Bridging the Gap

For a number of years, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) faced the challenge of relocating its functionally obsolete, poorly located Bus Operations and Maintenance facility, which no longer fit the fabric of the neighborhood. Wendel acted as co-developer, working closely with the WMATA to bring their vision of a new, state-of-the-art facility into reality. In our role as architect and engineer of record, our multi-discipline team performed structural, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering services, along with architecture, landscape architecture, plumbing, fire protection, and sustainability services.

The biggest hurdle for WMATA to overcome was selecting a new site. A lengthy search was underway to find land that could accommodate the new facility while strategically located to reduce deadhead miles. By using an alternative delivery method and our extensive knowledge of bus garage design, our proposed solution enabled WMATA to outsource much of the land acquisition and development process. This approach created a new facility that was up to seven years faster and significantly less expensive than using traditional methods.

Our team identified a brownfield site that, while ideal in location and size, was not ideal in its existing state. The site contained a Resource Protection Area (RPA), including a stream that runs across the entire site, blocking vehicle access from the road to the constructible portion of the site. A massive environmental restoration effort would be necessary to bring it up to par.

Massive efforts were required to prepare the site for construction. Existing drainage ditches were causing erosion along a stream, which impacted water quality and needed to be properly filtered. The site needed to be leveled, and extra care was necessary to avoid damaging or interfering with the Resource Protection Area (RPA) within the site. Beyond the environmental concerns about the site, another problem existed in the form of topography. The site was heavily sloped from West to East, so much so that construction would not be possible without addressing it. Two major drainage ditches followed this west-to-east slope, terminating at the previously mentioned stream. These drainage ditches severely impacted the stream’s water quality due to erosion and would need to be addressed.

This project was delivered through a Public-Private Partnership (P3), which helped make funding possible. The public appreciates not only the new, efficient, and more conveniently located facility and the breathtaking transformation of the site. Once ugly, neglected, and detrimental to the surrounding environment, the site is now rehabilitated and put to good use.

The 18-acre site is home to an 80,000 sf facility that accommodates 160 diesel and hybrid diesel buses. Bus storage is located outside while fueling, bus cleaning, and maintenance are inside the building footprint. A creative site entrance bridge over a creek allows for buses, visitors, personnel, and employees to safely navigate the entire site from arrival to departure and also masks the facility from the community. The facility received LEED Gold certification and takes into account a vast array of ecological principles and passive design considerations that increase its overall efficiency. The result is a projected 22% in total energy savings over the previous facility and a projected 41% in potable water savings.