Checking in on Changes at Penn Station

I'm not a daily commuter in-and-out of Penn Station, so I am rarely up there other then when I have to take MARC or Amtrak for business travel. Before the snow yesterday, I found myself up in that part of town while dropping into the UB Library to pick up a book on reserve. Since I had to wait for the Hopkins shuttle to pick me up, I decided to detour into Penn Station to see what improvements have been made since I was last in there.  To bring people up to speed Amtrak received stimulus money to make improvements and upgrades at the station.

The interior is seeing some major upgrades. Recently, the ceiling was upgraded, the water stained tiles have been replaced, so the ceiling is now uniformly white. Ceiling fans have been installed and are a great addition. Amtrak is apparently upgrading their train information systems as well. Gone is the auto-mechanical schedule board with its familiar flap-flap-flap sound as the schedule was updated. It has been replaces with an equally large LED display, which has not been put into service yet. New LCD monitors have been added in the many lobby, the sitting area, and the ticketing area, but have not been turned on either.

The biggest improvement so far has been the opening of the Java Moon Cafe (and bar!). This is definitely an attempt to capitalize on the growing number of travellers who travel through Baltimore. The addition of Java Moon fills a major hole at Penn Station where other stations (e.g. 30th Street, Union, NYPenn) have, an expanded place for travellers to sit and grab a bite to eat or have a drink while waiting for the train to arrive.

In the near future the windows will also be replaced through ARRA funds, and the long anticipated renovation for the Inn at Penn Station coming sometime this year.

If any of you readers out there are up by Penn Station in the future, or more frequently than I am, check in and let us know what you see, or if you have any photos.

Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 4, 2010 at 6:34 PM

    I saw the LCD monitors under the LED display were on few days ago and today as well.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

When Club One was the House of Welsh

Image
 House of Welsh in 1943. Note the Guilford Elevated streetcar line. At one time, what was 301 Guilford Avenue (at some point over time the address was switched to 300 E. Saratoga St) was called the House of Welsh a long time Baltimore steakhouse and restaurant. Originally opened in 1900 it occupied the corner buildings for 98 years. A 1998 article in The Baltimore Sun details the history of the House of Welsh on the eve of its closure. With the demolition of these three buildings yesterday marks the end of some of the oldest houses that stood near downtown. The houses were build in the 1830s, some of the only other houses of the same period were on St. Paul Street and were demolished to make way for the new Mercy Medical Center tower. Inside these buildings make have taken place some of the more little known, but nonetheless interesting stories in Baltimore's history. In 1904, at the height of the Great Baltimore Fire, a telegraph line was hooked up inside the building...
Read more

Small Improvements to Light Rail That Could Make a Big Impact

Image
S equence lights on Howard Street so trains can move between stations without having to stop at red lights. This would significantly cut down on the travel time between Mt. Royal/UB and Camden Yards. The technology is there, it just needs to be implemented in a more sensible way.  Improve passenger information at each station. This would include updating the maps to reflect the current light rail operation. The maps at most stations outside of downtown are poorly designed and show the light rail configuration when the extensions to Penn Station and BWI first opened in 1997. Way-finding and neighborhood maps showing immediate transit connections and local attractions are a must. Posted schedules should be updated immediately whenever a new version of the timetable is made. Newer Light Rail map at downtown stations. Update signs at all stations. A few years back the downtown stations had new signs that replaced the originals from 1992. In addition the stations feature a sy...
Read more

Where's the New Charm City Circulator?

Image
(photo credit, http://www.yournameyourride.com/ ) It's the summer now, some may even call this the "late summer". It is around this time that Baltimore is supposed to roll out the brand spanking new Charm City Circulator , but where is this free bus service. The one thing I've learned about Baltimore is that press releases, news updates, and service reminders come few and far between in this town. It's mid-August. We got the new name back in June, but no official route map, no official stops, nor schedule. I haven't seen any signs around the downtown area. I live down here now, I haven't seen anything. How do you expect anyone to use this services if it's not being advertised? There were rumors floating back earlier this summer that dedicated bus lanes were going to be painted on Lombard and Pratt Street for not only this service, but the MTA buses that use the same roads, but it doesn't look like that has happened yet. Seems like this thing will ...
Read more