With a troubled economy, falling air ridership and statewide unemployment in the double-digits, it might seem to some like a peculiar time to build a new parking garage, car rental facility and train station across the street from T.F. Green Airport in Warwick. But on Aug. 13, officials showed off the long-planned project that is nearing its halfway-completion point.
R.I. Airport Corporation (RIAC) President Kevin Dillon said the $267 million intermodal transportation facility would spur economic development in the area, increase traffic at Green and become a shining example of integrated transportation.
“Our passenger drop here is very, very directly related to the economy and I think all of us believe at some point the economy is going to turn around and the airports that position themselves well during this time will reap the benefits,” Dillon told Providence Business News during a tour of the facility.
Dillon joined other public officials for a tour of the project that began as an idea more than a decade ago. Perhaps most noticeable is the 1,200-foot-long skywalk 35 feet in the air that crosses Post Road in Warwick. Though the skywalk’s center “bed” is now in place, much work remains there and on the rest of the project.
Eventually, moving sidewalks will ferry people to the terminal from a new car-rental facility, parking garage and commuter train station. Officials say it will be the closest train station to any airport in the country. Dillon said the project is on track to open in September 2010, on time and potentially under budget.
The R.I. Department of Transportation (DOT) says the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) will provide eight round trips a day to the station. And, if all goes according to plan, riders will make about 3,600 trips a day between a new station in Wickford and Providence. Others will continue on to Boston.
DOT Director Mike Lewis said the state has reached an agreement with Amtrak to use its rails and anticipates reaching an agreement with the MBTA when its board meets in September.
“We think overall it can be a win for the state, a win for the city and a win for the economy,” he said.
Gov. Donald L. Carcieri said the airport train station would make T.F. Green a more attractive option for fliers. Airline passenger traffic was down 7.5 percent for the first six months of 2009, compared to the same time last year, according to airport officials.
And if state officials can persuade Amtrak to stop at the station, there’s a potential for Connecticut residents to hop off in Warwick rather than continue on to Boston’s Logan Airport, Lewis said.
Amtrak officials have expressed hesitation at scheduling a stop in Warwick, but that hasn’t bothered the airport corporation.
“Our more important piece from an airport perspective is the MBTA service,” Dillon said. “Right now [Amtrak] is not a critical piece of what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Still to be completed are the Customer Service Operations Building and the nearby six-level parking garage. The operations building will house desks for car rental agencies and feature fuel platforms and equipment for cleaning the vehicles. The nearby parking garage will contain parking spaces for 1,800 rental cars and 800 commuter rail passengers.
The $267 million project price tag represents a significant boost from the initial $220 million estimate. Funding is coming from federal, state and private sources as well as a $4.50 daily fee tacked onto every car rental at the airport. •
