Westmoreland transit authority approves new garage project in Hempfield

The Westmoreland County Transit Authority is rolling ahead with plans to build a new $10.5 million storage garage for the agency’s bus fleet in Hempfield.

The 16,000-square-foot garage is to be built at the authority’s existing maintenance facility property on Route 66 to provide indoor storage for up to 20 vehicles, said Executive Director Alan Blahovec.

“This is for indoor storage for our fixed-route buses. Our current facility is not large enough for all of our buses,” Blahovec said.

The authority purchased the 10-acre Hempfield property in the mid-2000s and in 2012 opened a modern maintenance facility on site to provide some indoor storage for buses along with work bays and washing facilities. A natural gas fueling station opened there in 2017.

Officials said the existing garage is not large enough accommodate the authority’s newest buses, which are fueled by natural gas.

As a result, an older building on the the property was demolished in 2019. It will be the site of the large indoor garage to house larger commuter buses and smaller vehicles used for local service routes.

Nearly all of the project will be paid for through state and federal grants, Blahovec said.

The authority has 41 buses in its fleet and operates 22 daily routes and six Saturday routes.

Authority board members are expected to award construction bids in March.

Construction could begin this spring, and the facility is slated to open in May 2023, Blahovec said.