Accommodating all modes of transportation in Lynchburg, Virginia
The Greater Lynchburg Transit Company (GLTC) needed to find a new location for an existing bus transfer center. An extensive site selection process determined the new facility should be located on Kemper Street across from the current historic Amtrak Station, creating an intermodal hub for the City of Lynchburg. Great consideration was given to select an appropriate site that would not only accommodate a state-of-the-art facility, but one that promoted environmental stewardship and community connectivity. GLTC and the project team used an evaluation matrix to rate potential sites; criteria included sustainable strategies recognized by the LEED rating system, neighborhood revitalization, potential for growth and increased ridership. After careful deliberation, the Kemper Street location met GLTC’s operational needs and environmental goals. As a designated brownfield, remediation ensured the environmental quality of the site, benefiting the community as a whole.
Project Objectives
The Challenge
The character of the site selected posed engineering challenges to the team. The site featured a 30 foot high differential in grade over 200 feet. By adjusting the grade, it is safer for pedestrians to move from the train station to the bus station, or up to the parking lot at street level.
Reinforced retaining walls were needed to help push the boundary of usable space to its maximum without undermining adjoining streets. The Kemper-Buchanan Street intersection was evaluated and redesigned in order to soften a steep curve and slope that would have been challenging for GLTC’s large buses.
The Solution
The project team addressed challenges through a collaborative and creative process. The design process began with a charrette to brainstorm and create a plan for how the new facility will meet the needs of GLTC, and provide an enjoyable experience for riders and a healthy work environment for employees.
A 10-bus bay canopied platform now provides for the safe transfer for GLTC patrons. The historically detailed building includes a comfortable waiting area for passengers with public restrooms, ticket sales, and space for drivers and GLTC administrative and operating staff. A large public meeting space on the second floor houses GLTC board meetings and trainings, and is available for the community to use.
Multiple iterations of an energy model helped guide the decision making process. Material selection began at an early stage of design to consider both the aesthetic quality and environmental attributes of products. It was decided early in the design to reuse the historic cobblestones on the road outside of the train station, where in a traditional project setting these would have been removed. The cobblestones were re-installed over a bed of reinforced concrete, making the road bed sturdier and less likely to shift under the weight of the buses.
The transfer center earned LEED Platinum Certification for New Construction 2009 through U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It features a green roof that is visible from the second floor, pervious paving for stormwater quality, and high albedo materials that reduce heat island effect. Planters on the bus platform collect and naturally filter stormwater runoff from the canopies.
An extensive photovoltaic (PV) system was designed and constructed to reduce dependency on the city’s electrical grid. The projected energy cost savings from the PV system, optimized systems design, and high performing building envelope qualified the station for exemplary performance in Optimizing Energy Performance.
Many of the materials used for the design of the transfer facility supported achievement of LEED credits, while others were used as best practice regardless of points, including the use of Kirei wood, a rapidly renewable product, and reclaimed wood. Products with low or no VOC content were used and over 45% of the materials were sourced locally, within 500 miles of the project site.
The Result
The transfer facility is fully operational and serving a diverse client-base consisting of the traveling public, commuters, students from local universities, bicyclists, and park and ride users. This project is unique due to the various modes of transit and transit companies accommodated in one locale, including GLTC, Amtrak and Greyhound. Additionally, it revitalized a historic neighborhood and incorporated LEED® and sustainable elements to limit energy usage, cut operating costs, and help preserve the environment.
Whether people are making their daily commute, or students are making the trek home for the holidays, the GLTC transfer facility will serve the needs of the Lynchburg population for years to come.
