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From: Charles Paidock cpaidock AT hotmail DOT com
Date: Sat, 20 Jul 2013 03:39:06 -0500
Subject: Press Release: Chicago Plans for Robotic Garage vs. RR Station
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http://www.nychicagorr.org/TrainStationorRoboticGarage.html
Press Release July 19, 2013
For Information
Charles Paidock cpaidock@hotmail.com (312) 714-7790
Mike Lehman usbullettrain@gmail.com

City Plans Instead Garage Operated by Robots

High Speed Rail Advocates Want
Old Post Office Turned into a Train Station
Enterprising Chicago high speed rail advocates are concerned
that the Chicago Plan Commission has endorsed rehabilitation of the city’s old
central post office into more rental and retail space, and has disregarded
other plans to utilize the facility as a transportation terminal, and high
speed rail station, which would benefit potentially thouisands of passengers. Their aim
is to build a New York and Chicago Railroad, which would need a suitable passenger
facility in this city.

Charles Paidock said:
“Union Station is now the only intercity rail terminal in Chicago, 3rd busiest in the United States, handling approximately
120,000 passengers on an average weekday, arriving and departing on over 300 trains (all Amtrak trains, as well
as 6 Metra commuter lines). It simply
isn’t suitable. Today, the concourse, where
people buy tickets and make their way to the trains, is overcrowded,
uncomfortable, and hard to navigate,
There is no more room to add even much needed commuter trains, such as
during the rush hours. We’re working to add a high speed
line from Chicago to New York, connecting the two regions, but we need a terminal
here that can accommodate added passengers, perhaps as many as 600 per train. Instead we’re getting an ‘automated’ parking garage, as part of the announced
plans for the Old Post Office, in which you go to an elevator, push a button, and a
robot will go and get your car.”

Another organizer, Mike Lehman
added that: “One would hope in this day and age of fuel-oil crisis,
congestions, oil pollutions, etc., that ample provisions would have been made
by urban planners for the conversion of the very centrally located main Chicago
post office for smart future transportation alternatives.

That post office is extremely
well placed between 4 major rail terminals, 4 interstate highways and several
heavy rail CTA lines. Though bullet trains are at a political
impasse now again (in the USA but not elsewhere), there has been much progress
in that very technology worldwide, so that it should not be ignored when
envisioning future uses of the old main Chicago post office.”

The train station advocates suggest taking
another look at the plans of Chicago architect Helmut Jahn, issued in
2010 for a high-speed rail station in Chicago, which they maintain will address
both immediate and long-term transportation needs of thousands of passengers
coming into or going out of Chicago.















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