This article relies largely or entirely on a single source .(July 2016) |
STA Plaza | |
---|---|
transit center | |
General information | |
Location | 701 West Riverside Avenue, Spokane, WA 99201 |
Coordinates | 47°39′27″N117°25′22″W / 47.6576°N 117.4227°W |
Owned by | Spokane Transit Authority |
Bus routes | 31 |
Bus stands | 13 |
Connections | Travel Washington Gold Line |
Construction | |
Structure type | At-grade |
Accessible | Yes |
Other information | |
Website | spokanetransit.com |
History | |
Opened | July 16, 1995 [1] |
Passengers | |
13,051 (avg. weekday, 2022) [2] | |
Location | |
The STA Plaza (The Plaza or Spokane Transit Authority Plaza), is a transit center located in Downtown Spokane, Washington. It is the main hub of customer service and transit operations for the Spokane Transit Authority (STA), with 31 out of its 52 bus routes connecting with The Plaza. [3] Transit operations through the Plaza resemble that of an airline hub, with bays of buses arriving and departing in waves, providing timed transfer opportunities for passengers.
It is one of Spokane Transit's four primary transit centers, along with the Spokane Community College, Pence-Cole Valley, and West Plains transit centers.
Prior to the construction of the STA Plaza, Spokane Transit's downtown bus operations were dispersed outdoors along downtown streets obstructing storefronts and congesting sidewalks. [4]
As early as the 1970s, discussions were in place to centralize operations and create an indoor facility for passengers to wait and make transfers. The initial proposal was a public-private partnership that would have built the transit center on the ground floor of a new high rise office and retail building. However, after the deal collapsed, the plan evolved into a two-story building to be developed by Spokane Transit Authority. [5]
The facility opened in the summer of 1995 and was designed by Tan Boyle Heyamoto Architects. [6]
The interior of the STA Plaza underwent a major renovation in 2017. Open space within the plaza atrium was expanded and improvements such as electronic arrival monitoring boards were added. [7] The renovation was designed by ALSC architects. [8]
In preparation of the City Line, Plaza Bays 9 and 10 were upgraded with raised platforms, shelters, digital real-time arrivals board, off-board fare collection, and a City Line branded station marker. [9] Plaza Bay 6 was also later upgraded with similar amenities during a Riverside Avenue reconstruction project in anticipation of future high performance transit lines. [10] [11] In May 2023, Bays 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11, and 12 also received STA branded station markers with digital real-time arrival times.
The Plaza is located in Downtown Spokane with access to the adjacent streets on three sides. The Plaza is also connected to the buildings to the immediate North and East of it via the skywalk system. This system allows indoor walkability to River Park Square mall, Spokane City Hall, Spokane Public Library's Central library, and the Parkade Plaza parking garage, among others. A Spokane Police precinct was also opened across the street in 2020. [12]
Inside the Plaza, there is a Subway location, Joe's Mini Market, and STA's customer service and security offices. There is also seating, public restrooms, and real-time arrival boards.
As of May 2023, there are 13 STA branded bay markers with digital real-time arrival screens. Three of the bays include high performance transit amenities such as raised platforms for near level boarding, shelters, and off-board fare collection. [13]
Spokane International Airport is a commercial airport in Spokane, Washington, United States, located approximately 7 miles (11 km) west-southwest of Downtown Spokane. It is the primary airport serving the Inland Northwest, which consists of 30 counties and includes areas such as Spokane, the Tri-Cities, both in Eastern Washington, and Coeur d'Alene in North Idaho. The airport's code, GEG, is derived from its former name, Geiger Field, which honored Major Harold Geiger (1884–1927).
Spokane Transit Authority, more commonly Spokane Transit or STA, is the public transport authority of central Spokane County, Washington, United States, serving Spokane, Washington, and its surrounding urban areas. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 9,215,700, or about 33,900 per weekday as of the fourth quarter of 2023.
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The City Line is a bus rapid transit (BRT) line in Spokane, Washington, United States, that opened on July 15, 2023. The 6-mile-long (9.7 km) route, which is operated by the Spokane Transit Authority, runs from Spokane's Browne's Addition neighborhood, through Downtown Spokane and the University District, including the WSU Health Sciences campus and Gonzaga University, before ending at the Spokane Community College campus in the Chief Garry Park neighborhood. The project budget as of 2023 was $92.2 million.
Spokane Community College Transit Center or SCC Transit Center is a transit center and BRT terminus in the Spokane Transit Authority route system. It is one of Spokane Transit's four primary transit centers, along with the STA Plaza, West Plains, and Pence-Cole Valley transit centers.
Pence-Cole Valley Transit Center is a transit center and former proposed site of a light rail station in the Spokane Transit Authority route system. It is one of Spokane Transit's three primary transit centers, along with the Spokane Community College and STA Plaza, and is the main transit hub for Spokane Valley.
The Spokane Public Library is a public library system serving the city of Spokane, Washington, US. It has six branches and a central library in downtown Spokane, along with a bookmobile and online services. The library system was acquired by the municipal government in 1894 and is funded by the city budget and a separate property tax.
Sprague Avenue is a major east–west street serving Spokane, Spokane Valley, and Liberty Lake, Washington, United States. It travels approximately 17 miles (27 km), extending from Downtown Spokane eastward through Spokane Valley as an arterial road, and continues on as a collector road to its eastern terminus in Liberty Lake.
The University District, also referred as the U-District or Spokane University District, is a 770-acre area, tax increment financing, and innovation district in Spokane, Washington. It is located just east of its Downtown Spokane in the East Central and Logan neighborhoods, and is home to a number of higher education institutions and their surrounding neighborhoods.
Browne's Addition, often referred to shorthand as just Browne's, is a neighborhood in Spokane, Washington. It is located directly west of Downtown Spokane and is one of the oldest and densest neighborhoods in the city. The area is known for its numerous historic mansions, many of which have been converted into multi-family apartments. The terrain is flat in the neighborhood despite the degree of topographical relief in the immediate surrounding area. Latah Creek cuts a deep valley to the west, separating Browne's Addition from the Sunset Hill portion of the West Hills neighborhood and the Spokane River gorge drops off dramatically to the north into the Peaceful Valley neighborhood. The South Hill area of Spokane rises to the southwest.
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