Curtin Road transit project offers safety, convenience to public-transportation patrons

University Park, Pa. -- Penn State's Board of Trustees approved today (May 18) a 30-year agreement with Centre Area Transportation Authority (CATA) to have the University construct and maintain a Curtin Road bus transit center near the northwest corner of Pattee Library and Fisher Plaza. The project is funded by the University with support from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through a grant from CATA.

Construction of the new transit center adjacent to Pattee Library is scheduled to begin at 6 a.m. on Monday, May 21. Curtin Road will be closed all summer in both directions from Rec Hall to Allen Road beginning May 21 and ending in mid-August. The project will create bus pull-offs for three buses on either side of Curtin Road and introduce new walkways, lighting and benches; new landscaping and increased grass areas; and improved ADA access of the Fisher Plaza area. The resulting transit center will eliminate congestion on Curtin Road and greatly improve safety for bus riders, pedestrians and vehicular traffic.

"Curtin Road is one of the busiest transit areas on campus -- for both pedestrians and number of buses," said Gordon Turow, the University's director of campus planning and design. "Currently buses have to stop in the road. This project provides space for three eastbound buses and three westbound buses to pull off Curtin Road to load and unload passengers safely on the sidewalk while allowing vehicles to pass."

The transit center will feature enlarged, custom-designed bus shelters, which will have metal roofing and brick columns. They will coordinate with the new brick walkways and raised center crosswalk, similar to Pollock Road in front of the HUB-Robeson Center. The entire area will have new street and walkway lighting as well as new landscaping throughout Fisher Plaza while preserving the existing tree canopy. The Pattee Library book drop has been moved permanently to the main entrance of the library to improve access and safety for those at the bus transit center.

The transit center has been on the Office of Physical Plant's project list for several years. It was brought to the forefront approximately five years ago during the University's Phase I Transportation Study, which focused on transportation needs and impacts based on the University's proposed building projects from its master plan of 1999. At that time, a presentation of the study was made to many community groups.

The transit center project is being funded by the University's Department of Transportation Services, with a portion of funding provided by CATA through a grant. The University is building the center and providing about $2 million with funding from its Parking Office budget. CATA has been eager to assist with the project because the majority of its Centre Line buses traverse Curtin Road throughout the day, and alleviating congestion will be beneficial to both parties. CATA is providing $495,000 with earmarked funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

"Over the past several years Transportation Services and the Office of Physical Plant have been working together to help ease congestion on campus roadways by constructing bus pull-offs," said Teresa Davis, the University's director of transportation services. "Finally, the pieces fell into place, and we have a very nice project that will reduce congestion, create a much-needed accessible path and improve the aesthetics of such a busy site in the core of campus. This summer will be challenging, but it will be well worth the inconvenience."

The biggest effect on students during construction will be detours off Curtin Road for Blue Loop service, which will travel on Pollock Road for the summer and allow buses to stop closer to buildings such as Willard and Thomas. Summer construction changes to the Blue Loop and Red Link are available online at http://www.transportation.psu.edu under the "alerts" heading. Fisher Plaza also will be closed all summer for construction, and the east entrance to Kern Building and the south entrance to Chambers will be closed except for emergencies.

The road closing will also affect CATA Centre Line service on campus. See http://www.catabus.com online for details.