Fort Bend County celebrates ribbon cutting of new public transportation facility (Source: Mass Transit)

By Mass Transit Staff

Fort Bend County, Texas, will celebrate the completion of its new public transportation facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony Jan. 28.

The $21-million facility will serve as a one-stop shop for Fort Bend County’s transportation department, including its administrative, operations, maintenance, fuel depot and bus washing functions. The facility will also accommodate the county’s existing fleet of buses as well as future additions. It includes 18,600-square feet of office space, 28,400-square feet of maintenance bays, covered bus parking, a 7,100-square-foot fuel and washing station, a break area, relaxation lounge and kitchen spaces.

Fort Bend County’s population and employment growth have increased traffic congestion considerably. To address this growth, in January 2011, the Fort Bend County completed a long-range transit plan. The plan includes several proposals to improve its existing bus and van services and expand its system for the next 25 years. The new transportation facility is a significant component of this plan.

Engineering firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) provided planning, engineering and design services for the new center while SpawGlass served as the contractor. Other firms involved in the project include RdlR Architects as the architect, Huitt Zollars as construction manager, Asakura Robinson as the landscape architect and HDR | Maintenance Design Group for specialty equipment and systems. The Federal Transit Administration and Fort Bend County provided the funding for the $21 million project.