Laserfiche WebLink
A Brief Comparative Analysis of the High St./Oddfellows 5ite <br />and the Marion Parkade Site, for the Salem Transit DistricYs <br />Downtown Transit Center <br />November 3, 1994 <br />There are five key considerations in the comparative analysis of prospective transit center sites. <br />They are: location; operating characteristics; impacts; scale and passenger amenities; and, cost. <br />These five factors are typically the most pertinent evaluative criteria in the analysis of bus <br />transfer faciliry development. <br />Following is a very brief and simplistic analysis of the District's two most recent sites that have <br />been considered for development as a downtown transit center--the northerly half of the ground <br />floor of the Marion Parkade, and the Oddfellows site, on the High St. block face between Court <br />and State Streets. Each site is reviewed in relation to the five key criteria noted above. <br />It should be noted that the District's decision to identify the Oddfellows location on High Street <br />as its preferred site is based upon consideration and evaluation of many facWrs. The key issues <br />identified in this position paper represent the most substanrive concems relative to the two sites. <br />The final selection, however, was based upon a number of additional considerations which, <br />though of less influence, aided the District in reaching its resolve. <br />LOCATION <br />The centrality of location is the single most important factor in site selection. Every survey of <br />riders, and every conference we've had with other transit systems which have recently developed <br />transit centers, confirms the importance of location to transit's success. First and foremost, the <br />location must impress the rider as convenient to where they are going, and we know that they <br />are going to the same places that persons who drive to downtown are going. <br />Marion Parkade <br />The parkade is located four blocks north of the existing Cherriot Station, on Union St. <br />between Libeity and High Sts. Question remains within the District Board and staff <br />whether this location is not in fact too removed from the downtown core area to serve the <br />DistricYs needs; at best, it has generally been considered to be on the very edge of what <br />the Dishict would deem to be a suicable location. <br /> <br />1 <br />