The second phase of the Turlock Regional Transit Center is beginning to take shape as plans for a 6,000 square foot building have been submitted to the City of Turlock.

In 2012, the City of Turlock officially opened the $1.65 million Turlock Regional Transit Center, located at the Golden State Boulevard, Hawkeye Avenue, and Dels Lane. Now the remaining vacant property, which was approved for purchase by the City Council for $1.5 million in February 2013, will be developed. The site will house a 6,000 square foot building that will host offices for transit operations including dispatch for buses, a public plaza, and additional parking and pedestrian areas.

“The goal with all of this is to plan a building to last into the future both design wise and with the materials,” said Barrett Lipomi of Pires, Lipomi, and Navarro Architects. “We want to build a building to serve the future of the city and its transit needs and we are definitely taking that into account.”

While it is too premature to set a ground breaking date, pending the City’s approval of the plans and the hiring of a contractor, building is slated for the beginning of summer.

The bus bays at the current transit center lack sufficient shade structures so that will also be constructed to provide shelter from the rain and beating sun for those waiting for the local and regional buses that pass through the transit center. Presently the transit center serves the BLAST routes and Stanislaus Regional Transit, or StaRT, and Merced County Transit routes. 

However, there is room for expansion beyond the second phase.

Long term plans include the potential creation of a pedestrian bridge over Golden State Boulevard to link to a possible Altamont Corridor Express, or ACE, train alongside the rail road tracks. The ACE train presently takes passengers from as far west as Stockton eastward to San Jose.

“The idea is that this could be a regional transit location for public and private transportation needs,” said Associate Civil Engineer Stephen Fremming.