Ground broken for new intermodal transit facility

NATCHEZ — Ground has been broken for the Natchez Regional Intermodal Transit Facility at the corner of Wood Avenue and North Shields Lane.

The City of Natchez is partnering with MDOT and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to develop a state-of-the-art, multi-use, regional intermodal transportation center that is being jointly supported with an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant, state funds from MDOT and local matching contributions from the city.

The facility is designed to be a regional passenger transfer hub, a modern maintenance center and a regional transportation call-and-dispatch center. It will include a park-and-ride lot, space for secure vehicle parking, a regional training classroom along with retail space for operators of private transportation services.

The Natchez Transit System (NTS) is a key component of the Southwest Mississippi Accessible Regional Transportation (SMART) Coordinated Services system. This system provides a variety of transportation services in Southwest Mississippi. The new facility will provide training opportunities, ready access to maintenance services and vehicle sharing along with automated routing and dispatching capabilities for SMART members.