Reader question: Why is the Valley Transit bus transfer station in Neenah moving? Was that requested by Valley Transit or the city?

Answer: Valley Transit, the public transportation service in the Fox Cities, will relocate the Neenah Transit Center closer to Neenah City Hall starting Monday.

The bus transfer station currently is located on the east side of the 100 block of South Church Street. It will move two blocks east to the south side of the 100 block of East Doty Avenue.

The move will affect riders on Route 30 (Neenah-Menasha), Route 31 (East Neenah), Route 32 (West Neenah), Route 41 (West Fox Valley) and Route 10 (Neenah-Oshkosh) operated by GO Transit.

The city of Neenah requested the move. Traffic engineer James Merten said the relocation will:

• Address traffic safety concerns around the existing bus shelter and on Wisconsin Avenue.
• Provide riders with access to public bathrooms at City Hall.
• Cause fewer disturbances to transit operations during special events.
• Add street parking in a high-demand area (South Church) in exchange for sacrificing street parking in a relatively low-demand area (East Doty).

The major drawback of the move is the new shelter will not be heated.

Neenah spent about $8,300 to prepare the new site and assemble the shelter. The total accounts for new pavement, traffic signs, lighting and a wireless security camera.

Neither the city nor Valley Transit has committed to make the new location anything more than a short-term solution.

Neenah plans to reconstruct East Doty between Commercial and Oak streets in 2024, so it wants to evaluate how the station functions in the new location before proceeding with the design of the new street.

"It gives us a good chance to look at how it would operate here," Public Works Director Gerry Kaiser said.

Ron McDonald, general manager of Valley Transit, said Valley Transit will work with Neenah and the East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission to determine whether the new site is the optimal location.

"It's going to be permanent until we decide that there's another alternative that's better," McDonald said.

Post-Crescent reporter Duke Behnke answers your questions about local government. Send questions to dbehnke@gannett.com or call him at 920-993-7176.

https://www.postcrescent.com/story/news/local/2022/11/11/neenah-transit-center-moves-new-site-near-city-hall-monday/69635683007/