2023 Freetown DAT Report - Flipbook - Page 40
Freetown DAT
37
Annie Walsh Memorial School Cable Car
Station
The Eastern Police/Annie Walsh School area is one of
the most vibrant and heavily used areas of Freetown,
with among the highest land rents anywhere in the
city. Residential areas sit within walking distance of
the commercial areas, providing multiple origins and
destinations for cable car users. The site’s attraction for
a cable car site is obvious.
Narrow sidewalks, obstructions, and very high vehicle
and pedestrian flows, however, make navigation slow
and somewhat inefficient in this area, negating some
of the benefit of a cable car station. As with all cable
car stations, reducing friction and impediments to
pedestrian travel is important.
At the Annie Walsh School station site itself, removing
most of the wall around the school, while preserving
the columns to maintain the historic memory, will allow
wider sidewalks to accommodate all of the street needs.
The wall can be reconstructed further into the Annie
Walsh School to provide the separation of uses that
is critical to the school. A sample Annie Walsh School
Cable Car station program might include:
• The outside wall between the current sidewalk and
the school would be removed near the station, with
preservation of key columns and points. This would
preserve history while allowing for wider sidewalks
for pedestrians and street traders.
• The first floor of the cable car station would contain
ticketing facilities and an elevator and escalator to
the 3rd floor cable car stop.
• The first floor on the side facing the school could
have lockers for students, which would also help
generate more of a sound buffer, and back up to
retail facing the streets.
The station can serve the Clock Tower/Eastern Police area, while simultaneously providing facilities to for the school. In essence, there would be two buildings inside the station, one
focused on the street and transit and one focused on the school.
