Construction on a new $7.8-million transit facility is well underway and, according to Chris Reason, project manager for the City of Airdrie, the municipality is excited about the project's potential to grow local public transportation services.
“Essentially, [the facility] will be a one-stop-shop for the transit system,” he said.
The hub is being constructed in the northeast corner of Airdrie on Highland Park Way, not far from the Airdrie RCMP detachment, and will be roughly 50,000 square feet. The site will become the new home of Aridrie Transit and will feature an administrative space including offices, boardrooms and a small reception area.
Bus maintenance will be provided through dedicated service bays, and the facility will also have a wash lane and service lane where fluids can be topped up, Reason said. Buses will also be stored onsite in what he described as a large, covered parking lot.
The new facility will not have a public bus stop, Reason said, and therefore will not replace any existing stops or change routes.
Currently, according to Reason, Airdrie’s transit system is scattered across the city. Some buses are stored at a City facility on East Lake Hill, and others are stored at a yard owned by the City’s current transit contractor.
“Now, we’ll be able to house all the buses in one locations,” he said, “we’ll be able to maintain the buses in one location, we’ll be able to wash the buses in one location, we’ll be able to administer any transit needs at the facility.”
Reason said similar centralized transit facilities are common in larger communities in Canada, where a fulsome transit system is essential. A building that houses the transit administration and allows bus storage and maintenance enables Airdrie Transit to work more efficiently as it transports residents around the city, according to Reason.
Construction began April 1, and as of June 10, he said work on the foundation was underway, with contractors working on a second concrete pour for the grade beam detail.
The building will be “boxed in” before winter begins, allowing crews to complete work on the interior once the weather cools, Reason added.
“It’ll look almost finished by the end of the year,” he said. “We’ll have the asphalt done, we’ll have the landscaping done, we’ll have planters done. All the exterior work will be done in an effort to reduce the schedule next year.”
The building is anticipated to be complete by June 1, 2020, at which point the City’s transit contractor will have an opportunity to do interior renovations on its space within the facility.
“Essentially, Sept. 1, 2020, will be the move-in date for transit and all of our assets,” Reason said.
