Niagara Falls $25.7 bus maintenance facility to improve Ontario resort community's visitor and commuter experience Niagara Falls' new $25.7 bus maintenance and opera- tions facility has been designed as part of a broad project to improve the visitor and commuter experience in the tourist resort community. The 104,000 sq. ft. facility, constructed by Aquicon Con- struction and overseen by MHPM Project Managers Inc. is located on Heartland Forest Rd. in the city’s south end and will be four times the size of the existing 50-year old facility, with the capacity to handle the growth and articulated buses the new transportation model required. It will open by year's end. Karl Dren, Niagara’s director of transportation services, says the steel and concrete structure will have about 20 of- fices for operations staff, 10 maintenance bays, and room for indoor and outdoor storage. The project has been designed to follow LEED Gold con- struction standards. Dren says staff attended energy re- duction seminars as part of the design process. “In the end the measures we have in place here will create a 30 per cent reduction in energy overall.” The design has been executed in collaboration with the High Performance New Construction (HPNC) and Savings by Design incentive programs administered through En- bridge. Windows and skylights throughout the offices and back- end spaces have been designed for energy efficiency, along with elements including occupancy sensors. The facility comprises state of the art design, equipment and systems required for a modern bus operations, main- tenance and storage facility. Meanwhile, the move from the current four to 10 main- tenance bays will achieve operational efficiencies. The project is part of the larger Niagara Falls Visitor Transportation System – also known as WEGO. A joint press release issued in 2012 by Transport Canada, the City of Niagara Falls and the Niagara Parks Commission stated: "When the system is completed in 2014, 27 fully accessible buses with intelligent transporta- tion and fare collection systems will be in service; eight ex- isting Niagara Parks Peoplemover stations will be upgraded; new pick-up and drop-off points will be estab- lished; a storage and maintenance facility for the new buses will be constructed; and infrastructure improve- ments will be made along the Niagara River Parkway and Victoria Avenue." PHOTOS BY NOAH CHASE Canadian Design and Construction Report staff writer Serge Felicetti, the City of Niagara Falls director, busi- ness development, says the program initially intended to improve the visitor experience. “Prior to this there were dif- ferent transportation options and it was confusing to visi- tors. We wanted to create a seamless system with links to municipal services.” He says since the August 2012 launch of the new sys- tem, the input has been overwhelmingly positive. WEGO and the municipal transit systems are connected under the umbrella of the City of Niagara Transit Services Division.. Links between municipal transportation and WEGO means residents can also use the system to get to and from work, thereby eliminating commuter traffic as well. “People come to Niagara to see the falls and the river. There is huge traffic congestion in the area so by removing it, we improve the experience for everyone.” WEGO’s hop-on, hop-off passes offer discounts for mul- tiple days. Felicetti says this feature is intended, not only to encourage people to come and explore, but to come and stay while they explore. “We’re working closely with our hospitality industry to make sure we are aware of needs and concerns and in the end, this is all about providing ex- ceptional customer service and a positive experience.” Proud to be part of the team working on the Niagara Falls Bus Storage Facility. Specializing in COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTIONAL Cecchini Masonry Ltd. P.O. Box 25, 2 Industrial Drive, Thorold, Ontario L2V 3Y7 Phone: 905-227-4189 Fax: 905-227-3554 Email: cecchinimasonryltd@bellnet.ca The Canadian Design and Construction Report — Fall 2014 – 39