BIG CITY, BIG EVENTS, BIG AMENITIES, BIG FUTURE PROGRESS 2019  Page 18


TransitTerminalwillbeacommunityhubforyearstocome Dave Mabell LETHBRIDGE HERALD dmabell@lethbridgeherald.com


or many years, Lethbridge Transit passengers have been transferring between


buses on 4 Avenue South downtown. The 6 Street corner was also


where they could shop at Eaton’s—or Kresge’s or Woolworth.Or if theywere travelling by car, they could use the city’s four-level parkade behind Eaton’s. Fast forward: All those


stores are gone, and soon the curbside “terminal” will be history aswell. Later this summer, passengers will catch their bus at the new $17-million regional “Park and Ride” parkade and transit depot. Nownearing completion


on the former Bompass surface parking lot on 5 Avenue, between 7 and 8 Streets South, the multi-level facility will provide 293 downtown parking spaces as well as a safer, protected terminal for transit passengers. The structure was designed


by JMAA Architects, who also created the design for the city’sMulticultural Centre— previously, the downtown fire hall. The contractor, Graham Construction, also built the larger parkade at Chinook RegionalHospital. The terminal’s superstructure—using huge precast concrete pieces for pillars, parking floor slabs and simulated brick walls— was lifted into place last fall. Over the winter, crews have


installed electrical circuits, heating and air handling systems, windowframes and


will be secured by a fob access system, Westerson reports, and further security for passengers will be provided by on- duty personnel and a network of surveillance cameras. Passengers will


nowbe provided with a heated waiting area and washrooms. They might also


be offered coffee and snacks, depending on who moves into the 4,000-square-foot retail lease space next to the waiting area. Upstairs,


Westerson says, the facility also includes two office spaces, about 6,500 square feet each, near the central elevators. “This facility will


Herald photo by Ian Martens


Construction continues on the new$17-million regional “Park and Ride” parkade and transit terminal, scheduled to welcome passengers later this summer.


metal grids to support large glass panels outside the three stairwells. Construction is expected to


be substantially complete in June, says Lethbridge facility services manager Conrad Westerson. While building


commissioning and staff training are underway in July and August, the city’s transportation department will be upgrading surrounding sidewalks and installing traffic lights.


Downtown bus routes to


the new terminal are expected to be introduced before post-secondary classes resume in September. The facility’s 10 bus bays


will allowpassengers to change routes easily, Westerson notes, with no need to cross the street or watch for pedestrian signals. Red Arrowservice to


Calgary and points north will also be based in the terminal, he says, and Red Arrow personnel will sell and reload


Breeze cards and handle day passes for Lethbridge Transit. TheHighway 3 Connector service to Coaldale, Taber and MedicineHat will also leave fromthe depot. Passengers driving into


Lethbridge to ride Red Arrow will be offered parking upstairs,Westerson adds. Butmost of the stalls will be


leased to downtown residents and business owners, freeing up downtown curbside parking for customers. Access to the parkade levels


provide residents with a comfortable and safe location to access city transit services, that is protected fromthe weather,” Westerson says.


“Regional connectivity is


also a major benefit,” providing a location where current and future regional services can link with Lethbridge Transit. In support of the project,


the previous provincial government provided $10.1 million fromits GreenTrip and public transit infrastructure programs, while $2 million came from the federal government through its Public Transit Infrastructure Fund.


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