Providence Station: A Tale of Days Gone By
One of my happiest childhood memories is hanging out with my grandfather (“Papa”). Papa was a bus driver for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority. Papa would let me sit on his bus and I'd watch him drive around picking up and dropping off passengers. And on weekends – if my parents reported that I was good that week, Papa would take me downtown to watch the trains arrive and depart the Providence train station.
The current Providence Amtrak/MBTA train station was born of the 1980’s transformational Providence Capital Project. The station, built in 1986, is located steps from the state's capital, and only two blocks from Kennedy plaza, which serves as the main bus hub for metro Providence.
Though the Providence train station has a small footprint – much smaller than the preceding Providence Union Station, it is tasked with serving Amtrak’s Acela and Northeast Corridor service, as well as the MBTA's Providence/Stoughton line. Two island platforms lie below the station to provide access to four passenger tracks. It is to be noted that a passing Providence & Worcester freight track runs in parallel with this alignment. The station, which is centered by a small rotunda-like dome, features a full-service cafe, Amtrak ticket office, gift shop, vending machines and bathrooms. Under the rotunda, a circular bench of seating mirrors the outline of the ceiling above.
Its footprint is small but mighty, as it is has the highest weekday daily ridership MBTA station outside of Boston (3,813) and is the 11th busiest Amtrak station in the nation. You read that right. Of the 532 stations Amtrak serves, the Providence station was the 11th busiest in 2019 with 761,562 riders.
From the From the “National Fact Sheet FY 2016” of the Busiest Amtrak Stations
Unlike many, I find that the station’s location to be excellent relative to downtown Providence, the statehouse, and the Providence Place Mall. The station - as previously noted - is a quarter of a mile from the state's largest bus hub and is well connected by bus service. The state's only rapid bus line, the R line, and the newly created Downtown Transit Connector project, serve the station, complimenting local RIPTA bus service 50, 55, 56, 57, and the 62. Other modes of transit are also welcomed at the station with covered bike racks lining the Railroad Street entrance. While downtown Providence has seen much improvement in the bike and pedestrian experience, especially around the station, it can be said that further enhancements are most definitely warranted.
While the station was built in a bygone era of urban Providence decay, the city has experienced a renaissance. The revival of Providence is a byproduct of Boston's expensive rental market and the investment in a vibrant arts scene downtown. The station has been vital to the city's new chapter, but fails to welcome the modern change it ushered. The current and unmet demand of future electrified MBTA service far outgrow the building offerings.
Room for Improvement
My criticism of the station reads more as a love letter than an original design failure. Inadequate seating capacity, tired aesthetics, and rather ill-equipped amenities fit a time and place in which it was built. If you are one of the many people who utilize MBTA train service, you must have the MBTA app, as there are no CharlieCard ticket vending machines. The only place where a passenger can buy a physical ticket is at the cafe, which offers selective hours during the day.
One of the biggest missed opportunities of the station dates back to the original plan of the Providence Capital Center. While moving the rail lines northward and underground, an elevated park above the station platform and rail alignment was created. Demand at the time warranted such undevelopable green space. Today, the immediate station area sports some of the tallest residential towers in Rhode Island, and the elevated park restricts future growth. The park at its current state is quite drab and needs revamping, as city greenery is much needed as Providence continues to grow.
Now the station is ready for a much-needed upgrade. Fortunately, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) is currently in the design phase of a $25 million upgrade of the Station. Amtrak notes that the planned improvements of the Project include:
Interior and exterior station enhancements;
Better station access and integration with local transit options;
New capacity for high-speed services; and
Security improvements.
I look forward to watching this project through completion as this is a vital undertaking for Providence’s future needs.
That little kid on the platform with his Papa has great memories within the confines of these station walls. But all good things must come to an end. Thankfully, the era of urban decay for Providence is over, and with that, a newfound sense of revival is beginning thanks in part to the station and a reinvestment in the urban form. The station is tired and sullen, and is essential to herald in a new age of mobility for metro Providence, and not a tale of days gone by.
https://stonypreserve.wordpress.com/chapter-3-safe-pleasant-and-handsome-downtown-1970-published-1961/
https://www.transitforwardri.com/pdf/Project%20Update%20to%20Trans%20Advisory%20Committee_042519.pdf
https://www.browndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Schindler_TrainStation_coRIDepartment-of-Transportation.jpg