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Texas & Gulf CoastTexas & Gulf Coast

DFW

DAL

IAH

HOU

SAT

Dallas

San Antonio

Houston

AUS

Austin

MSY

New Orleans

rail transit

airport &symbol

pop. densityhigh lower

commuter

intercity

2 mi

10

25

AIR

San AntonioSan Antonio

DallasDallas

New OrleansNew OrleansLafayetteLafayette

ShreveportShreveport

BatonRougeBatonRouge

Fort WorthFort Worth

TallahasseeTallahasseePensacolaPensacola

MemphisMemphis

BowlingGreenBowlingGreen

BirminghamBirmingham

Little RockLittle Rock

AustinAustin

AlbuquerqueAlbuquerque

Santa FeSanta Fe

El PasoEl Paso

Oklahoma CityOklahoma CityAmarilloAmarillo

LubbockLubbock

OdessaOdessa

TulsaTulsa

GreenvilleGreenville

AtlantaAtlanta

ChatanoogaChatanooga

HoustonHouston

JacksonJackson

Scoring of Corridors in Texas and the Gulf Coast

Score20+ <110

Source: America 2050

Case Studies

The Final Study focuses on the design of a Transit Hub at Downtown Dallas serving as an exchange point for the DART and the High Speed Rail that is being proposed, connecting the other three metropolitan cities of Texas namely, Austin, San Antonio and Houston to Dallas.

The intent of this study is to not only address issues of logistics of smooth movement of commuters between different modes of transport but also address urban issues, the interaction of the transit hub with its immediate urban surroundings and its ability to act as an urban center and behave as a magnet for a denser, walkable, bikable urban development.

Transit centers are important urban landmarks and are symbols of progress. The main means of transport in Texas today is the car or more so the truck. Everything in Texas has to be big. People all over the world are becoming aware of the environmental and economi-cal impact of being extremely consumptive but it is not yet as evident in Texas. As an end user I feel that there are two main reasons for the increase of privately owned vehicles in Texas. Firstly the lack of a well connected public transit system mainly due to the car driven economy and secondly the general image associated with mass transit system.

Due to an increase in fuel and environmental concerns more and more people are looking for opportunities to use mass transit and this need is also being addressed by the expan-sion of the railway network. The second issue is something that Architects as designers can address through design. I believe that a space can be designed to evoke a certain feeling and have a particular effect on people which in turn has an impact on their perception of things. Architects as I understand create spaces, not just physical spaces but also a sense of “place”. The design of the built has a profound effect on its users. The quality of light, color/material, scale, volume and form defines a space and contribute to its quality.

Origin Destinations Length Score

Total Employment Within 2 Miles of

Major Nodes

Total Population within 25 Miles of

Major NodesCumulative Air Market*

Total Transit Acces -sible Population in

Major Nodes

Dallas TX Houston TX 243 16.12 270,000 8,800,000 1,240,000 540,000

Dallas TX Austin TX 233 14.86 220,000 6,000,000 910,000 480,000

San Antonio TX Dallas TX 312 14.75 270,000 7,700,000 1,850,000 480,000

Oklahoma City OK Dallas TX 224 14.38 190,000 5,400,000 400,000 480,000

San Antonio TX Houston TX 211 13.92 190,000 6,200,000 540,000 60,000

Houston TX Austin TX 213 13.82 210,000 5,900,000 520,000 60,000

San Antonio TX Austin TX 79 13.45 130,000 3,100,000 - -

Tulsa OK Dallas TX 325 12.83 220,000 6,100,000 850,000 480,000

New Orleans LA Houston TX 362 11.27 300,000 6,600,000 830,000 60,000

Little Rock AR Dallas TX 361 10.66 200,000 5,300,000 330,000 480,000

Baton Rouge LA New Orleans LA 73 8.48 100,000 900,000 - - *Includes annual flights among all airports along the corridor.

Rail Transit Connections and Population Density in Texas and the Gulf Coast

Scoring of Corridors in Texas and the Gulf Coast

Waterloo International TerminalWaterloo, LondonNicolas Grimshaw and Partners

Atocha StationMadrid, SpainRafael Moneo

Lyon SatolasLyon, FranceSantiago Calatrava

View of the brightly lit and colored platforms The concourse which serves as a large rest area External night view of the train station

view of the roof over the platforms

DART Light Rail Transit System

site

This case study was chosen as an example of symbolism that informs the form of the structure. The Lyon Station is the terminus for the TGV trains connecting the airport to the city of Lyon. This train Station was designed to be a symbol of the marriage of the high speed rail and the jet airplane.

This case study was chosen to examine the manner in which a new station has been designed as an addition to an existing historically important station.

The old station has been modified to serve as a large rest area with a tropical garden.

This case study depicts a collaboration of engineering and architectural to provide a solution to a very difficult site. It is an example where they have come together to create a structure of great beauty and ingenuity.

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built

Site Climate Data

Site AnalysisProgram

sidewalk green

roads

the historic Union Station

aerial view

view of the tracks with the Hyatt Regency on the right

site and context

site

Light Rail Service 4 tracks Red, Blue, Green, Orange 4 tracks waiting and queing area ticketing /access control gates information Center Office SpaceHigh speed rail 2 tracks + 2 tracks waiting and queing area ticketing/access control gates informatin center Office SpaceIntercity Amtrak 2 tracks waiting and queing area ticketing informatin center Office SpaceBus service Parking, waiting and queing areaTransit Hub Shared Services Ticketing Office Facilities Office Space Storage Equipment Room Fare Collection Common Areas Employee Facilities Employee Locker Room & Toilets Employee Lounge Taxi Park and Ride(short term) Park and ride(long term) Kiss and Ride space Bicycle Facilities racks(short term) lockers(long term) Concessions fast food/Snack Bar Vending Machines News Stand restaurants Toilets (m/f 500sqft each) 3 sets Commercial Spaces

built

train lines

map of Dallas Downtown

red lineblue linegreen lineorange linetrinity railway expressamtrackcargo line

map of Dallas

The site chosen for this study is in Downtown Dallas where the current Union Station is located. The Union Station was built in 1916 to consolidate all the train traffic in Dallas making it a major transportation hub in the Southwest. Currently the station serves as a starting point for the DART train networks namely the Blue and Red lines. The Trinity Railway Express(TRE) connecting Forthworth Area also starts at this point. Amtrak uses this station for its Texas Eagle Line. Cargo lines connecting Dallas to Houston also run along this station. This site seems the most appropriate site for a future transit hub with high speed rail due to its existing infrasture of rail lines.

The final study is concerned with the design of a transportation hub as an addition to the existing Union Station to serve as a transportation hub for the existing DART, TRE and the proposed high speed rail. When transit centers are designed solely for transit purposes they face the problem of being desolated at non peak periods of transit which in turn adds to safety issues. Keeping this in mind the intent of this study is to design a transportation hub that would not only function as a hub but also as an urban center having restaurants and retail as activity generators.

“There is no doubt whatever about the influence of architecture and structure upon human character and action. We make our buildings and afterwards they make us. They regulate the course of our life”

- Winston Churchill

bus stops