NJ TRANSIT Advances Walter Rand Transportation Center Improvement Project
- Request for proposals (RFP) seeks designs for a new facility to replace the current terminal
NJ TRANSIT is advancing the $250-million overhaul of the Walter Rand Transportation Center in Camden with today’s release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the design of a new facility to replace the current terminal. In February, Governor Phil Murphy joined with NJDOT Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, community leaders and local, county and state officials to officially kick off this major investment in Camden.
New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chair, Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, said:The new Walter Rand Transportation Center will be the centerpiece of Camden’s resurgence as one of New Jersey’s great cities. Modernizing our facilities is a critical element in building the future of our transit system, which drives the economy, removes cars from the roads and promotes a green and sustainable society.
The WRTC Improvement Project, seeks to upgrade and enlarge the existing facility to accommodate the development renaissance currently underway in the City of Camden. It is currently contemplated that the project will be constructed on the existing site in Camden. With the emergence of a burgeoning educational and health care corridor in the downtown area and surrounding vicinity, a multi-million-dollar redevelopment of the nearby waterfront is being proposed to the west of downtown and the headquarters for both the Campbell Soup Company and Subaru of America to the east.
The new WRTC building will provide accommodations for future transit developments and the potential for new retail, office, housing and hospitality opportunities utilizing Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) design standards.
NJ TRANSIT President & CEO, Kevin S. Corbett, said:This is an exciting time for the City of Camden and for the thousands of customers who pass through the Walter Rand Transportation Center every day. This RFP represents the first major step toward creating a new, modern, expansive Walter Rand Transportation Center, which has the potential to transform not just Camden, but also South Jersey – by providing an upgraded regional transit hub to support this region’s rapidly growing communities and local economies.
The WRTC is envisioned to be replaced and expanded to accommodate growth throughout Camden County. The project would ultimately replace the existing facility with an expanded multi-purpose transit center that will provide an improved link for transportation in South Jersey. The new center would better accommodate the 26 bus lines that serve the facility; provide improved intermodal connectivity with the PATCO Speedline subway and the River LINE light rail; support intercity independent bus services; and provide additional parking, administrative offices, and value capture retail opportunities to the adjacent growing educational and health care corridor. It would also provide an opportunity for integration with zero-emissions buses, in line with Governor Murphy’s Energy Master Plan.
The RFP seeks to obtain proposals from qualified professional firms to conduct Conceptual Design, Preliminary Engineering, Final Design Engineering, and Construction Assistance for the WRTC Improvement Project.
The initial design phase, once commenced, is expected to take about 9 months to complete.
This article was originally published by NJ TRANSIT.
