commuters. The station is connected to the airport via an elevated 1,250-foot (380-meter) skywalk with moving sidewalks, known as the Interlink.[4] Costs included:[5]

  • $28.1M — commuter parking garage
  • $46.9M — rental car garage
  • $40.2M — rental car desk and service areas
  • $22.9M — commuter rail platform
  • $43.5M — skywalk
  • $14.1M — connection from airport terminal to skywalk

The total cost of the T.F. Green amenities, plus an additional station at Wickford Junction is $336 million.[6] T.F. Green has the closest intercity-rail-to-air link in the country.[7]

[edit] Funding

Amtrak owns the tracks in this area.[8] The Rhode Island Airport Corporation operates all state-owned airports; the project sponsor is the Rhode Island Department of Transportation,[8] which assembled funding consisting of:[5]

  • $29M already collected from a $4.25 car rental fee
  • $22.2M grant from Rhode Island
  • $88.9M grant from federal highway funds
  • $42M loan from the federal government under the Transportation Finance and Infrastructure Act
  • $39.6M bond from Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (of which the Airport Corporation is a subsidiary)[9]

$20M of federal funding was earmarked by former Rhode Island senator Lincoln Chafee in the 2005 SAFETEA transportation bill.[10]

As part of the 1989 Pilgrim Partnership Agreement, Rhode Island provides capital funding (including some of its federal formula funds) for MBTA expansion in the state. (Rhode Island has given the MBTA $11 million to cover capital costs for the TF Green project.) Massachusetts (through the MBTA) provides the operating subsidy for MBTA Commuter Rail service in return.[11] Rhode Island also pays Amtrak to allow the MBTA to use its tracks.[6]

The Rhode Island Airport Corporation will be responsible for repaying the bonds using revenues from car rental and commuter parking facilities.[5]

[edit] History

Rsuh-hour train waiting at the station, January 2011

The station's ceremonial groundbreaking took place on July 17, 2006, but construction was delayed by negotiations with Amtrak over the agreement to allow the MBTA to run commuter trains on Amtrak-owned tracks.[3] Site preparation began in September 2007 and construction began in late 2008 or early 2009.[12][13] The station was scheduled to open in late 2010,[3][14][15] and construction was completed on schedule, with the opening ceremony taking place on October 27, 2010.[16]

On October 13, 2010, the MBTA and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation signed an agreement enabling MBTA operations to the station to begin on December 6, 2010, initially with six trains calling at the station a day.[17] The Wickford Junction station is scheduled to open in early 2012; once it does, service to the two stations will be increased to ten stops a day.[17]

Weekday train service to and from South Station began on December 6, 2010,[1] with 6 inbound and 5 outbound trains each weekday. This service consisted of three peak-hour trains in each direction between T.F. Green and South Station, plus several off-peak shuttles to/from Providence.[1] This was despite earlier concerns that service could be delayed pending completion of the Wickford Junction station, as the MBTA plans to use a siding at that station to allow its trains to reverse direction.[18] In November 2011, service was increased significantly, with mid-day service and more rush hour trains.

[edit] Amtrak

An Amtrak train passes through the station, passing a stopped commuter train

Even though its tracks run by the new station, Amtrak is not adding TF Green Station as a stop. The station is on a third track built east of the existing two-track Northeast Corridor line, however the new track was not electrified due to lack of funding. All Amtrak trains operating on the Northeast corridor require overhead electric power. Amtrak had requested a separate track for its trains, which was not built, and has also cited a lack of sufficient ridership for the stop to be economically sustainable. This may change with time.[3] Long-term Amtrak plans call for a fourth track with a second platform at the station for intrastate commuter service as well as possible future Amtrak use.

[edit] RIPTA bus connections

  • Route 8 - Jefferson Blvd
  • Route 14 - West Bay (from airport terminal)
  • Route 20 - Elmwood/Auburn/Airport (from airport terminal)

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Schedules & Maps: Providence/Stoughton Line. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Schedule effective 6 December 2010. Accessed 18 April 2011.
  2. ^ http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/lines/?route=PROVSTOU&direction=O&timing=W&RedisplayTime=Redisplay+Time
  3. ^ a b c d Needham, Cynthia (August 22, 2007). "Airport train station revived". Providence Journal. http://www.projo.com/news/content/AIRPORT_TRAIN_08-22-07_EN6QRPQ.31da5a2.html. Retrieved 2008-03-22. 
  4. ^ Intermodal Planning - Park & Ride Facilities. Rhode Island Department of Transportation. Accessed 18 April 2011.
  5. ^ a b c Howell, John. "Warwick station hinges on Amtrak deal". Warwick Online, 31 January 2008.
  6. ^ a b Bierman, Noah (September 10, 2009). "Vote set on T link to R.I. airport". The Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/09/10/vote_set_on_t_link_to_ri_airport/. 
  7. ^ "Warwick Train Station Project at T. F. Green Airport Fact Sheet". Rhode Island Department of Transportation. 2001-05-17. http://www.dem.ri.gov/brownfields/successes/trainstation.htm. Retrieved 2007-02-03. 
  8. ^ a b South County Commuter Rail Service Plan
  9. ^ RI Airport Corporation
  10. ^ Warwick station will provide direct train access to T.F. Green airport
  11. ^ South County Commuter Rail (Microsoft Word document). November 2007. Accessed 25 Feb 2011.
  12. ^ Downing, Neil (2007-10-17). "Train station construction to begin". Providence Journal. http://www.projo.com/business/content/BZ_DOT_October_17_10-17-07_IH7GQ3F.254619c.html. Retrieved 2008-03-21. 
  13. ^ Lord, Peter B. (2009-08-02). "Finally, work on a commuter rail station at T.F. Green advances and so does its cost". Providence Journal. http://www.projo.com/business/content/People_mover_02-08-09_65D7J7B_v23.3c91227.html. Retrieved 2011-04-18. 
  14. ^ Shalvey, Kevin (2008-03-10). "Businesses see benefits to airport expansion". Providence Business News. http://www.pbn.com/stories/30055.html. Retrieved 2008-03-22. 
  15. ^ Barbarisi, Daniel (2006-07-16). "No Amtrak stop at new Green station". Providence Journal. http://www.projo.com/news/content/projo_20060716_train16.169f76a.html. Retrieved 2008-03-22. 
  16. ^ "T.F. Green Airport intermodal facility opens in Rhode Island". Progressive Railroading. 28 October 2010. http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=24877. Retrieved November 3, 2010. 
  17. ^ a b "Rhode Island DOT, MBTA sign commuter-rail operating agreement". Progressive Railroading. October 14, 2010. http://www.progressiverailroading.com/news/article.asp?id=24778. Retrieved October 21, 2010. 
  18. ^ "Many parts to putting train at Warwick station". http://www.johnstonsunrise.net/pages/full_story?page_label=home_top_stories_news&id=2105234&article-Many%20parts%20to%20putting%20train%20at%20Warwick%20station%20=&widget=push&instance=home_news_right&open=&. 

[edit] External links

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