New Wilmington transit center coming December 2019, officials say
Christina JedraIn just over a year, Wilmington residents and commuters should be able to board buses and make connections at a new $10 million transit center.
Adjacent to the Joe Biden Train Station, the facility is scheduled to be complete by December 2019.
"This is a game changer for the city of Wilmington," said Transportation Secretary Jennifer Cohan at a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday. "It's going to bring much-needed service to the city. ... It's going to be beautiful."
The public-private partnership will be run by Transit Center, LLC — made up of Colonial Parking, EDiS Company, and Emory Hill Real Estate Services, Inc. — on state land, officials said. It will include a multi-story garage for parking and rental cars. DelDOT said the state purchased 16 electric buses, half of which will be used in New Castle County and will be recharged at the new center.
"No more buses burping down the roads of Wilmington," she said.
The center will host most of the bus routes in Wilmington and will have room for up to 10 buses at one time "allowing bus layovers without blocking city streets," the Delaware Transit Corporation said.
Customers will have access to a covered, seated waiting area, real-time bus displays, ticket sales, WiFi, USB charging stations, restrooms, vending machines and bike racks with a bike repair station.
Gov. John Carney said the center is "just a piece of our investment" in Wilmington. The state has allocated $250 million for transportation projects around the city, he said, including a bridge over the Christina River that will connect the Riverfront to South Market Street.
"The state of Delaware can't be a success unless the city of Wilmington is successful," he said.
The governor highlighted the city's decreased crime rate and investments in the Christina School District and West Center City as examples that Wilmington is turning a corner.
Sen. Tom Carper, who was re-elected earlier this month, agreed that the city is gaining momentum, saying: "This city is going to fly."
Until the transit center is complete, hundreds of bus riders will continue using bus routes that were established last year after the state, at Carney's direction, dismantled the bus hub at Rodney Square.
In December 2017, stops were scattered throughout downtown Wilmington, forcing some riders to walk city blocks to catch connections instead of crossing the square. Some new stops lack shelters and benches.
The new center is "not a replacement" for Rodney Square, said Scott Spencer of the Coalition to Return Bus Service to Rodney Square. Its capacity will be less than the former hub and smaller than the transit center in Dover, the transportation consultant said.
"We still believe there are grounds to restore those services," Spencer said. "The disabled community is struggling greatly."
The coalition asked the U.S. Attorney for Delaware last week for a meeting to discuss an investigation into how the state decided to remove the buses from the city's central business district.
Emails obtained by The News Journal showed the governor was lobbied by area businesses to remove buses.
"There was conspiracy and collusion to arrange a predetermined outcome that undermined the integrity of the public hearing process," Spencer said.
The U.S. Attorney's office did not respond to a request for comment on Monday afternoon.
State Senator-elect Tizzy Lockman spoke at Monday's groundbreaking. The new legislator protested with the coalition in August when the group marched to the governor's office with petitions.
"I do think the hub is something that is far past due," Lockman, a former bus rider, said of the new center. "What's happened with Rodney Square ... has been unfortunate. To move forward, this is a good thing."
Contact Christina Jedra at cjedra@delawareonline.com, (302) 324-2837 or on Twitter @ChristinaJedra.
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