A Lawrence Transit System bus stops just south of Seventh and Vermont streets, Monday, Jan. 18, 2016.

In anticipation of the opening of a new city bus station, Lawrence Transit is looking for public input on the upcoming redesign of city bus routes that also includes an Uber-like “microtransit” option on Sundays.

The route redesign is tied to the long-awaited, multimillion-dollar city bus station project, and Lawrence Transit has been collecting input on possible route changes since last year. The input was used to create the current proposed route change scenario, and Lawrence Transit is now in its final round of public input on the route redesign.

As part of that process, Lawrence Transit is conducting an online survey, holding public meetings and providing information at various locations, and comments will be incorporated into final planned routes, according to a City of Lawrence news release. The new routes will be implemented in two phases, with phase one rolling out in August 2022 and phase two in January 2023, when the bus station is scheduled to open.

The city and the University of Kansas coordinate their bus routes and have been working with consultants at Foursquare ITP to develop the options. Transit consultants previously said a goal of the route redesign was to improve connections between residential areas and popular destinations such as grocery stores, the hospital, downtown, south Iowa Street, schools and business parks. A map of the proposed routes is available on the Lawrence Transit website, Lawrencetransit.org.

The news release lists some of the “big ideas” in the final proposed scenario:

• Sunday service will be introduced in January 2023 using the Uber-like microtransit on-demand service.

• New coordinated Route 100 provides year-round, frequent service between the new bus station, KU, and downtown.

• Realigned Route 27 provides year-round, more convenient access for Haskell Indian Nations University and an interline with Route 10 provides a 1-seat ride from Haskell to Rock Chalk Park.

• Routes 1 and 7 changes connect grocery stores directly to multifamily housing.

• Realigned Route 4 connects North Lawrence with major grocery stores along the Sixth Street corridor.

• Routes 3 and 6 interline provides improved two-way service for the north-central industrial employment area.

• Routes 6 and 11 transfer opportunities at the new bus station simplify north-south travel along the Iowa Street corridor.

• Routes 7 and 9 interline preserves a one-seat ride between Holcom Park, Billy Mills Middle School and Lawrence High School.

• Realigned Route 29 provides year-round service to KU’s West Campus.

According to the city’s summary, federal stimulus funds have allowed the city to do a one-year pilot of free transit services in 2023, including the microtransit option on Sundays. Microtransit functions like on-demand ride-share services such as Uber and Lyft, but uses transit vehicles and drivers. Anyone can request a trip to and from locations within the Lawrence city limits between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Sunday using a smartphone app or by dialing a phone number. Currently there is no bus service on Sundays. Transit consultants previously said the microtransit service would use a van or a smaller bus.

Residents can take the online survey until 11:59 p.m. on April 29 at lawrenceks.org/listens/surveys. Residents can also email questions or feedback to info@lawrencetransit.org.

Lawrence Transit is also holding virtual and in-person public meetings on April 11, 13 and 14, and transit staff will be on hand for questions in the entryway of the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St., from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 7. “Virtual office hours,” where the public can drop in via Zoom to ask questions, will be held on April 8, 12, 18 and 26. Transit staff will also be on hand at the current bus transfer point on the 700 block of Vermont Street at various dates. A full listing of all input options and dates is also available on Lawrence Transit’s website.

Preliminary designs for the bus station were recently released, and the city anticipates the new station will be complete in January 2023, as the Journal-World has reported. The bus station will be located on the southeast corner of Bob Billings Parkway and Crestline Drive. The city is also working on an improved transfer location for downtown.