Plan the Keystone Blog

Downingtown Train Station Charrette Closing Night Recap

This week, members of the Downingtown community worked with the Plan the Keystone team to develop concepts for a new train station at an alternative location in the borough. The team presented the concepts to the public on the evening of Thursday, Oct. 27. Three alternative sites were considered, each of which provide the opportunity for new ADA-compliant platforms, a new station building or shelters, surface or structured parking, transit-oriented development, and pedestrian connections. The concepts for the three sites were displayed on boards so that the public could leave comments on each design via sticky notes. The team also displayed potential streetscape improvements for several roads and key intersections in the borough. Opportunities for wayfinding, bike lanes, and trail connections were also discussed during the evening.

Bob Garrett from PennDOT explained next steps for the project which involve creation of a working group, refinement of the concepts, and a constructability analysis of the three alternative locations. If you were not able to attend the charrette and would like to view the presentation, please find it here. We are continuously looking for public input so please post any comments below. We look forward to continuing to work with the Downingtown community to develop its vision for the train station!

Downingtown Train Station Charrette - Opening Night Recap

More than 40 people turned out for the opening night of the Downingtown Train Station Community Charrette on Monday, Oct. 25, 2011.  The evening began with a presentation in which the project team and Bob Garrett of PennDOT discussed the importance of Downingtown as a stop along the Keystone Corridor, as well as preliminary project findings.  Participants then divided into small groups to discuss opportunities for the borough and what they valued most about Downingtown including its small town character, history, and open space and recreational amenities.  

Following the opportunities discussion, the groups brainstormed ways to improve the station, connect the station to the downtown and the region, improve access and mobility, and leverage station investment to improve Downingtown’s economy.  Items discussed included ways to improve ADA access, a need for wayfinding and streetscaping, bus connection, and the importance of pedestrian walkability.  

The evening was a great success and the Plan the Keystone team looks forward to developing concepts for the station and obtaining your feedback.  If you were not able to attend Monday night’s workshop, the presentation is available here for download.  Feel free to leave us comments below with any of your ideas for the train station and borough.

PUBLIC INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN UPCOMING DOWNINGTOWN TRAIN STATION COMMUNITY WORKSHOP

Would you like to share your vision for the new Downingtown Train Station?  Join the Plan the Keystone team for an interactive community workshop later this month to develop designs for the station and identify ways to improve access and passenger amenities.

The workshop will consist of opening night and closing night presentations and three days of drop-in working sessions.  Participants may join the working sessions and provide input at any time in the schedule – full session attendance is not required. The full schedule is as follows:

• Monday, Oct. 24 - Downingtown Borough Hall; 6:30 p.m. - Opening Presentation
• Tuesday, Oct. 25 - Downingtown Borough Hall; 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. - Working Session
• Wednesday, Oct. 26 - Downingtown Borough Hall; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Working Session 
• Thursday, Oct. 27 - Downingtown Borough Hall; 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. - Working Session; 
  6 p.m. - Work-in-Progress Presentation

 The workshop will be held at the Downingtown Borough Hall located at 4 W. Lancaster Avenue. There is a parking lot located behind the building.

Feel free to attend all portions of the workshop or stop in when it’s convenient for you!  We look forward to working with you on this exciting opportunity for Downingtown!