GREENVILLE, N.C. — Officials broke ground on the new Greenville Transportation Activity Center (GTAC) on Tuesday afternoon during a ceremony held at the facility's future location on the corner of South Pitt Street and Bonners Lane. City, State and community leaders attended the ceremony for the $7.194 million project that will provide a centrally located transfer facility where local and regional transportation services can connect.

 

"This will be a catalytic project that will change the future of this area," City Manager Barbara Lipscomb said.

 

The Greenville Area Transit system (GREAT bus system), Pitt Area Transit (PATS), ECU Transit, and Greyhound will each utilize the GTAC for connections along with taxis and Amtrak. Airport, medical, and hotel shuttles could potentially locate there as well with future rail service also a possibility. The Center will include a covered transfer facility with seating, restrooms and more, providing people a choice of transportation options to meet the needs of Greenville's growing population. Construction is expected to be completed on the 9,500 square foot facility in early 2018.

 

"Without a sense of place in the center of the city, what do you have?" Mayor Allen Thomas said. "This gives this community that sense of place."

 

The GTAC will be ADA-compliant throughout with elements such as elevators, ramps, and kneeling buses. One unique inclusion, however, will be the use of hearing loops which will allow those who require a hearing aid to be able to better hear announcements in the lobby and conference rooms.

 

"Frankly, to me that is one of the most important aspects of this project," Kevin Mulligan, Public Works Director, said. "Sometimes we take things like that for granted."

 

The GTAC has been a City Council goal for years with the intent of providing high-quality services to the community as well as a catalyst for economic development. Its idea was generated during public discussions in the 1990s with former Greenville Mayor Nancy Jenkins. In 2000, the City, Pitt County, East Carolina University, Pitt County Memorial Hospital, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation formed a partnership to sponsor a regional transportation feasibility study. Another regional transit study was completed in 2003 and recommended a center to serve as "a central point for transportation within the city." Additionally, the Greenville Intermodal Transportation Center Feasibility Study was completed in 2006 and confirmed that such a center would "improve service quality for transit riders, make it easier to transfer between services, and to contribute to downtown revitalization."

 

Nearly all funding for the GTAC is provided through Federal transportation grants. Local funds are covering the remainder of the costs, approximately $800,000.

 

"This is one of a number of projects in this community where cooperation on the local, state, and federal levels made it happen," Thomas said.