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The Patrick-Murray Administration today celebrated the opening of the new Wonderland Intermodal Transit Center, a $53.5 million project shepherded to completion with federal, state and local support and a shared vision for smart transit-oriented development for Revere’s Waterfront Square.
The centerpiece of the project is the new South Parking Garage, which officially opens today, and provides approximately 1500 parking spaces. The new bus way is located under the garage and protects commuters from hot sun and inclement winter weather. Other features include ample storage for bicycles and improved pedestrian access.
“The new garage, the bus way, the improved roadway signals along Route 1A all increase connectivity for drivers, transit riders, pedestrians and cyclists. While these changes are essential and noticeable, it is the future growth to come that will be beneficial for new residents and businesses and a great achievement for the Patrick-Murray Administration,” said MassDOT Secretary & CEO Richard A. Davey.
The transformation at Wonderland Station wrapped up in less than two years. Officials broke ground on the Transit Center in September 2010 with Suffolk Construction hired as the project’s contractor.
Funding for the project includes $22.7 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Commonwealth MORE Grants which contributed $10 million, FTA and Commonwealth Infrastructure Funds of $6.5 million, $3 million from a FTA Section 5309 Grant and $11 million from the MBTA.
The project will also contribute a number of new parking spaces to negate environmental impacts resulting from construction of the Central Artery Tunnel Project.
Because it takes 18 minutes during evening rush hour to get from a parking space on the third floor of this garage to the traffic signal at North Shore Road at the entrance, I won’t be using this facility. This is a classic example of the ability of the T to create something that is essentially inefficient. A privately owned garage would never permit this kind of operational ineffectiveness.