Kirk Bus Maintenance Facility
Maryland Transit Administration
The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) owned a 6.7-acre facility constructed in 1947 to provide a bus operating transportation maintenance and storage facility. With the addition of facilities for wash houses and increased inspection/maintenance activities over the years, the site had become severely constrained. These conditions resulted in more noise as buses were frequently moved due to the lack of storage space. This activity contributed to a very inefficient operation that impacted the ability of personnel to complete maintenance, storage, fueling, vaulting, and washing activities.
The replacement included an 18-bay, 100,000 SF, bus maintenance facility on an acquired neighboring property and a 200,000 SF, 144-bus storage garage on the existing site. The maintenance building accommodates eight articulating bus repair bays, 10 general repair bays, 2 chassis wash bays, and multiple dead bus storage bays. Parts storage, administrative space, and a 175-space surface parking lot will also be part of the final design. In addition to the capacity to store 144 busses, the storage building provides 3 fueling areas, storage of 60,000 gallons of diesel fuel, 2 automated bus wash machines, a vaulting function, and general storage. The storage building also includes 20,000 SF of administrative space for a control room, a locker room, a lounge, and offices for management, dispatchers, and the bus drivers.
Many innovative solutions and technologies were involved in the modernization of this existing facility. The site was expanded to accommodate a new facility that addresses the needs of a modern bus operation while addressing community concerns about noise and pollution. The new facility places all storage and daily operations under roof to eliminate noise and pollution associated with storing the buses outside. The second part of the solution was to design and construct the project in two phases. Phase 1: a new 100,000 SF 15 bay maintenance facility sited on the recently acquired neighboring property and Phase 2, a 200,000 sf 175 bus storage and operations facility on the existing site.
The Phase 1 maintenance building accommodates 6 articulating bus repair bays, 9 general repair bays, 2 chassis wash bays and 13 dead bus storage bays. Parts, tire, material and toolbox storage, 1 – parallelogram lift, and 10 portable lifts, administrative space and facility maintenance space is also included. Site improvements also included a 175-space surface parking lot, extensive landscaping, and security as part of the final design.
The Phase 2 – 200,000 SF bus storage and operations facility – has capacity to store 175 buses, and provides three fueling areas, storage of 40,000 gallons of diesel fuel, two automated bus wash machines, a vaulting (fair box) function and general storage. The storage building also includes 30,000 sf of administrative space for a control room, a locker room, lounges and offices for management, dispatchers and the bus drivers.
JMT provided project management, architecture, civil engineering, and mechanical and electrical engineering to replace the aging facility with a new $65 million complex. The design achieved LEED Silver certification and a MdQI Award of Excellence.
