Facility Provides On-Site Vehicle Maintenance

Wichita Transit will celebrate the completion of the Transit Maintenance Facility with a dedication ceremony at 1 p.m. on Thursday at 777 E. Waterman. The new facility will provide in-house maintenance of paratransit vans and department support vehicles. Immediate and long-term benefits of the facility include reductions in maintenance costs, turnaround time for repairs and keeping Transit vehicles on the road.

The facility includes Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) features to reduce energy and water usage. The LEED features include extensive use of natural lighting, high efficiency lighting controlled by motion sensors, reclamation of rainwater for non-drinking uses and no artificial irrigation for landscaping. Backup generators will be powered by natural gas. Tours of the facility will be available immediately following the dedication ceremony.

“This energy efficient facility will support our continuing efforts to provide high quality transportation services to the disabled,” Transit Director Mike Vinson said. “Improved maintenance, reduced vehicle down-time, cleaner vehicles, reduced maintenance costs, and prolonged vehicle useful life will be realized because of this facility. This is the first and only facility built in our region using federal economic stimulus funds."

Project costs totaled $4,232,777: $2,081,777 from the Federal Transit Administration; $2,121,000 from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA); and $422,355 in matching grant funds from the City of Wichita. The facility was designed by GLMV Architecture and built by Conco Construction. The project supports the Council goal of ensuring efficient infrastructure of our Transit assets by maintaining safe and dependable paratransit vehicles for our riding public. It also supports the Dynamic Core area and Vibrant Neighborhoods initiatives by continuing to support the downtown revitalization plan.