Connecting a community with transit

KAI provided electrical engineering design for the VIA Metropolitan Transit bus-based corridor project called the Zarzamora Bus Rapid Transit Station. The corridor running 11.5 miles North to South in San Antonio connects with the existing and future premium bus service routes at VIA’s Crossroads Transit Center and at the Intersections of Zarzamora and Military Drive. As part of this premium bus service, two types of shelters have been included—a Primo shelter at 26 locations and the NextGen shelters at 20 locations along the corridor.

The design included lighting calculations and power infrastructure to each of the stations. Features included shelter foundations, installation, streetscape, sidewalk improvements ensuring ADA accessible routes connecting to the surrounding areas, transit signal priority and communications, and running-way improvements including bus landing pads. Of particular note is the use of LiDAR laser-scanning technology to establish spot elevations in the surveying operations of the corridor. Having reliable data documenting the conditions of site and sidewalk inventory allowed the team to design to meet the necessary ADA requirements.

The design required close coordination with CPS, which is the local electric company that brings power to each of these stations along the entire corridor, location of electric meters, design coordination of the Pylons to house electric panels, meters, load centers and IT/Communications infrastructure. The three-dimensional designs and renderings helped inform not only the Owner but were utilized to share the progress with the community in a form that was easily understood by the general public.

Doing work in the right-of-way required close coordination of all the disciplines internally and externally to meet the strict schedule. The team prepared a robust Project Management Plan with the prime consultant (Parsons) to facilitate communications and meet the Owner’s strict schedule, budget and expectations for the Zarzamora Bus Rapid Transit Station.

In addition, the team worked closely with VIA to introduce the Art-in-Transit component of the project successfully through an innovative use of the shelters’ windscreens as canvas for diverse artists to show their talent.