NE: New mural brightens controversial Lincoln bus transfer station

Hannah Ashburn is a regular StarTran user — and she’s an artist.

That turned out to be a serendipitous combination, and the reason a brick wall at the city’s temporary transfer station at 11th and L streets is now covered with brightly painted wildflowers.

The mural is the latest addition to the controversial transfer station in what used to be Settell’s Printing on the northwest corner of 11th and L, a pro bono project Ashburn agreed to do when contacted by a Lincoln Transportation and Utilities employee who broached the idea.

“This is a very important project for me,” said Ashburn, named one of the Lincoln Arts Festival’s emerging artists. “Public transit is important to me. I believe in it. It’s a necessity for me.”

She sees the mural as a way to beautify the area and advocate for public transit — and in this case to get the working bathrooms at the transfer station the city promised to provide.

The bathrooms, she said, have been closed for about two months and advocates have been talking to Lincoln Transportation and Utilities officials about it.

The contractor installed the bathrooms on an uneven floor, which caused leaking, so they had to close them, said LTU spokeswoman Erika Hill.

The city is working with the contractor to level the floors and fix the problem so they can reopen the bathrooms. They were notified Friday that the contractor will be there Monday to inspect them, she said.

She isn't sure when they’ll be finished.

“We are working with the contractor to find a way to expedite repairing the floor for the bathrooms in order to open them up for use,” she said.

The downtown transfer station has long been an issue — for both bus patrons and the city. For years it was at the corner of 11th and N streets near the southern end of the former Gold’s department store.

When REV Development bought Gold’s and began demolishing the southern half of the building, city officials looked for another transfer station — a temporary spot until the new multi-million dollar center they’re planning to build south of the County-City Buildingalong 10th Street is built.

Meeting Federal Transit Administration requirements for the temporary transfer station proved difficult and eventually REV Development bought the former Settell’s for the city to use.

Local business owners located nearby opposed the idea, worrying about the impact it would have on their businesses. They worried about traffic, parking and — one of their topmost concerns — the lack of bathrooms.

SaRena Freet, who owns The Hot Mess, 408 S. 11th St., said that's been the biggest issue with the temporary site. Since the bathrooms closed, they've had bus patrons come to businesses along 11th Street to use the bathrooms or get water, she said.

Transfer Station, 6.26

The temporary bus transfer station at the former Settell's Printing building at 11th and L streets.

Traffic and safety is an issue, too, she said, but they’ve convinced the city to add a few more benches.

But Freet loves the new mural — the sort of public art she and other businesses advocated for during meetings with the city. She can see it from the patio of her bar.

“It really brightens up the space a lot. It’s just beautiful,” Freet said. “I love 11th Street. I love this neighborhood. I get to see the best of the city here, so it’s nice to see a new mural here.”

The city loved the idea of using public art to beautify the area and it’s a great example of how public engagement can affect city projects, Hill said.

“It’s so cool because some of the best ideas come from the public engagement we do,” she said. “This is a great example. It was inexpensive and a rewarding experience.”

Because Ashburn agreed to do the mural for free, the city spent just $465 on supplies.

Ashburn said Freet saw her working and brought her water to keep her hydrated in the sweltering heat, and has been a huge proponent. Her art is primarily fiber based and this is her first mural, she said.

She submitted several designs to the city and employees voted on them and chose the flowers. To her delight, bus drivers have stopped to pick up patrons and told her they voted for that design, she said.

Doing the work has also allowed her to meet more of the bus patrons she’s shared buses with over the years, she said.

The flower design represents the idea of preservation — of green spaces, native species, public services and public spaces, she said.

Providing public services and looking out for each other is worth advocating for, she said.

“This is one of my love letters to public transit and to public art,” she said.

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