Fairgrounds Passenger Platform Improvements

Ben Franklin Transit (BFT) headquartered at 1000 Columbia Park Trail in Richland, WA, is the primary provider of public transportation services in the Benton and Franklin County region. BFT’s service area spans 624 square miles and includes the cities of Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, West Richland, Benton City, and Prosser, as well as surrounding unincorporated areas. The agency plays a vital role in connecting communities, supporting regional mobility, and ensuring access to essential services throughout the Mid-Columbia region. The project will reconstruct the existing fairgrounds transit area to provide a larger and more functional passenger platform and loading/unloading area. Construction includes pavement removal and new HMA paving, grading and excavation, stormwater dispersion areas, curbing, fencing and gates, bollards, pavement markings, landscaping/restoration, modifications to existing lighting, and other electrical improvements. The technical specifications incorporate the 2026 WSDOT/APWA Standard Specifications along with City of Kennewick standards and project-specific requirements. The work also includes salvaging portions of the existing cedar fencing and light fixtures for reuse and constructing the stormwater dispersion areas and associated drainage materials. A significant component of the project is addressing stormwater created by the expanded paved passenger area. The project adds more than 10,000 square feet of impervious surface and more than 5,000 square feet of pollution-generating impervious surface, triggering applicable core elements of the 2024 Stormwater Management Manual for Eastern Washington. The site will be regraded so runoff flows back toward the fairgrounds into two dedicated dispersion areas, rather than flowing across Fairway Drive as it currently does. These areas provide treatment and onsite infiltration and are designed to accommodate the 25-year, 24-hour storm event.