Butler County is one of the fastest growing counties in Pennsylvania. This growth has offered many benefits to the county, as well as its share of challenges. In response, the Butler Transit Authority decided to advance the design of an intermodal transit center, consisting of a 15,000-square-foot administrative office building and a 43,000-square-foot bus maintenance and storage facility. The authority recently broke ground on the CDM-designed center, one that will provide a local transfer point for the current fixed-route and shared-ride transit systems, pedestrian and bicycle access, a taxi port, and a park-and-ride lot for future service to Pittsburgh.
The design, which was performed using interactive, 3-D design software, puts safety first. Among other safety measures, the design separated buses from other vehicles, eliminated the need for riders to cross in front or behind a bus, and provided a taxi lane.
The facility, which is being constructed on a brownfields site, will also include several Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)® elements, such as an ENERGY STAR-compliant roof color; consistency in light fixtures; radiant under-floor heating in the maintenance area; motion sensors on lights, toilets, and faucets; and the addition of new green space over previously impervious concrete.