Virginia Association of Railway Patrons

Modern Transportation for the Virginias

Fredericksburg Station Needs Amtrak Information, More Parking, and Traffic Enforcement, Say Rail Passengers

August 21, 2011

The Fredericksburg railroad station is served by Virginia Railway Express on weekdays and by Amtrak seven days a week.

The station turned 100 years old in 2010. “It’s listed on the Great American Stations website, which promptly belies the ‘great’ label with a terse description of the station’s lack of amenities: ‘Platform with Shelter … No station hours. No ticket office hours. No Quik-Trak [Amtrak ticket machine] hours. No checked baggage hours. No help with baggage.’ Fredericksburg could have a nicer gateway for arriving and departing rail passengers,” wrote VARP chairman Steve Dunham in an Oct. 10, 2010, column in the Fredericksburg Free Lance–Star

However, 25 30 Espresso 400 Princess Anne Street, close to the station, is open early on weekdays and has a restroom for customers.

Parking, though, is insufficient for all the passengers who want to ride. On weekdays the free commuter lots fill up early. Paid parking is available in a city garage two blocks away, at Charlotte and Sophia streets.

“If one approaches the station going east on Lafayette Boulevard and turns right onto Princess Anne Street, one is confronted with a barrier that precludes entering the station from Princess Anne,” commented passenger Bob Bevan. “However, if one goes around the block to one-way Caroline Street, one would be past the (only) parking lot when one sees the ‘Do Not Enter’ sign to the train station parking lot. Also, the parking at the train station immediately behind it is very limited and is entirely for handicapped people. How is one supposed to drop off or pick up someone with such a ridiculous arrangement?” (Arriving by car via Princess Anne Street, which is one way, you have to be in the left lane to turn into the station driveway and the handicapped parking area. Caroline Street has a few 20-minute parking spots. The parking lot on Caroline Street is for city residents only.)

On weekdays, Fred feeder buses serve the station in rush hours. The other Fred bus lines that pass near the station do not run before 8 AM, preventing their use by VRE commuters in the morning, and, except for the college shuttle, do not run weekends.

Another problem at the station is pedestrian access. “Traffic movement near the station is virtually unrestricted,” noted Steve Dunham. “The streets in the vicinity of the station are a hazard to pedestrians and would present a positive obstacle if traffic were heavier.” The traffic lights where Lafayette Boulevard crosses Caroline Street and Princess Anne Street are positioned such that pedestrians cannot see the signals from some corners, he pointed out. He added that the light at Caroline Street will not turn green for pedestrians to cross Lafayette Boulevard unless traffic on Caroline Street triggers it. “Both intersections should have exclusive pedestrian lights that require all traffic to stop for at least 10 seconds,” he said.

A one-hour traffic survey conducted by the group during the morning rush hour of June 10, 199, showed 40 vehicles turning without signalling, 21 more turning right on red without stopping, 21 stopping blocking a crosswalk, plus other assorted moving violations. “Traffic enforcement appears nonexistent,” said Dunham. Things have only gotten worse since then.

The signs at the station warn of fines for boarding trains without validated tickets, but this applies only to VRE trains, and the signs are not explicit about this, and some riders are not clear on the difference between VRE and Amtrak, Dunham pointed out. Other signs warn that the station is “for the use of patrons and suppliers of Amtrak and RF&P Railroad Co. Trespassing for any other purpose is prohibited.” The rail passenger group wants Amtrak and VRE to install correct and up-to-date signs with information for passengers.

Finally, the organization wants Amtrak to install a system that informs passengers about delays and indicates which platform a train will use. Most Amtrak arrivals are preceded by an announcement as to which track the train will be on, but if people are on the wrong platform, they still need to go down, under, and up to the other platform.

While VARP notes the station’s good points, such as its downtown location and handicapped access, the rail passengers want to see the station meet its potential. “The rail service on the whole is pretty good,” stated Dunham, “but people still have trouble parking, crossing the street, and knowing which platform to use. In other words, the trains are good, but getting on board can be a problem.”

Virginia Assn. of Railway Patrons Station Access Study: Fredericksburg, VA

In general, the Fredericksburg station, served by Virginia Railway Express Amtraks, has good pedestrian access and good access for handicapped patrons. The parking and public transit access are inadequate, however.

There is free parking at several lots near the station, but on weekdays they fill up before 7 AM, leaving no parking places for those riding VRE trains 310 and 312 or Amtrak trains 84, 94, and 80. Additional parking at this station or another in Fredericksburg or Spotsylvania is urgently needed. Three Fred bus lines pass near the station but do not serve the station before 8 AM, preventing their use by VRE commuters in the morning. More frequent Fred service and schedules during rail commuting hours would greatly improve access to the station and perhaps reduce the need for parking.

There are ramps and elevators (in addition to stairs) to both platforms, and curb cuts at all intersections adjacent to the station. The station has direct pedestrian access to Caroline Street, Princess Anne Street, and Lafayette Boulevard, plus a bridge walkway from the station to the parking lot for city residents. The station is within walking distance of all of downtown Fredericksburg and is about a mile from the Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center.

The streets in the vicinity of the station, however, are a hazard to pedestrians and would present a positive obstacle if traffic were heavier. The traffic lights where Lafayette Boulevard crosses Caroline Street and Princess Anne Street are positioned such that pedestrians cannot see the signals from some corners. The light at Caroline Street will not turn green for pedestrians to cross Lafayette Boulevard unless traffic on Caroline Street triggers it. Both intersections should have exclusive pedestrian lights that require all traffic to stop for at least 10 seconds.

Traffic movement near the station is virtually unrestricted. A one-hour traffic survey during the morning rush hour showed 40 vehicles turning without signalling, 21 more turning right on red without stopping, 21 stopping blocking a crosswalk, plus other assorted moving violations. Traffic enforcement appears nonexistent.

Signs at the station do an inadequate job. They warn of fines for boarding VRE trains without validated tickets, but some riders are not clear on the difference between VRE and Amtrak, and the signs do not explain. Other signs warn that the station is “for the use of patrons and suppliers of Amtrak and RF&P Railroad Co. Trespassing for any other purpose is prohibited.” VRE passengers beware. Amtrak and VRE should cooperate and install correct and up-to-date signs with information for passengers.

A hazard and major inconvenience to passengers is the unpredictability of which platform Amtrak trains will stop at. The frequent necessity to go down, under, and up to the other platform is a bane of Amtrak passengers and must be the source of train delays as well. It also prompts some people to cross the tracks rather than use the underpass. Also, Amtrak delays are routine but unannounced. Amtrak should as soon as practicable install an information system that informs passengers about delays and indicates which platform a train will use. Although VRE has approached Amtrak about including Amtrak information in the audio and scrolling-text announcements at the station, Amtrak has apparently taken no action.

Results of the Traffic Survey at the Fredericksburg Station, June 10, 1999, 6:50 to 7:50 AM

21 vehicles turned right on red without stopping; 10 of those did not signal either.

21 other vehicles stopped blocking a crosswalk; 5 of them also turned without signalling.

40 additional vehicles turned without signalling, 4 of those while pedestrians were crossing the street.

5 other vehicles made turns from the wrong lane or went straight in a turning lane.

One car ran a red light and turned left.

One vehicle drove for half a block the wrong way on Princess Anne Street.