We may be a little late to the party on this, but the West Plaza at 30th Street Station reopened a couple of months ago after considerable renovation and improvements that started last winter. The project installed nine new bike racks, carved outdoor seating, and created additional parking for a hundred cars. Infrastructure improvements beneath the plaza as part of the $30M project are slated to begin in 2014.
You may remember the lush green walls that were conceived by Shift_Design and envisioned by folks at the University City District as a way to improve the landscape at The Porch so visitors had a view other than fences and tractors while they enjoyed the various food trucks and other events like WXPN's Free At Noon last spring and summer.
Additional improvements to the West Plaza include wider driver lanes, 14 new spaces in previously restricted spots, LED-lighting, and a new bronze ornamental sign that says Philadelphia and features an Amtrak logo (which can remind us all we are a city owned by sponsors). Limestone and granite were used in parts of the construction, and new planters and a new pedestrian crossing were also part of the project. In all, the project could be the first of many that will improve, change and remake 30th Street Station in the coming years.
“As we progress a master plan for the station precinct, improvements like these that improve connectivity for our passengers and further integrate 30th Street Station into the community will be crucial to realizing the maximum development potential of the area,” said Stephen Gardner, Amtrak vice president of Northeast Corridor infrastructure and investment development.
That maximum development potential is likely referring to the early processes of development now taking place around 30th Street. Earlier this fall, Amtrak announced it was releasing an RFP for a master plan for development around 30th Street Station, which could include a vision for developing the railyards as well. For now, though, we'll celebrate the new improvements to our iconic rail station.