With Central Station opening for bus service on Tuesday, January 2, it is time for the community to turn their attention back to another project—the site of a future Downtown Station.

Five bus routes will continue to serve Downtown Lawrence after the results of a Route Redesign Study go into effect next week. The Downtown Station site selection process aims to improve comfort and convenience to encourage more transit ridership today and in the future. In comparison with the design and construction of Central Station, less significant improvements will be needed for the Downtown Station.

“Central Station provides a great example of the quality of bus facilities that Lawrence deserves. Our beautiful downtown should have that level of quality too,” said Adam Weigel, Transit & Parking Manager. “The big question is, where do we fit those amenities? I’m looking forward to the community helping us figure that out.”

The main elements that have been identified to include in the site design are:

• Driver restrooms
• Individual bus bays
• Sufficient seating and wind protection
• Next departure signs
• Weather protection

Prior work to identify a site for the Downtown Station did not reach a conclusion. A new approach this time intentionally brings the community along through three phases to reach a community-supported site.
• Phase 1: Establish a steering committee. Define the Downtown boundary and site selection criteria.
• Phase 2: Identify, solicit, and evaluate all possible sites within boundary against the established criteria.
• Phase 3: Rank and select three sites for test concepts, and then select one site for final design.

The site selection process is expected to take place in 2024, with the design and construction work targeted for 2025. This topic will be discussed at the January 2 City Commission meeting. For more information, visit the Downtown Station project page.

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