Capital Transit is planning to open its new Mendenhall Valley Transit Center across the street from the Mendenhall Mall in July, and when it does the schedules of bus routes are going to have to change, and transit officials are asking the public what they’d like to see from the city’s buses.<\/p>\n
Open houses were held Wednesday and Thursday and Capital Transit has posted a survey to its website and will be soliciting feedback from the public until April 29. Survey respondents can choose to have their names entered in a raffle for a free annual bus pass or a $200 gift card to Fred Meyer. Only one of each prize will be awarded.<\/p>\n
On Thursday transit officials were at the Downtown Public Library to take questions from members of the public.<\/p>\n
“It’s not a system overhaul, but we have to make changes to the timing,” said Denise Koch, Deputy Director for the City and Borough of Juneau’s Department of Engineering and Public Works. “We have to shift things around and that presents some trade-offs and choices.”<\/p>\n
Some of those trade-offs include things like longer overall travel times but with more time to allow for riders transferring bus routes, Koch said, more frequent routes or routes specifically focused on commuter travel. Transit officials are not planning any new routes, Koch said, with the possible exception of an express route between the Mendenhall Valley and downtown Juneau transit centers.<\/p>\n
Construction on the transit center is currently underway on Mendenhall Mall Road between the Asiana Gardens restaurant and Heritage Coffee Roasting Co. shop, and is expected to open this summer, Koch said.<\/p>\n