New transportation center streamlines mass transit (Source: Houston Chronicle)

By Claire Goodman

As Fort Bend County continues to grow, mass transit is becoming imperative to the local economy. To improve the efficiency and convenience of public transportation, Fort Bend County’s transportation department has opened a new transportation facility.

The $21 million facility is designed to combine all facets of the transportation system in one building. A statement from the transportation department called the facility “a one-stop shop for Fort Bend County’s transportation department, including its administrative, operations, maintenance, fuel depot and bus washing functions.”

The new site is large enough to house the county’s entire bus fleet with room to accommodate more buses. Currently, there are 60 buses in the fleet, and that number is expected to grow rapidly. The facility can house up to 100 buses and can easily expand as needed.

The building will also provide 18,600 square feet of office space for the administrative operations. “This is the first time we’ll have everyone together under one roof,” said Transit Director Perri D’Armond. “It used to be so inefficient when everyone else was spread out.”

Engineering firm Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc. (LAN) provided planning, engineering and design services for the new center. “The completion of the transportation facility marks another milestone toward achieving the county’s transportation vision,” said Jeff Thomas, Vice President of LAN. “By consolidating its operations, maintenance and administrative functions in a single location, the county will be able to more efficiently serve its customers while saving taxpayer dollars.”