At their meeting this week, City Commissioners decided on a site for the Downtown Transit Station. The location will be City parking Lot #14, in the 700 block of Vermont St. The lot is on the northeast corner of 8th and Vermont Streets.

“We’re so appreciative of everyone who committed to this year-long process of public engagement. Hearing from our community every step of the way was critical to selecting a site,” said Felice Lavergne, Interim Director of Transit. “Downtown Station will offer a clean, safe, and comfortable experience for bus drivers and riders. We’re excited to work together with our project partners to design a space that will be an asset to our city.”

The next steps in the process are:

• 12/17 – Q2 2025: KDOT assists in completing a federal worksheet for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
• 2025 – 2026: The design and construction process occurs.

Of the 20 bus routes in Lawrence, five routes will continue to serve Downtown Lawrence. The goal of a new Downtown Station is to improve comfort and convenience for bus riders, in order to encourage more transit ridership today and in the future. The main elements that have been identified to include in the site design for Downtown Station are:

• Driver restrooms
• Individual bus bays
• Seating and wind protection
• Next departure signs
• Weather protection canopies

As part of the 2026 Transit Department operational budget, Downtown Station is planned to be staffed with security personnel from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Read more about Downtown Station here: https://lawrencetransit.org/projects/downtown-station

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