NVTA celebrates opening of Vine Transit Maintenance Facility
The Napa Valley Transportation Authority cut the ribbon on a new 28,000-square-foot bus maintenance facility on April 12 with more than 100 attendees, including local politicians and transit officials. Guest speakers included Sen. Bill Dodd; Ray Tellis, Regional Administrator for the Federal Transit Administration; NVTA Board Chair Liz Alessio; and NVTA Executive Director Kate Miller.
“Today was a wonderful celebration and a culmination of an 10-year effort by NVTA staff, and the design and construction teams that made this wonderful maintenance facility a reality,” Miller said.
Nestled on 8 acres on Sheehy Court in Napa, the Vine Transit Maintenance Facility became fully operational in April. The infrastructure project, built by NVTA, will provide a state-of-the-art workplace for more than 100 Vine Transit employees, a backup emergency operations center for the region and support Vine Transit as it expands its zero-emission fleet.
The facility includes six modern maintenance bays, all of which are equipped for hydrogen fuel in anticipation of the day the zero-emission energy source becomes available here in Napa Valley. It provides the capacity for 12 electric bus chargers, which will allow Vine Transit to better service and expand the number of zero-emission vehicles in its fleet. Other highlights include a bus wash designed for both buses and shuttles; a regional meeting center; and enhanced workspaces with multiple kitchens and a wellness and lactation room. Soon, solar panels will also be added to the campus.
The $39 million facility came in nearly $1 million under budget. The project was one of only three in the country to receive a loan from the federal Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act Rural Project Initiative. State funding for the project included SB 1, FTA grants, and Transportation Development Act contributions. The project was designed with environmentally sustainable materials by Stantec and built by Alten Construction LLC.
