The 1:55 p.m. Greyhound bus headed to Topeka and southwest to Dallas, drops off a passenger Tuesday, July 5, 2016 at the bus stop between City Hall and the Riverfront.

After failed attempts to find another location for its bus stop, the Greyhound bus service has now been using what was supposed to be a temporary location near City Hall for more than a year.

After multiple extensions of the arrangement, Greyhound has worn out its welcome with the city, becoming what city officials say is a “drain of staff resources.”

“City Hall has kind of become a de facto Greyhound bus station,” said city engineer David Cronin, who said the bus stop’s proximity to City Hall confuses Greyhound’s customers. “City staff time has been spent handling issues and printing tickets and informing their customers that this isn’t a location to purchase tickets.”

Greyhound provides daily service to Lawrence three times a day on its route between Topeka and Kansas City, and connects to various cities across the country. There is currently no Greyhound hub or ticket kiosk in Lawrence and Cronin said some Greyhound customers don’t realize tickets can only be purchased online.

Since December 2015, the City Commission has granted Greyhound three extensions to continue using the city right-of-way at Sixth and New Hampshire streets. The area consists of a concrete and brick walkway with a few benches. Following what the city said was a final extension, Greyhound is supposed to cease using the location as its bus stop on Sunday, Jan. 15.

Despite the proximity of the deadline, Greyhound officials say a resolution hasn’t been found and they “continue to explore various location sites.”

“We are diligently working to find a location that benefits the community,” Lanesha Gipson, senior communications specialist for Greyhound, said via email. “However, nothing has been solidified as of yet.”

Cronin said he’s aware of the company’s discussions with private businesses, and he hopes Greyhound is able to get a deal made.

“The definition of temporary has already extended beyond a year, and so having the final date is hopefully strongly encouraging them to come to an agreement with someone else,” Cronin said.

If not, another extension would have to be approved by the City Commission. But Cronin said that a request likely wouldn’t be entertained unless Greyhound agrees to make improvements to the location, which lacks a shelter and ticket kiosk.

The temporary arrangement began after the bus service was displaced from its previous pickup and dropoff point at Sixth Street and Crestline Drive when the convenience store there, Pick & Pay, went out of business in 2015. A previous temporary location, at the intersection of Seventh and New Jersey streets, was relocated after a nearby nonprofit said Greyhound customers were going to them for assistance and shelter.

In November, Greyhound officials approached the city about making the Sixth and New Hampshire location permanent, but city staff recommended against the proposition on its premise alone. Cronin said the idea was a “nonstarter.”

“We’re not in the business to run a private company or to serve a private company,” Cronin said.

Still, Cronin and other city leaders have agreed that the bus line is valuable.

“We don’t want to see them not be able to serve the citizens of Lawrence,” Cronin said. “But, on the other hand, we’ve tried to be accommodating over the last year or so on assisting them, and hopefully they can find some place here in the next few days.”