The installation of lighting elements connecting the Amtrak’s Buffalo Exchange Street Station and Main Street is now underway. The ribbon of multicolored LED lighting, winding underneath the overpass is not only affixed, it is also lit up (as of today). The “overhead feature lighting” will be accentuated by “accent uplight columns,” denoted in the following diagram:
In a previous article, the train platforms (and the pedestrian connector between the station and Main Street) were described as such:
The platforms themselves, next to the tracks and under the expressway, only have to be clean, comfortable, well-lit, and safe – not expensive. Those spaces don’t need to be fancy, with faux century-old architecture, they just need to be clean, warm, well-lit, safe, and easy to navigate. After all, they are located under an expressway viaduct, so trying to dress them up too much seems silly.
Well, I don’t know about ‘warm’ in the middle of winter… also, I’m sure that there must be an overpass paint job in order before this connection route is open for business. The proof will be in the pudding. We will revisit this project when everything is wrapped up.
In a series of renderings, a number of softening features for this hard landscape include pavers, more traditional looking lightscaping, and wayfinding signage.
I maintain that it will be very interesting to see how Metro Rail and Amtrak customers will interact with this utilitarian looking concourse-style connector when the snow is flying. Maybe they could add a wind protection screen with a nice design emblazoned upon it? Or heated sidewalks? It’s going to be a brisk walk from the Amtrak Station to the Metro Rail during the winter months, but at least it will be an improvement upon past conditions.