STV will design new MTA Jamaica bus depot alongside Skanska

March 24, 2023
The professional services firm will provide architectural, civil, structural, industrial, industrial plumbing, environmental, geotechnical, communications, charging infrastructure and utilities to the new Queens depot and lot.

STV has secured a contract with Skanska to serve as lead designer on a design-build of a new Jamaica Bus Depot and parking lot in the New York City borough of Queens for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

The professional services firm that plans, designs and manages infrastructure projects across North America will provide a full suite of design services including architectural, civil, structural, industrial, industrial plumbing, environmental, geotechnical, communications, charging infrastructure and utilities for the new depot and lot, which will be the city’s first to be outfitted with the ability to service a fleet of entirely battery electric buses (BEBs).

“The existing Jamaica Bus Depot is more than 80 years old and has limited capacity,” said Jeffrey Messinger, project design manager at STV. “This upgrade will support the MTA’s planned bus fleet growth and its transition from diesel to battery electric buses.”

Once complete, the new facility will provide the capacity necessary to operate, maintain and store 272 buses. Initially, the depot will serve a combination of diesel and BEBs, but the MTA plans to transition to a full BEB fleet by 2030.

STV has a long history with the Jamaica Bus Depot. Between 2015 and 2021, the firm provided environmental documentation and air permit support for its proposed reconstruction and expansion, and prepared an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which investigated alternatives on mitigation measures for air quality, parking and traffic, as well as noise and vibration.

“STV has built a reputation and long-standing relationship with the MTA as a premier bus maintenance facility design expert,” said Messinger. “We bring local and national expertise, having completed of some of the most complex, large-scale bus facilities in the New York region and nationwide. Our integrated services across transportation and buildings design offer this client the whole package.”

STV’s direct relevant design-build experience includes its design of the city’s most recent bus depot, Mother Clara Hale, which opened in 2016. STV served as the architect- and engineer-of-record for this 390,000-square-foot New York City Transit project, which features low-emission boilers, solar air heating, heat-recovery air handling units, natural lighting, rainwater recycling and a green roof.