Arlington, Va., transit station will support zero emissions bus fleet

Arlington (Va.) Transit’s new operations and maintenance facility will support a transition of their current bus fleet to Zero Emissions Buses (ZEBs). The facility will reflect a modern industrial design with operational layouts to embrace a functional aesthetic. Intuitive entry points and wayfinding will include biophilic accents. Large high-performance facades are designed with materials selected for longevity, resilience, and durability.

The first level will include seven repair bays and one chassis wash bay, workshops, supervisor offices, and parts storage rooms. The second level will include an administration suite, conference and training rooms, locker and break rooms, and additional parts storage. The third floor will serve operations and administration.

Operations and dispatch will overlook the bus yard, including bus operator support areas for an operator’s day room, locker and break rooms, and an exterior rooftop patio with vegetative roof. Other features include training rooms, conference rooms, an exercise room, and wellness and quiet rooms.

The project adapts three parcels of land, separated by a private access road and a regional storm water channel, for two new facilities. The two new structures—a three-story, 45,433-sf operations and maintenance facility and a four-tier, 65,096-sf parking structure—will be positioned within the reprogrammed site to support transit operations and provide a highly aesthetic piece of civic architecture for the county and surrounding area, according to a news release from Stantec.

To address long-term stormwater issues and more efficient operations, site improvements include demolition of the existing buildings, channel redesign and restoration, site stormwater management, road crossing improvements, and surface parking for buses.

To support the ZEB charging infrastructure, Stantec is providing power modeling to determine the charging requirements for the fleet, and help to inform ART of any modifications, limitations, or opportunities within their service routes. Stantec will estimate the energy requirement at the vehicle level and the power capacity at the transit facility to identify the required utility upgrades and equipment, along with a long-term plan for incremental growth that aligns with anticipated vehicle replacement and upgrades.

On the building team:
Owner: Arlington County
Design architect: Stantec
Architect of record: Stantec
MEP engineer: GPI
Structural engineer: Ehlert Bryan
General contractor/construction manager: Turner Construction