Study finds potential new sites for Washington County Commuter bus transfer point

March 26, 2008

A study proposing sites for a new County Commuter transfer point was presented Tuesday to the Washington County Commissioners.

The study identified several potential sites to replace the bus system's current transfer point on West Washington Street near the Hagerstown Police Department.

The top sites, according to the study, are 80 W. Baltimore St., the 300 block of East Antietam Street and the 200 block of West Franklin Street.

The commissioners generally praised the report, which was completed by KFH Group Inc., a Bethesda-based consulting company.

The state transportation department paid for the study.

Commissioner James F. Kercheval noted that if the county chose the West Franklin Street site, which the commissioners recently voted to buy, the county's cost would be minimal.

Kevin D. Cerrone, director of County Commuter, said the project likely will be divided between the federal, state and county governments at an 80 percent/20 percent/10 percent split, respectively.

Depending on what is needed to build the transfer point, the cost could range from $1 million to $3 million, according to the study.

If the county uses either the West Franklin Street site or 80 W. Baltimore St., which it owns, it could use the appraised value of the land toward its share of the cost.

Cerrone said he will meet with the state in about two weeks about funding for the project.

A new transfer point ideally would improve on the current one by adding more shelters and seating, a ticket-sales window, better lighting, driver restrooms, security cameras and an emergency phone, among other features, Cerrone said.

The current site has been criticized by some riders as dark and unsafe, and business owners in Hagerstown's Public Square have said it routes too much bus traffic through that intersection.

--Joshua Bowman

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