A student waits at Eagle Station Bay 2 equipped with heaters, wind barriers and a design that compliments the EWU campus.
CHENEY – Eastern Washington University's (EWU) new bus stop, Eagle Station, located on Elm Street, offers EWU community members an inexpensive, sustainable way of getting from point A to point B.
The project was under construction for more than nine months. It officially debuted with a ribbon-cutting on Earth Day, April 25, as a testament to the sustainable aspect of public transportation.
Shawn King, associate vice president of facilities and planning at EWU, said the idea behind the new Eagle station was accessibility and mobility.
"One of our main planning methodologies was access. We were looking for cost effective ways for students to get out here if they're coming from places like Spokane," King said. "If you don't have a car, or if you have a car and don't want to use your own gas this is just an easy thing to use."
The $1.3 million bus stop is a Spokane Transit Authority (STA) project that sits on EWU's property and allows students and faculty free transportation along any STA route.
"We coordinated it so that it could be on our campus," King said. "It certainly is a lot bigger than a normal bus stop. It's one of the largest drop off/pick-up points for STA."
Michelle Rasmussen, Director of Procurement and Contracts, said since the new bus stop opened, ridership has increased from 29,826 to 35,654 between March and May.
King was grateful for the collaborative opportunity between EWU and STA because it allowed more cost-effective mobility for EWU community members.
"This was a really great process. Overall, the station is branded very nicely for Eastern's campus," King said. "It's a great addition.
Michaela is a former newsroom intern at the Cheney Free Press. She covered stories on education, city government, cops/courts/fire departments and local businesses.
Reader Comments(0)