Progress continues on bus transfer station

After more than eight months of construction, the new Bloomington Transit bus transfer station is halfway complete and is anticipated for a 2014 spring opening.

The station, being built on the corner of East Third and South Walnut streets, will replace the current station at East Fourth and Washington streets, which opened in 1987.

Bloomington Transit general manager Lew May said the new station will feature more amenities to the public than Bloomington Transit’s current station.

Because the original station was built more than 26 years ago, it has since become outdated due to lack of space for both passengers and buses.

May said in 1987 only half a million riders were using the transit system every year, which has since accumulated to 3.5 million, and buses were only 30 feet in length.

With modern buses now being 35 to 40 feet long, May said the new station will be able to accommodate for much more space with a capacity of 50 buses.

The transit’s current station can hold only nine.

Other improvements to the new station include public restrooms, air conditioning and Wi-Fi for customers. Passengers who also carry bikes will have space available for bike racks and storage areas.

A new advanced feature will be a large screen monitor that will display bus route information for passengers at precise times and locations.

“This is going to be a modern 21st century bus terminal,” May said. “It will be a big improvement over what we currently have.”

The outside of the station will feature limestone walls and glass windows to compliment the traditional architectural style that most buildings around Bloomington feature.

May said there will be lane closures on East Third Street over the next couple of months while workers use a crane to erect the station’s walls and roof.

Once the outside of the building is established, May said they will then install plumbing and electricity.

As of now, May said it will still be another six to seven months until the station will be open to the public, but that their working crew is so far on schedule.

After the station is complete there are plans to make the building LEED certified, a certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council that would allow for the station to be more environmentally friendly.

The certification process is composed of a point system that would determine the environmental merits of the building.

Erin Erdmann, convention sales manager at Visit Bloomington, said that in addition to the building’s new technological features, the station’s efforts of providing a green-friendly atmosphere will be more efficient and appealing to people who visit the city.

“We’re always excited about people finding eco-conscious and eco-friendly ways to travel here and any opportunity that comes in with ways to bring in visitors for the day or weekend,” Erdmann said.

The station’s location of remaining in the downtown district was heavily influenced by the city.

Adam Wason, communications director for the city of Bloomington, said Mayor Mark Kruzan was supportive in the effort of keeping the transit station in its centralized location that would make it easily accessible for Bloomington residents.

Wason also said the city worked with the Bloomington Police Department to move the dispatch center for the entire emergency services of Monroe County to the new station’s second floor, though it is anticipated to not be up and running until a few months after the station opens.

“The City of Bloomington has strongly supported keeping transit services in the core of the downtown and is pleased with the partnerships that have resulted achieving this goal” Wason said. “By co-locating the newly-constructed transit hub with emergency dispatch services into a modern dispatch facility, the community will benefit for decades to come from this collaborative approach.”

Follow reporter Brett Frieman on Twitter @brttfrmn.