Bush message well-received

Now is the time for residents who want to weigh in on the location of the city’s bus transfer hub.

A public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday to discuss a list of potential sites for the bus hub. The meeting is part of a study being conducted to evaluate potential locations where city and University of Kansas bus riders can make transfers, according to a news release from the city.

Public Transit Administrator Robert Nugent said the study initially identified about two dozen potential locations and that consultants are in the process of finalizing five location options to bring to Wednesday’s meeting for discussion. He said because the list is still being finalized that those locations aren’t yet available.

The city bus service has been using what was meant to be a temporary location in the 700 block of Vermont Street as its main transfer point for years. The study will identify potential locations for both a primary and secondary bus transfer hub.

The location study is the second completed in recent years. One was completed in 2014, but the potential locations identified were ruled out, some after strong opposition from neighborhoods. Transportation planners have previously told the Journal-World that all options were back on the table for the new study.

This week’s meeting follows meetings in August that gathered feedback about the desired characteristics of the hub. On Wednesday, residents will be asked to evaluate the potential sites using specific criteria. The survey will also be available on the city’s website beginning Wednesday.

Nugent said the location study will be complete by the end of the year and recommendations will likely go to the City Commission early next year.

The meeting is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St.