Passengers using Cape Cod buses in Hyannis, Massachusetts, could soon board under cover instead of in the open, as plans moved ahead for a glass-top canopy at the transportation center. The addition is meant to keep riders dry in bad weather while also making boarding safer.
Officials expect the redesign to improve traffic flow at the busy transit hub, where buses, trains, taxis, and ride-hail vehicles all meet.
Here’s what to know
Construction on the updated boarding area at the Hyannis Transportation Center began Tuesday, the Cape Cod Times reported. The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority will build a glass canopy over a four-bay sawtooth layout near the terminal entrance on Transportation Avenue, with substantial completion projected for December.
CCRTA Administrator John Kennedy told the publication that there was a need for buses to back out from the boarding area behind the building.
Moving the loading area closer to the terminal should also shorten the walk for passengers, who would be able to reach their bus in about five to 10 seconds.
“It will be more functional and safer,” Kennedy told the Times.
He said the work was being funded by nearly $4 million from state and federal sources.
More background
The Times reported that the Hyannis Transportation Center operates as a regional gateway, with daily activity from the authority’s buses and Dial-a-Ride service as well as trolleys, the CapeFlyer, private bus carriers, taxis, and ride-hail pickups.
Joe Epstein of Hyannis, who uses the bus several times a week because of a disability, described the proposal as “absolutely good” to the publication.
Tania Augoustinos of Martha’s Vineyard was skeptical. She told the Times that though she was a fan of the terminal’s walkable connection to the HyLine ferry, she thought a less expensive option would be to cover the current boarding area.
The Plymouth and Brockton and Peter Pan buses to Boston and Logan International Airport will keep boarding in the existing area, which the paper noted is farther from the terminal.
What’s being done?
Kennedy told the Times that the work will bring benches and spring landscaping, intended to make the space feel more park-like as part of a customer-focused design.
The transit authority also plans to place concierges in the lobby to answer visitors’ questions about Hyannis and Cape Cod.
Kennedy said the renovations will include six rapid chargers for the roughly quarter of the regional fleet that is electric or hybrid, per the publication.
The transportation center’s Center Street entrance is expected to be closed for much of the project. Transit service will continue throughout the work, and access for buses and other vehicles from Route 28 or Paula George Way is not expected to change.
“Since we are a gateway for so many commuters, tourists, and residents from all around the region, we wanted to ensure that we are a safe, convenient, attractive, and welcoming gateway,” Kennedy said.
Where can I learn more?
Transit systems elsewhere are dealing with similar issues as communities look to mitigate winter hazards, build shelters for extreme heat, and deploy cleaner buses.
• In Denver, pedestrians said plowed ice trapped bus riders in hazardous conditions.
• In scorching cities, designers built solar-powered bus stops that cool pedestrians during extreme heat.
• Ebusco rolled out an electric bus with extremely low energy use for cleaner fleets.
Daily transit can change through both simple design fixes and bigger equipment investments.
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