The recent grand opening of Ci Ci’s Pizza at North Main Plaza At Columbia City Council’s last regular meeting Wednesday morning, Aug. 18, Teresa Wilson introduced an idea to use a federal appropriation of $735,000. Wilson is the city’s director of governmental affairs, and the $735,000 is looking for a home. She proposed the North Columbia Intermodal Transit Facility to spend all of the $735,000 appropriation and then some.

The appropriation was part of fiscal year 2008, and it was part of the funding for a bus barn on Lucius Road, but it has been left alone and unused until now. If the money is not used soon, it could return to Washington.

This same lack of direction was the problem in Columbia when SCE&G had responsibility for the bus system. Federal funds were available for Columbia’s capital improvements in transit, but nothing was done to take advantage of the money, such as buy new buses. The money almost returned to Washington. In the end, Columbia got the transit stations at the corner of Laurel and Sumter and also on Assembly under the AT&T Building. Since SCE&G refused to buy new buses for at least 20 years, and the system was transferred to the city in 2002, the money went into bricks and mortar instead.

As in bus purchases, the federal government offers 80 percent of the required funds in capital improvements and expects the locals to kick in the last 20 percent. As the total cost of the North Columbia Intermodal Transit Facility approaches $1 million, local government is expected to contribute about $200,000 to make the $1 million happen.

Wilson’s facility is planned as an extension of the existing North Main Plaza, the city’s real estate development on North Main Street. Her presentation acknowledged the three buses that come down Main Street between Monticello and Sunset. The proposed North Columbia Intermodal Transit Facility and the existing North Main Plaza are about equidistant between Monticello and Sunset, so the facility will accommodate the three buses at their current schedules. In other words, the North Columbia Intermodal Transit Facility is one elaborate bus stop, replete with plenty of parking.

By being called “intermodal,” the project includes automobile parking, which helps North Main Plaza. A pizza parlor has moved in over the past few months, and additional parking should boost pizza sales.

That stretch of North Main Street is already scheduled for extensive streetscape improvements. One of the criticisms of the streetscape improvements was the emphasis on trees at the expense of curbside parking. By taking parking away from the shopfronts facing North Main Street, the city might actually threaten the success of streetside shops, as some members of council observed. But when it was noted that the parking had already been eliminated by the planned streetscape improvements, no fault could fall on the North Columbia Intermodal Transit Facility.

Wilson warned council notice was due at Congressman Clyburn’s office by September 30. The Federal Transit Administration needed to see a request for the obligation of the funds to keep the money in play in Columbia. Council asked city staff to coordinate with the Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority to support the completion of the project. Council also asked staff to pursue alternative funding sources. The city’s 20 percent, about $200,000, is a bit of a challenge.

A progress report is expected during council’s meeting at its retreat, Wednesday, September 1.

For more information concerning the Columbia City Council agenda, visit Columbiasc. net, click on city council, then agendas.