Though the construction won’t be finalized until after the 2025-2026 school year begins, bus service will begin Aug. 17, said Shawn Cowan, Butler County RTA director of Customer Care and Public Engagement, adding that “providing riders with improved transit options and a welcoming new space.”
“It’s a symbol of progress, partnership, and long-term vision,” she said of the Chestnut Street Station. “This project has been over 10 years in the making and wouldn’t have been possible without the strong collaboration between BCRTA and Miami University.”
This $25.8 million project at 97 W. Chestnut St. is a partnership between the Butler County RTA, Miami University, the city of Oxford and Talawanda schools.
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
New routes will focus on convenience and be more direct as the Chestnut Street Station will be the central hub for updated routes, according to Miami University and Butler County RTA.
The new multimodal transportation center will provide several public amenities, including indoor waiting areas with WiFi and charging, public restrooms, real-time bus arrival signage, and reservable community room.
It’s believed by the author of the Miami 2040 Climate Action Plan, the state-of-the-art amenities and the city of Oxford’s Pedestrian Master Plan, which is now in development, may help in reducing carbon emissions as it relates to campus community.
“BCRTA’s new multimodal station and updated routes — which shift from long loops to more direct service — will make it even easier to ride the bus in Oxford,” said David Prytherch, co-chair of the Sustainability Council’s Transportation Working Group and Professor of Geography, “moving Miami closer to our climate goals.”
The new routes were shaped by feedback from the Miami community through a public comment survey conducted earlier this spring. There were 269 respondents to the survey.
New stops would be added near Patterson Avenue and Bishop Circle, providing additional access to Miami University’s central campus, and on College Corner Pike for access to Talawanda Oxford Pantry and Social Services.
Buses will continue to serve the Ditmer parking lot during evenings and weekends.
The station will have a platform for Amtrak’s Cardinal line by 2026.
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