Construction on Lethbridge's Regional Park and Ride facility is almost complete

By Lara Fominoff

Lethbridge Regional Park and Ride set to open in one week

Aug 21, 2019 | 1:29 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – It’s a project more than 18 months in the making, but on Aug. 28, the city’s new regional Park and Ride facility will open its doors to the public.

That means changes for those who normally transfer buses or catch them along 4 Ave. S., according to Transit Operations Manager Scott Grieco. All eight stops will be decommissioned, and directions provided for those wanting to catch a bus.

Park and Ride Terminal along 7 St. S.

“Right now, there’s no bathroom facilities, you’re open to the elements. So, for our transit riders it’s really exciting because now you have one safe location to make your transfers to other buses.”

Minor route changes will be posted to the newest version of the Transit New Ride guide and in the MyRide App as of Aug. 28. They will also be posted on the city’s website, lethbridge.ca

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As well, Red Arrow Bus Lines will begin operating out of the facility on Sept. 3. Buses run from Lethbridge to Calgary and on to other destinations like Red Deer, Edmonton and Grande Prairie.

There will also be more than 200 parking spaces on the upper levels of the parkade, according to Urban Revitalization Manager, Andrew Malcolm.

“There will be some stalls allocated for the regional transportation component. So that will be open for the public if they are tied into regional transportation. So, if they drive to the facility and then are looking to take a bus elsewhere in the region, they will be able to use that facility. The remainder of the stalls will be leased out at a monthly rate.”

The rate is $115 per month and there are still spaces available.

Park and Ride waiting area and security office

There will also be security on-site during hours of operation. Outside of those hours, the parkade will be closed off by a gate and access will be given to those with a special fob if they have a parking agreement so they can come and go outside of those hours. There are also elevators for those who want/ need them.

Elevators for the upper parking levels will soon be completed

There have been some challenges along the way, like adverse weather conditions says Conrad Westerson, City Facilities Services Manager. There was also a budget blip that took it from $17 million originally to $19.9 million.

That occurred when the city saved money on the project by utilizing a building design already in use in Red Deer. However, it didn’t factor in design features needed to accommodate city buses or the city’s Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan, which brought the final tender to $2.9 Million over budget.

Westerson hopes road paving along 7 St. S. will be completed by Friday, Aug. 23. Line painting is expected to occur over the weekend and bus drivers will practice in the area shortly after.

He adds that the increase in bus traffic in the area should not interfere with a planned cyclist route alongside 7 St. S.

There will be a grand opening for the facility Sept. 6 which will also include a “free transit ride” day.