Had a chat with Gary Williams, Economic Development Co-ordinator for Carbondale, this afternoon regarding the proposed intermodal transit center in Carbondale. The center would be located where the current Amtrak Station is and expand north into the empty lot where Animal Crackers stood.
The plan, as I understand it, is to expand the current Amtrak Station, incorporate a bus terminal for Greyhound into the structure and provide a centralized pick-up/drop-off point for all regional transit vehicles such as Saluki Express and Jackson County Transit, although they would still maintain their regular pickup schedule throughout the city. Ideally, the facility would even have taxi stands or calling stations there as well as the office for the local Enterprise Rent A Car. while this would increase the likelihood of congestion in downtown, it would certainly drive more business into the heart of Carbondale, which would certainly help the community.
Sticking points are the need to work with the federal bureaucracy since Amtrak is a federal agency and the funding needed, which could be difficult given the city's projected budget shortfall of $1 million. there is a meeting scheduled with Amtrak officials for July of this year but the city probably will not see the center put into operation much before 2020.
The plan, as I understand it, is to expand the current Amtrak Station, incorporate a bus terminal for Greyhound into the structure and provide a centralized pick-up/drop-off point for all regional transit vehicles such as Saluki Express and Jackson County Transit, although they would still maintain their regular pickup schedule throughout the city. Ideally, the facility would even have taxi stands or calling stations there as well as the office for the local Enterprise Rent A Car. while this would increase the likelihood of congestion in downtown, it would certainly drive more business into the heart of Carbondale, which would certainly help the community.
Sticking points are the need to work with the federal bureaucracy since Amtrak is a federal agency and the funding needed, which could be difficult given the city's projected budget shortfall of $1 million. there is a meeting scheduled with Amtrak officials for July of this year but the city probably will not see the center put into operation much before 2020.
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