"The Transportation Center is truly the multimodal transportation hub of the community," said Don Cassano, Tempe Transportation Commissioner. "It's where everything comes together -- bikes, buses, light rail and walking -- as an integral part of our downtown and greater community."

The city's transportation program, Tempe in Motion, provides bus, bicycle, pedestrian and light rail facilities and encourages getting around Tempe in anything but a car. Tempe's goal is to provide a balanced transportation system that is environmentally sustainable and accessible to all people, preserves neighborhoods, promotes transitoriented development and involves citizens in the process.

Following voter approval in 1996 of a dedicated halfcent sales tax for transit, Tempe began steadily enhancing its transit system, including: late evening and weekend bus and dial-a-ride services; neighborhood circulator shuttle routes; an alternatively-fueled transit fleet; six miles of light rail, as part of a 20-mile regional light rail system; more than 170 miles of bikeways; neighborhood pedestrian amenities; streetscape and traffic calming projects; and two sustainable transportation facilities.

Construction of the transportation center began in late 2007, following lengthy public involvement and archaeological processes. The Tempe Transportation Center gathered community input through a robust public involvement program to ensure the new building would meet residents' needs. The city facilitated numerous public workshops that fostered consensus decision making in a collaborative atmosphere.

Tempe also targeted outreach to public and private organizations, including Arizona State University and Tempe Historic Preservation Commission, as well as several Native American communities, including the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Gila River Indian Community, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and Hopi Tribe. The Native American communities specifically provided input to preserve the historical significance of Hayden Butte.

Designed to fit into the landscape, the center was oriented on the site to preserve views of the adjacent Hayden Butte, a historically significant geological formation. Taking into account the arid climate of the Sonoran Desert, the center includes many water conservation features, such as waterless urinals, greywater harvesting, stormwater capture and reuse and drought-tolerant plants.

In December 2009, Tempe's Transportation Center received a coveted Smart Growth Achievement Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson recognized the facility as a model for sustainable design, a vibrant, mixeduse regional transportation hub that incorporates innovative and green building elements tailored to the desert environment.

"Every year the Smart Growth Achievement Award winners show us new and creative ways to bring environmental sustainability to our communities -- and this year is no exception," Jackson said. "Smart growth has an important role to play in building a new foundation for prosperity in communities across the nation." Tempe was one of four communities that received the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement at a ceremony in Washington. Other recipients were: Lancaster County, Pa., Planning Commission; city of Charlotte, N.C.; and Chicago Housing Authority.

The city designed the Tempe Transportation Center as a multiuse green facility that is not only a transportation hub but also a gathering spot for the community. The center does not provide any automobile parking beyond spaces reserved for persons with disabilities. In fact, the facility replaced a 2.7-acre surface parking lot and now provides much-needed public amenities, including a community room and a shaded public plaza. Additional uses include a transit store, retail space for a café and shops and offices, including the city of Tempe's Transportation Division and the center's newest tenant, the corporate offices of Dixon Golf, which recycles and manufactures sustainable golf balls.

In addition to the transportation center, Tempe also hosts the East Valley Bus Operations & Maintenance Facility, a 250-bus maintenance/transit facility owned and operated by the cities of Tempe and Scottsdale as well as Valley Metro, the regional transit authority. The facility, which opened in 2007, was awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Amanda Nelson is the community outreach and marketing supervisor for the city of Tempe, Ariz. She may be contacted at amanda_nelson@tempe.gov.