The Rockford Mass Transit District has announced that work will begin on the renovation and expansion of its downtown Transfer Center the week of February 5, 2018. At that time, construction crews will begin the process of leveling a portion of the existing facility and re-constructing a new Transfer Center. The new Center will be larger, brighter and will house state of the art transit amenities to provide passengers with a more enjoyable transit experience.
The existing RMTD Transfer Center was constructed in 1988. At the time it was built, it was considered a state of the art facility housing all transit operations in one location. 30 years later, it is now time to update this facility. The new building will feature a more efficient footprint for both passengers and vehicles. The layout of the Center will offer increased passenger seating capacity and will also have designated accessible seating. Bike patrons will find a secured area for their bikes while on the buses and there will be better visibility for bus dispatching and security. There will also be a designated Vending area.
The Transfer Center is being designed by the Larson and Darby Group of Rockford, Illinois and the General Contractor on the project is Rockford Structures, another local company. The cost for the new facility is 3.9 million. Approximately 50 percent of the 3.9 million is being funding by the Federal Transit Administration and the balance is being funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation. No local funds are being used on this project.
Demolition of a portion of the existing facility is scheduled to begin the week of February 12, 2018. It is anticipated that this project will take approximately 300 days to complete.
Approximately 50 percent of RMTD’s ridership pass thru the existing Transfer Center on a daily basis. “The customer experience is of the utmost importance to everyone at RMTD,” stated RMTD Executive Director Michael Stubbe. “The new Transfer Center is being designed and built to better meet our riders’ needs. With that in mind, we also want to provide a safe and comfortable environment for our passengers during the construction phase. Therefore, a temporary Transfer facility has been erected on the SW corner of Mulberry and Court Streets. We believe this will seamlessly meet their needs until the construction has finished and the new building is open for business.”
The temporary facility will be staffed the same hours as the former Transfer Center and all transit business will continue to be transacted including purchasing tickets and obtaining photo ID’s. The temporary facility is ADA compliant. A ramp is located on the west side of the facility for wheelchair accessibility and the restrooms in the facility also meet ADA standard. RMTD security and dispatch staff will also be located in the temporary Transfer facility.
