ANN ARBOR—The Department of Parking & Transportation Services will construct a new operations and maintenance facility on North Campus to help meet its safety operational efficiency and sustainability needs.

The $38.5 million, 114,000-square-foot building was approved last week by the U-M Board of Regents. It will be located near Dean Road between Baxter Road and Hubbard Street, relocating from Kipke Drive near Michigan Stadium.

The new operations and maintenance facility will accommodate both current and future maintenance space needs, including the flexibility to handle larger articulated buses. It also will house heavy equipment maintenance operations.

“Our goal is to build a facility that is appropriately sized and located in an area that allows us to do the things we want to improve safety, operate more efficiently with the amenities that our employees deserve,” said Steve Dolen, executive director of Parking & Transportation Services.

Since the current building was constructed in 1974, U-M’s bus fleet has grown by 45 percent, the number of vehicles the university operates has grown 140 percent and its driver staff has doubled.

The new facility will meet current guidelines for vehicle maintenance facilities, including improved vehicle circulation and appropriate work zones for improved safety. The facility also allows Parking & Transportation Services to maintain and operate larger articulated buses to move larger number of passengers in one trip, which helps to meet its sustainability goals of less greenhouse gas emissions/passenger trips.

“The Ross Athletic campus is a busy area with pedestrian and vehicle traffic especially during events,” Dolen said. “Moving the operations facility away from this traffic is a safety enhancement and operational improvement.”

Departing the current site will make available nearly 185 spaces on the Stephen M. Ross Athletic campus for commuters and event parking.

The university operates one of the largest alternative-energy vehicle fleets among universities in the United States, with 526 vehicles running on E-85 fuel, 96 vehicles using biodiesel, 56 hybrid electric passenger vehicles and 15 all-electric vehicles.

Related Link:

• U-M Parking & Transportation Services: http://pts.umich.edu