City officials said they hope to make Madison’s high-speed rail station a center for tourist activity, although many plans about the project still need to be finalized.

Members of the Long Range Transportation Planning Committee met Thursday evening to hear developments in the design of a high speed rail station overlooking Lake Monona adjacent to the Department of Administration building.

Thursday’s meeting was largely dedicated to discussing the design and logistics of the new station, making sure the rail will be equally accessible to bikers, pedestrians and drivers.

“There’s a bigger idea here that we’re trying to look at here: What’s the impression people get when they first arrive”? said Amy Hasselman, an architect working on the new station. “We want people to say ‘Wow, this is a really cool place.'”

Hasselman said she hoped to extend the waiting area for the station over the Monona Terrace parking lot so travelers could view the lake and the downtown area.

She said she envisioned the station as a place where tourists could learn about places to visit in Madison and increase their appreciation for what it has to offer.

Donna Brown, a Planning Manager with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, said WISDOT is still on track with development, but is trying to work out many issues associated with the flow of the design.

The engineers planning the layout are still including parking availability, where and how to unload public buses, getting riders up to the platform, along with a number of other details.

Planners said they hope the final design of the Monona station is as accessible as possible while not adding heavy traffic downtown.

Parking at the station remains a major issue, as there is such limited space, and all possible options will almost double the cost of the project.

The projected cost of the station is around $12 million, according to WISDOT estimates, and the construction of traveler parking spaces might be equally expensive.

ProRail board member Royce Williams estimated the addition of 400 parking spaces would add another $12 million to the total cost of the project.

Madison officials are committed to having the necessary amount of parking provided, Brown said, and are offering up parking at select government buildings as a possible solution.

Other opportunities WISDOT is considering include street parking for drop-off and pick-up, accessibility to the John Nolen bike path and Metro and inter-city bus options.

There are plans, however, to test these ideas in simulations and virtual designs where committee members would be able to have the sensation of walking through the facility.

Between finding the best layout and design of the high speed rail station and making it as attractive as possible, members of the committee said they have much more to finish before any plans are finalized.

“They have their own ideas of what and what not to do,” Brown said in regards to working with the board. “We are just trying to make everyone happy.”