30 August 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Plans to move Wichita’s transit center from downtown to the area near Riverfront Stadium in Delano have been in the works for years. We asked the City when the facility is being built and what is taking so long.
The City is calling the new transit center a multimodal center. It’s supposed to replace the current transit facility downtown. That location will become the home of the Wichita State University and the University of Kansas biomedical campus.
Federal funding covering 75% of the cost of the new transit center has been secured since 2019, but construction has yet to begin.
“We’re to the point where we’re about to get bids and hopefully break ground on it in the next few months,” said Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple.
He talks up the long wait to COVID-related struggles.
“We had issues with supply chain because the international markets didn’t come back online as fast as the American market did,” Whipple said.
Getting parts for the build wasn’t the only obstacle.
Because the City tapped into federal funds, federal officials had to approve any changes to existing plans. The pandemic slowed communications.
“We went from, in some cases, being able to have immediate back and forth with some departments in Washington to waiting up to 6-8 weeks before we could get an email reply because they are swamped,” Whipple said.
Some commuters have reservations about the transit center moving from downtown to Delano.
“I wouldn’t be able to start over from being homeless if it wasn’t for the transit center because I have no car,” said commuter Stacy Gunby.
She’s worried moving the transit center will make it harder for her to get to work.
“There would be a lot of confusion and turmoil,” Gunby said.
Others aren’t too concerned.
“The bus is still gonna bring you where you’re supposed to be, so I don’t think it’ll be that hard to get to,” said commuter Scott McCune.
The new transit center will have the same functionality as the current one, just in a different location, according to McCune.
Designs for the facility are 90% complete and are expected to be submitted in the coming weeks, according to the City of Wichita.
The new multimodal center will include bike and scooter parking, electric car charging and a parking garage.