City staff hears from Southside residents on plans for bus transit center
Provided by City of Tallahassee
By Charlesalyn Preston
Outlook Writer
When work begins next spring on a new transit center on the Southside of Tallahassee, city officials are hoping that it will reflect what residents of the surrounding neighborhoods want.
City of Tallahassee personnel recently spent four hours at the site seeking input for the development phase of the transit center for StarMetro buses. The transit center will be located at the intersection of South Meridian Street and Orange Avenue.
“A lot of the feedback we’ve gotten from the community we’ve turned around and got it right back to our architects and our designers and they’re working it out,” said Allie Fleming, StarMetro’s project manager for the transfer center.
The transfer center will complete transformation of an area that was once a grassy field, where vendors commonly hawked their goods. That area was turned into a small park two years ago.
The new transfer center will be the first major addition to the city’s public transportation service since the C.K. Steele plaza was built downtown in 1986 as a main hub.
As much as officials listened to what residents had to say about the proposed site, they also had plenty of information to share.
For instance, attendees were told about details for the building. It will include eight parking stations for buses, each equipped with a port for electric chargers.
The recent community engagement gathering is one of several that the city has had to determine how to improve public transportation routes around the city. Residents of the Southside and other predominantly Black areas have been calling for improved public transportation services for some time.
The transit center is a strategic initiative of the city to ensure public transportation is accessible, efficient and equitable, according to a news release about the project.
Christic Henry, a staunch Southside advocate, has been hearing about the bussing issue for a long time.
“Particularly in communities of color we represent over 50 percent of those who use public transportation so accessibility to public transit is key to value and quality of life,” Henry said. “So having one right here as a bridge in a community of color during the time where this kind of infrastructure improvement is valued.”
A specific date for starting construction wasn’t disclosed, but the project will cost an estimated $2 million. It has been on the drawing board since 2019, according to Fleming.
“We recognize that on the Southside there is a need to have more direct access and more equitable and affordable access to transportation so we did a study of all the areas in Tallahassee,” she said. “This corner proved to be the most successful for us to build a transit center and be the most valuable to its neighborhood and its residents.”
In addition to the transfer center, development plans for the area also include covering a ditch to create parking spaces along Polk Drive, adjacent to the proposed site. The ditch runs along the southern side of the Town South Shopping Center where Save-A-Lot grocery store is located.
Plans call for the area to be turned into a green space where food trucks will be located, according to a recent report by city staff to city commissioners. Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency will finance that development at the cost of $4 million.
Residents also heard about plans to relocate an existing park about 200 yards south, across Orange Avenue. Plans for the park include restrooms, play area for children, exercise equipment, and a water play area.
Junious Brown, project manager for construction of the park, said it should improve the quality of life in the area.
“I would say that project will produce community enhancement and connectivity for the local community,” Brown said. “Pedestrians will be able to walk from South Meridian to South Monroe which will allow citizens to have access to universities, stores, and employment centers.”
