Construction of Lawrence’s downtown bus station, originally projected to be done in the third quarter of 2026, is now tentatively scheduled to finish in 2027 or 2028.
The station will be located at the northeast corner of Eighth and Vermont Streets, based on steering committee recommendations and a city commission vote.
About $1.62 million of the $2.03 million budgeted for this initiative is federal funding from a Kansas Department of Transportation grant. The rest, or $406,000, comes from local transit sales tax funding, which was approved by voters in 2017.
Since it is in part federally funded, the downtown station initiative is subject to National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review.
Once the station location was pinpointed late last year, Lawrence Transit announced the next step involved KDOT collaborating with the city to complete NEPA paperwork.
The timeline is still held up at this stage due to significant delays outside of Lawrence Transit, according to the city.
Felice Lavergne, the city’s director of transit, estimated that the review may be complete in quarter 1 or 2 of 2026, but that deadline is flexible depending on the review team’s availability.
“The findings will be public once the review is complete,” Lavergne said. “Depending on the results, the review could lead to adjustments in areas like traffic flow, accessibility, or safety. The goal is to make sure the project works well for the community and meets federal standards.”
Once the review wraps up, the city can release the project for bid from architecture and engineering contractors.
A temporary bus stop will be needed during construction. The location will be determined during that part of the process.
Lawrence Transit aims to begin the design process in 2026, which will include opportunities for public engagement. On this new timeline, construction is estimated to start in 2027 and end that year or in 2028.
In late 2024, Lawrence Transit announced intentions to have security onsite from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Funding for security would come from the transit department’s operational budget.
Lavergne said the team still plans to have downtown station staffing, but capacity will be re-evaluated closer to the station opening, given the citywide budget outlook and project delays.
Five bus routes currently serve downtown. The parking lot where the station will be located is across from the Senior Resource Center for Douglas County and near the Lawrence Public Library.
The station will include driver restrooms, individual bus bays, seating with wind protection, an overhead canopy for weather protection and digital signage with departure times.
The plan also includes installation of a raised crosswalk near the library parking garage.
For a full breakdown of milestones for the downtown station, see lawrencetransit.org/projects/downtown-station. Updates are available through the city’s public transit and transportation newsletters.
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Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), reporter and news editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at wulfe@lawrencekstimes.com.
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