Troy

The Uncle Sam bus stop at Third, Fulton and River streets may be relocated to a new transit center, city and transit officials said.

The Troy Local Development Corp. awarded a $10,000 grant Friday to fund a Temple University study to plan for a new gateway to the city at the Green Island Bridge extending down to the present location of the bus stop.

There's been a preliminary discussion between the Capital District Transportation Authority and the city about removing the stop, which takes its name from the Uncle Sam statue that dominates the corner, said Jaime Watson, a CDTA spokeswoman.

A transit center would replace the current stop, which includes a large shelter, a special traffic light to speed buses back into service and a designated area along the curb where buses stack up waiting to pick up passengers.

"It's too early to get into different locations," Watson said, regarding a new spot that would serve as a transit hub downtown and replace the present stop.

CDTA plans to create a Bus Rapid Transit line running between Troy and Albany. It would be similar to the existing Bus Rapid Transit service currently linking Albany's and Schenectady's downtowns along the Route 5 corridor.

CDTA has seen increased ridership, reporting a 6 percent jump from August 2013 to August 2014 with boardings hitting 1.4 million.

The goal of creating a downtown transit center would be to improve service and enhance riders' experiences, Watson said.

With the Uncle Sam bus stop's future unknown, the Troy Local Development Corp. is including it in a landscaping plan to be drawn up by Temple University landscape architecture graduate students. They will be under the direction of Lolly Tai, a professor at the university, who also owns property in the city.

One of the goals is to develop a plan to transform the Green Island Bridge as a gateway into the city. It would possibly be tied to the future $1.5 million program to extend Riverfront Park access north past the bridge.

The Uncle Sam bus stop borders the park at Front Street. The stop is located on city-owned land, officials said.

kcrowe@timesunion.com • 518-454-5084 • @KennethCrowe