PANAMA CITY — The county’s transportation board is one step closer to having a central hub for Bay Town Trolley operations after Wednesday’s vote.
Of the six design firms vying for the contract, Bay County’s Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) members agreed to begin contract negotiations with Pond & Co., a Georgia-based company, for the project during a special meeting Wednesday. The majority of a $3.9 million federal grant will go toward overhauling a 7-acre site at Massalina Drive and Ninth Street for public transit facilities.
In the grand scheme, the site could become a multi-modal terminal where the trolley routes converge for transfers, buses are maintenanced and potential trolley drivers can be trained.
“It’s a huge deal for our public transportation system,” said TPO Chairman Rodney Friend. “Bay County is growing and we really need to grow our public transportation to meet the needs of all the new developments and all the new businesses.”
The TPO already owned an adjacent parcel and was using the property to park its Bay Town Trolley buses. TPO board members purchased the 7-acre parcel from Bay County for $718,200, and the current trolley buildings will be demolished before construction can begin.
Much of the parcel will be paved and a new four-bay maintenance building will be added at the outset. Retention ponds will also be put in.
The TPO’s special meeting Wednesday came abruptly because of time restraints on the grant funds. The money came with stipulations that work start by September, but the TPO got an extension. Now all work must be finished by Jan. 31, 2015, but that date could also be extended if work is nearly finished.
The grants also provided $400,000 to purchase property on the western end of Douglas Road about a half mile from the East Avenue intersection. That property will serve as a parking lot for Bay Area Transportation paratransit vehicles, which most often are seen taking seniors to doctor’s appointments. A gravel parking lot, a temporary office trailer and retention ponds are also planned for the site.
Next, the TPO will rank general contracting firms. That meeting was scheduled Wednesday for April 2.
“We really want our public transportation to be something Bay County can be proud of,” Friend said. “Something that the residents can be proud of providing, as tax payers, that is really benefiting the community.”