THUNDER BAY — The Water Street bus terminal in the city’s north core will be getting some major upgrades this year.
Thunder Bay transit services manager Brad Loroff said improvements will include making the indoor space 50 per cent larger, adding an outdoor canopy to help shelter riders from the elements, bettering lighting and electronic signage, installing a new HVAC system and bringing the property up to modern accessibility standards.
“The waterfront terminal building itself is well past its end of life,” Loroff said. “This renovation is really about addressing all of the issues of the capital end-of-life issues with the building.”
It is about “refreshing everything, making everything new, bringing things up to proper modern-day amenities for folks,” Loroff continued. It will also make the building more efficient, he said.
The city currently has a request for proposals out for a contractor to do the work. Loroff said that is expected to begin this summer and be completed this year.
The project is being funded through money the city has received from the federal government’s investing in Canada infrastructure program — it is to be the first of four projects city transit will undertake with that funding, Loroff said, adding the specifics of the other three are still to be finalized.
“It's refreshing an older building that's reached its capital life expectancy that's at the end of its life,” he said.
The terminal building was built about 50 years ago, Loroff said.
While the construction is being done, transit operations will be moved to a temporary location in the downtown north core, he said.
“There will be more information to follow once the details of what that temporary move looks like will be available for people,” Loroff said.
Accessibility improvements at the downtown north-side terminal will include things like better pedestrian access, new automatic door controls and improved lighting.
Samantha Zrobin, the current chair of the city’s accessibility advisory committee, said enlarging the building and creating proper cutouts on the curbs will make the space more accessible for those with mobility aids and that enhanced lighting and on-ground lines and markings will help those with visual disabilities.
“Ensuring that there'll be spots for wheelchairs and walkers and mobility devices at the tables that will be outside,” will be another improvement, Zrobin said.
Loroff spoke about the project to the accessibility advisory committee at its May meeting.
“I believe it's going to make a difference,” Zrobin said of the upgrades. “I believe that … anything that is upgraded will help with our accessibility in Thunder Bay.”
