Design revealed for DIA light rail terminal

[DanCa]

http://www.denverpost.com/recommended/ci_15634631

"Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava said his designs for the first phase of Denver International Airport's south terminal redevelopment will complement the airport's best-known architectural element — its terminal with the white-tented roof."

Looks pretty interesting to me.  I believe they're supposed to break ground on the LR line from downtown to the airport next month.

[dangerboy]

Wow, it's really tall. Is that useable space or just decorative?

Also, I think it's going to be commuter rail, not light rail?

[DanCa]

Wow, it's really tall. Is that useable space or just decorative?

Also, I think it's going to be commuter rail, not light rail?

That's a hotel- the two sides.  They went back and forth on light rail vs. commuter rail, and I've heard it referred to as light rail on the news recently, so I'm not sure which way they ended up going.  

[mlind]

My family lives in Denver now, so I fly there frequently.  From a design standpoint, I like it.  They did some creative things like the little spinning propeller things in the train tunnel.  The projected addition looks really cool (that's an architectural term). 

The rapid transit to the airport is a good idea since it's in the middle of nowhere (far from downtown).  However, in the SF Bay Area, BART added an extension to SFO airport.  It's been in place for years and ridership has been far below expectations.  I use it, but I have to admit toting your bags from BART to the air train, on elevators, etc. isn't the easiest thing to do.  It is easier to take a shuttle from home or have someone drop you off or park & use the shuttle.  And, BART isn't 24 hour.

[DanCa]

My family lives in Denver now, so I fly there frequently.  From a design standpoint, I like it.  They did some creative things like the little spinning propeller things in the train tunnel.  The projected addition looks really cool (that's an architectural term). 

The rapid transit to the airport is a good idea since it's in the middle of nowhere (far from downtown).  However, in the SF Bay Area, BART added an extension to SFO airport.  It's been in place for years and ridership has been far below expectations.  I use it, but I have to admit toting your bags from BART to the air train, on elevators, etc. isn't the easiest thing to do.  It is easier to take a shuttle from home or have someone drop you off or park & use the shuttle.  And, BART isn't 24 hour.

I used the LR in Portland a few months ago from the airport to downtown, and it seemed to be fairly well used.  I'll use this line to the airport and downtown once built since I live near a station on it.  But I've heard the same thing about LR to airports in other cities, that it's not well-used.  Guess we'll find out.

[trailerkid]

When did DIA start to mean the freaking Denver Airport?

[DanCa]

When did DIA start to mean the freaking Denver Airport?

Uh... since it opened.  It stands for Denver International Airport, its official name.  What did you think people would call it?

[trailerkid]

What did you think people would call it?

not the acronym for an already well-established national art museum.

[shinatoo]

I don't think anyone ever mistook MCI for national phone carrier. 

[KCMax]

not the acronym for an already well-established national art museum.

The art museum ripped off the acronym from the Defense Intelligence Agency.

[mlind]

I used the LR in Portland a few months ago from the airport to downtown, and it seemed to be fairly well used.  I'll use this line to the airport and downtown once built since I live near a station on it.  But I've heard the same thing about LR to airports in other cities, that it's not well-used.  Guess we'll find out.

My daughter lived in NYC and now in London.  No car and she has always used the subway/tube to get to the airport.  It comes down to getting people out of their cars.  I sometimes think that gas could go to $10/gallon and people would quit eating before giving up driving.

Of course, with California's financial problems, public transit is being cut back everywhere.  But that's another story.

[mlind]

When did DIA start to mean the freaking Denver Airport?

When it was built, people used to joke it should be called Limon International Airport because it was so far from the city center. 

Limon is a town in eastern Colorado on I-70.

[shinatoo]

When it was built, people used to joke it should be called Limon International Airport because it was so far from the city center. 

Limon is a town in eastern Colorado on I-70.

It also took so long to open people said DIA stood for Doesn't Include Airplanes.

[LCDSI]

pretty nice design. it's too bad. we can't get a light rail from mci to downtown; or just any light rail started period.

[mlind]

It also took so long to open people said DIA stood for Doesn't Include Airplanes.

DIA & United built an automated baggage sorting system that was a disaster.  There were great films on the news of the system in operation - it threw bags all over the place. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/27/natio ... enver.html

[DanCa]

It all worked out eventually.  I've never had an issue getting my bags at DIA.  I love our airport from functionality to artwork and architecture.  Denver just likes to do things big! 

[mlind]

Actually, my bags at DIA arrive promptly - better than other airports.