photo by: City of Lawrence

Some of the design options for the city's new bus station, at left, and some of the design options for the city's new downtown bus transfer location, at right, are pictured in this City of Lawrence graphic.

The City of Lawrence is seeking public input regarding the design of the city’s new bus station and the location and design of a smaller bus transfer location downtown.

The city has budgeted $6 million for the bus station, which it is working on in conjunction with the University of Kansas. The city and the university coordinate their bus routes, and in 2019 the City Commission settled on locating the bus station on KU property on the southeast corner of Bob Billings Parkway and Crestline Drive.

The station will include 10 bus bays, a covered waiting area, bike parking and a building that will include a customer service area, according to a news release from the city. There are several potential designs for the bus station that arrange the various components of the station in different ways.

The downtown bus transfer area will move from the current location along the side of the road in the 700 block of Vermont Street to a new downtown location in August 2022. Potential sites for the downtown transfer location include city-owned parking lots in the 800 block of Vermont Street, the 1000 block of Vermont Street and the 800 block of New Hampshire Street. There are options that would be along the street and ones that would take over a parking lot. The new downtown transfer location will include five bus bays, a covered waiting area, bike parking and a restroom for bus operators.

The city is holding two meetings Wednesday to gather public input on both the bus station and downtown bus transfer point. The first meeting will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. and the second from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Residents can view the design options and register for the virtual meeting or for an in-person option at the project website, lawrencetransit.org/transfer-facility/. Residents can also provide feedback, concerns or questions via the website, or by emailing info@lawrencetransit.org or calling 785-864-4644.

The city also has a survey on its Lawrence Listens website, lawrenceks.org/listens, to accept input, and the Public Transit Advisory Committee will discuss the bus projects in a meeting at 4:10 p.m. June 14 at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St.