TRANSIT CENTER FAQs:

What will happen to the METRO route/s I ride, and how will I know about the changes?
All routes traveling through downtown Akron will be impacted to some extent by the move to the Transit Center.

Watch for announcements regarding route changes through notices onboard METRO buses, at www.akronmetro.org and via local media.

Transfers between routes will occur at the Center rather than on South Main Street. This is a major advance in passenger safety: no more dodging four lanes of traffic on the street to change buses!

Bus routes will consistently use the same berth at the center. For example, the Route 1 bus will always pull into the same spot; the Route 6 will always pull into its assigned spot, etc. This will make it easier to change buses.

What’s this I hear about the buses backing up?   
Buses will pull in and back out of berths at the U-shaped bus parking area.  Passengers may cross the open area between the two facing rows of berths to change buses.  However, passengers will not be permitted to walk behind buses at the new transit center.

How has METRO planned for passenger safety at the new center?
More than 90 security cameras are being installed at the transit center and will be in operation during hours of service. There will also be on-site security at the center.

Will there be any other transportation services at this “intermodal” center?
Greyhound will have four dedicated bus berths and a ticket sales counter at the transit center. An average of 18 Greyhound trips per day will enter/exit the site, with a projected Greyhound passenger load of 600 people per day. 

METRO passengers will also be able to transfer to cabs and METRO SCAT buses.

What will be at the transit center besides buses?
METRO Customer Service representatives...
When the new facility opens for service, the downtown walk-up window will be closed and staff relocated to the new transit center. Hours of operation for Customer Services at the transit center will be similar to what is currently offered at the downtown walk-up window.

 
Passenger amenities...
Vending machines will offer a variety of products (including METRO tickets and passes) especially for travelers, as well as snacks and beverages.

A café serving soups, salads, sandwiches, desserts, and a variety of coffees and other beverages is being considered for the transit center.

Indoor and outdoor seating areas will be available.

Indoor public restrooms will be available to passengers.

Digital displays inside and outside the transit center building (when fully implemented) will inform passengers of the berth number and departure time for line service routes.

FREE WI-FI will be available.

The transit center building will be open during METRO’s hours of operation; closed when buses are not running.

The building will be climate-controlled, comfortable year-around.

Art in Transit...
A public art display space is planned for the transit center, to be managed by the Akron-area nonprofit group “Artists of Rubber City.”  Their diverse skills include painting, sculpture, fiber art, pottery, metalwork, and more.  Works of art displayed inside the building will be changed periodically and available for purchase. Artists’ receptions will be held at the center.
A permanent signature art piece at the street is planned and will be commissioned, welcoming people to the transit center and serving as a gateway into downtown Akron.
In the future, an “Art on the Go” bus may be commissioned to take traveling art to parades, visit area events, and into Akron neighborhoods.

Meeting room...
There will be a meeting room—complete with an overhead projection system—for small groups.

This room will be available for public meetings, METRO functions, and (time/space permitting) the general public.

What impact will this new transit center have on the environment?  Will it be a “GREEN” facility?
The largest single array of solar panels in the State of Ohio (enough to power 130 homes) will be the one on the roof of the new transit center.

Geothermal heating and cooling will also be utilized, from a total of 47 wells more than 300 feet underground.

Bike racks will be available for passengers waiting for their next bus, to encourage bicycle use and subsequently the creation of fewer automobile emissions going in the atmosphere.

Rainwater will be stored to use in restrooms and landscaping.

All construction waste (scrap supplies, etc.) will be recycled.

“Green” cleaning supplies are being investigated.

The center is expected to earn a “GOLD LEED” Certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) created by the U.S. Green Building Council/USGBC, which “encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria”).

Where feasible, recycled materials were used in building the center (recycled concrete, in particular).