Next Monday, at 4:50 a.m., a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority train will embark from the Wickford Junction train station, marking the opening of a new commuter rail station in North Kingstown. United States Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, Gov. Lincoln Chafee '75 P'14, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I. and Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I. will be present for the inaugural departure, said Bob Cioe, the station's developer.
The opening day will include a ceremonial train from Providence to Wickford Junction at 10:15 a.m., he added.
"We've been planning this for 25 years," said Jim Eng, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation's project manager for the station. It was planned with the goal of reducing traffic on Interstate 95 and Route 4, since many Providence workers commute from Narragansett and Exeter, he added.
Last September, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority authorized service cuts, and the MBTA approved fare hikes and service cuts April 4. But when the Wickford Junction station was planned, budget issues were not a concern, Eng said.
"Right off the bat, we don't think that it's going to make money because we just don't expect public transportation to make a profit," Eng said. "The main goal is to get cars off the road."
The station received 80 percent of its funding from the federal government and 20 percent from the state, Cioe said. Cioe and RIDOT began working together on construction and planning in 2010, he added.
RIDOT is currently looking to further expand the commuter rail line to Kingston and Westerly, Eng said, but planning for the additional phase is only in preliminary stages.
RIDOT received two awards April 12 from the Construction Management Association of America's New England chapter for the new Wickford Junction station and accompanying parking garage, according to RIDOT's website. One of the awards was an achievement award, given because the Wickford Junction project used only $25 million while incorporating innovative features like "the mill-like facade," Eng said.
The second award was presented to Eng for overseeing development of the Wickford Junction station, RIDOT's first design-build project, he said. In a design-build project, there is no time-consuming bidding process for the contractor, and project components are constantly being planned and built. This setup made for efficient use of time and money while allowing for greater collaboration, Eng added.
The four-story garage touts features such as automated entrance and exit payments, electric car-charging stations and LED lights and sensors to reduce energy consumption, Cioe said. "It's very, very green at this particular station," Eng said.
A unique facade, designed to resemble and celebrate North Kingstown's historical Lafayette Mill and the town's once-booming textile industry, is featured on the new station and garage, Cioe said. "I think you'll agree that a concrete garage would look out of place," he added.
Surrounding the station is "a transit-oriented development site" consisting of a Walmart, Staples, bank and strip mall, Eng said. He added that Cioe, who owns the site, ultimately plans to add three residential or retail buildings to the complex. Cioe said he will continue to develop the shopping center when he feels there are customers to patronize it.
RIDOT is expecting 500 or 600 riders daily as the station's operations begin and anticipates additional riders as the station becomes established among commuters, Eng said.
The station will service 20 trips daily - 10 departing to Providence and 10 arriving from Providence, Cioe said. The train will operate Monday through Friday, allowing riders to travel from North Kingstown to T. F. Green Airport, Providence and onward to Boston, Eng said. Service may be expanded depending on commuter demands, he added.
