The Phoenix Public Transit Department recently took home a top prize for environmental efforts in design and construction, earning a Crescordia Award from the environmental advocacy organization Valley Forward for its thoughtful and artfully-rendered refurbishment of Central Station, the city's downtown transit hub and busiest transit center.
The $3.7 million Central Station refurbishment blended both aesthetic and practical elements, including increased shade to passengers, solar energy sustainability features, and recycled construction components, to create a brightly-colored and deftly-landscaped passenger space.
"We know that our passengers want facilities that are attractively designed and easy to navigate," noted Phoenix Public Transit Department Interim Director Neal Young. "The Central Station refurbishment project really brings those two elements together in a way that also meets high environmental standards. It's an excellent effort by our staff and contractors, and an honor to win."
The award, one of several presented by the organization, recognizes excellence in providing multimodal transportation and transit connectivity. Winners were announced at Valley Forward's annual Environmental Excellence Awards, aimed at promoting cooperative efforts to improve the environment and livability of metropolitanPhoenixcommunities. The awards ceremony was held on Sept. 29, 2012.
In addition to its recognition of Central Station, the Public Transit Department's construction of a new park-and-ride facility, at 27th Avenue andBaseline Road, was honored with an Award of Merit in the same category. The park-and-ride is the first in the Laveen community, a mostly rural area that has seen sharply increased demand for transit service as the population has grown. The new park-and-ride provides a service hub for local bus routes and new commuter passenger service to downtownPhoenix.
