The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted last Tuesday to award a contract for the design of a new park-and-ride facility in Lehigh Acres.

The facility will accommodate the rising demand for LeeTran transit services, in the community, officials said.

Under the contract, Johnson Engineering Inc. will provide professional design, engineering and architectural services for a new bus facility at Williams Avenue and Village Lakes Boulevard.

“Johnson Engineering received the highest ranking out of nine proposals in response to a competitive negotiation request,” county officials said in a release.

“The bus ridership within Lehigh Acres has grown about 30% since 2010, creating a demand for additional transit services,” the releases states. “The LeeTran park-and-ride facility will provide an option for residents to park their vehicle and ride a bus to their destination, not only reducing their fuel cost but also decreasing traffic on the roadways.”

The design includes up to four bus bays and shelters with benches, restrooms and parking spaces compliant to ADA standards. The facility also will have paved bus circulation with loading and unloading ramps, custodial facilities, a technology room and Mobility on Demand drop-off service that will provide riders with innovative real-time transit information.

The project also will include updated design for Village Lakes Boulevard from Williams Avenue to the western property line, which will include sidewalks, drainage and other improvements.

The design effort is expected to take about 11 months and is fully funded through Federal Transit Administration grants.

LeeTran is the public transit provider for Lee County, providing almost 3 million passenger rides per year. LeeTran operates 27 bus routes, ADA paratransit service called Passport and an employer vanpool program. LeeTran employs approximately 280 people and has a fleet of 53 full-size buses, 11 trolleys, 5 seasonal trams and 50 paratransit vans.

For schedules or to learn more about LeeTran, visit www.RideLeeTran.com. LeeTran Customer Service can be reached at 239-533-8726 and press option 1, or email rideleetran@leegov.com.

Source: Lee County