AL: New center brings ‘state of the art’ travel to Alabama’s biggest city

Another option to get around Huntsville launches next week after city officials held a ribbon-cutting Thursday for the new downtown Transit Center.

The $14.6 million center includes 14, 45-foot bus bays, a 3,880-square-foot lobby building with a ticket counter and waiting area and design elements intended to funnel rainwater to irrigate the landscaping, according to a city news release. Most of the funding came from a Federal Transit Authority grant, The Huntsville Times reported.

“This state-of-the-art Transit Center is going to be a gamechanger for public transportation in Huntsville and a quality-of-life enhancement,” Mayor Tommy Battle said. “Our transit system is one of Huntsville’s hidden gems and we encourage everyone to take a ride and experience the ease of moving about the city.”

The center opens Sept. 3, along with a new route to south Huntsville.

The center’s 70-foot steel tower has Huntsville Transit Authority branding, and the overall design was meant to evoke rapid movement, said Les Tillery of Fuqua & Partners Architects.

“We came up with this concept of wings, which is really easy to associate with flight,” Tillery said. “We thought if we could represent speed and efficiency through bus transit, that would be an appropriate metaphor.”

Council President David Little said the facility will help the city keep up with its growth.

“This new center, along with the expanded service, represents a significant step forward in our efforts to build a robust and inclusive public transportation system,” he said.

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