North end bus terminal to be expanded and updated
The Water Street bus terminal in the city’s north core will be getting some major upgrades this year.
Thunder Bay transit services manager Brad Loroff said improvements will include making the indoor space 50 per cent larger, adding an outdoor canopy to help shelter riders from the elements, bettering lighting and electronic signage, installing a new HVAC system and bringing the property up to modern accessibility standards.
“The waterfront terminal building itself is well past its end of life,” Loroff said. “This renovation is really about addressing all of the issues of the capital end-of-life issues with the building.”
It is about “refreshing everything, making everything new, bringing things up to proper modern-day amenities for folks,” Loroff continued. It will also make the building more efficient, he said.
The city currently has a request for proposals out for a contractor to do the work. Loroff said that is expected to begin this summer and be completed this year.
The project is being funded through money the city has received from the federal government’s investing in Canada infrastructure program — it is to be the first of four projects city transit will undertake with that funding, Loroff said, adding the specifics of the other three are still to be finalized.
“It’s refreshing an older building that’s reached its capital life expectancy that’s at the end of its life,” he said.
The terminal building was built about 50 years ago, Loroff said.
While the construction is being done, transit operations will be moved to a temporary location in the downtown north core, he said.
“There will be more information to follow once the details of what that temporary move looks like will be available for people,” Loroff said.
Accessibility improvements at the downtown north-side terminal will include things like better pedestrian access, new automatic door controls and improved lighting.
Samantha Zrobin, the current chair of the city’s accessibility advisory committee, said enlarging the building and creating proper cutouts on the curbs will make the space more accessible for those with mobility aids and that enhanced lighting and on-ground lines and markings will help those with visual disabilities.
“Ensuring that there’ll be spots for wheelchairs and walkers and mobility devices at the tables that will be outside,” will be another improvement, Zrobin said.
Loroff spoke about the project to the accessibility advisory committee at its May meeting.
“I believe it’s going to make a difference,” Zrobin said of the upgrades. “I believe that … anything that is upgraded will help with our accessibility in Thunder Bay.” – tbnewswatch.com
article website here
…The project is being funded through money the city has received from the federal government’s investing in Canada infrastructure program — it is to be the first of four projects city transit will undertake with that funding, Loroff said, adding the specifics of the other three are still to be finalized….
Soooall of this ‘refreshing everything’ and ‘bring everything up to modern-day amenities for folks’ and ‘adding an outdoor canopy to help shelter riders from the elements, bettering lighting and electronic signage, installing a new HVAC system and bringing the property up to modern accessibility standards’ would not happen without funding from the Federal Government.
What that means is that the City of Thunder Bay only cares about its citizens safety, connivence and comfort if it gets funding from senior levels of government. No funding, then to hell with the bus riders. Suck it up and just be happy you have a 50 plus year old building with a roof on it. It does not matter if its too small or the HVAC system does not always work.It does not matter if the outdoor lighting is insufficient. Just be happy that you don’t have to stand out in freezing winter temps or a heavy rain storm.
This is another example of how much this city depends on the kindness of strangers for much, if not all, of its infrastructure maintenance and/or construction. Our municipal taxes do not cover a large portion of the money that is required to maintain this city.
Our high salaried residents of City Hall depend on these ‘funding gifts’ from Queens Park and Ottawa to keep up the charade that local taxes are low. Not true.
I would like to know exactly how much money the City of Thunder Bay gets from sources other than municipal taxes. How much is the real cost of running this city.