photo by: Rochelle Valverde

Residents board buses at the transit stop in the 700 block of Vermont Street on Aug. 18, 2022.

Applications are now open for the steering committee that will guide the process of selecting a site for a downtown Lawrence bus station.

As the Journal-World has reported, the Lawrence City Commission approved the framework for a proposed 12-member steering committee for the project last week. The city’s transit office is working to replace the existing temporary downtown bus hub located across the street from the Lawrence Public Library.

People who are interested in serving on the steering committee can apply on the city’s website. Appointments will be made by Feb. 6, so interested candidates should apply no later than Feb. 5 in order to be considered.

“Transit staff is ready to support the steering committee in their work at helping find the best location for downtown transit improvements,” Transit and Parking Manager Adam Weigel announced in a news release Wednesday. “We know how important downtown Lawrence is to this community, and we need a diverse set of voices to help us guide this project and make it successful.”

As the Journal-World has reported, the steering committee will consist of the following members:

• One nonvoting member who will serve as chair of the steering committee, appointed by the City Commission.

• One member of the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, appointed by the chamber.

• One representative of Downtown Lawrence Inc., appointed by DLI.

• One representative of the Lawrence Public Library, appointed by the library.

• One representative of the Senior Resource Center for Douglas County, appointed by the Senior Resource Center.

• One First Transit bus driver, appointed by First Transit.

• One representative of the Lawrence Association of Neighborhoods, appointed by LAN.

• One representative of the Public Transit Advisory Committee, appointed by the committee.

• One Lawrence Transit bus rider, appointed by First Transit and city transit staff.

• One resident of downtown Lawrence, one employee of a downtown Lawrence business and one Lawrence resident serving as an at-large member, each appointed by the City Commission.

Wednesday’s release notes that though Lawrence Transit’s new Central Station at 2315 Bob Billings Parkway recently opened for service, five bus routes will continue to serve downtown. To that end, the site selection process aims to improve comfort and convenience for transit riders, albeit through “less significant improvements” than what was added at Central Station.

The downtown project calls for elements like driver restrooms, individual bus bays, next departure signs, and sufficient seating and wind protection to be included in the site design. The site selection process will continue through 2024, with construction work targeted for 2025.