Harbor Drive Linear Park
Park Blvd Median Extension at Harbor Dr. Rail Crossing
North Bridge Plaza
Park Blvd. Grade Crossing
San Diego, CA
DESCRIPTION:
Design services for a downtown rail crossing located in an urban area adjacent to Petco Park in East Village. Park Boulevard and the median will be extended to cross the tracks at Harbor Drive adjacent to the San Diego Convention Center. A new vehicular entrance into East Village will be created at Park Blvd.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Access is denied for pedestrians to cross the tracks. Engineered walls and landscape barriers have been incorporated to clearly identify pedestrian preferred safe routes of travel. The design has been coordinated with Burlington Northern Santa Fe, the California Public Utilities Commission, the Port District, and the City of San Diego. The findings of the California Public Utilities Commissions, the “CPUC Final Park Report” criteria, was a main driver for the design of the project. The overall site incorporates portions of the Petco Park, Tony Gwynn Drive, MLK Jr. Promenade, the North Pedestrian Bridge Plaza, and the Linear Park.
CHALLENGES:
The primary challenge is to keep pedestrians out of the railroad corridor by designing barriers that are effective physical deterrents, deterrents that meet CPUC criteria, and a design that does not destroy the existing high level of urban design. The design is intended to incorporate architectural elements, color and textures that are complimentary to the character of the existing Martin Luther King, Jr. Promenade, Petco Park, and the North Bridge Plaza.