Champaign, Illinois

Project

Tolar Manufacturing Company delivers bus shelters now installed throughout University of Illinois as part of Multimodal Corridor Enhancement Project

Tolar Manufacturing has designed, engineered, and manufactured nine new Signature Sunset bus shelters for the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD). Located on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus, the shelters were specifically designed to reflect the character of the University community.

The shelters are part of the latest phase of the Multimodal Corridor Enhancement Project (MCORE). Specifically, the shelters are being installed in the Wright Street section, a street segment that provides movement for a high number of pedestrians and buses traversing the heart of this academic and historic portion of the University of Illinois campus. Working alongside engineering firm T.Y. Lin International Group, Tolar Manufacturing produced structural engineering documents matching the design intent for the project. The resulting nine new shelters were manufactured in five distinctive Tolar Signature Sunset models ranging from 12 feet to 48 feet in length. The shelters encompass passenger amenities including electric LED roof lighting, Signature Mesa benches and leaning rails, and map cases perfect for displaying passenger information in all nine of the shelters. 

“The MCORE Project is transformative for our community and it was important for us to incorporate bus stop amenities that are safe and accessible for transit riders and fit with the project. Tolar’s shelters have met our expectations. Our team had a positive experience working with Tolar and the shelters look great,” said Jane Sullivan, Grants & Governmental Affairs Director for Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District.

To fully support the project and ensure easy implementation, the Tolar team provided on-site installation training and support for the project contractor and agency staff as the shelters were being installed, resulting in installations completed in record time. Tolar Manufacturing is on track to supply similar shelters for the next phase of MCORE Project 5 Green Street to be completed later this year.

Location

Located in East Central Illinois, Champaign is centrally located with Chicago to the north, Indianapolis to the east, and St. Louis to the southwest. Founded in 1855 and originally called “West Urbana,” the city was renamed “Champaign” and is now home to almost 90,000 people.

A micro-urban city, Champaign features an extensive park system, a wonderful urban-downtown, a world-class library, and a variety of work industries including health care, banking, light manufacturing, high technology, and research jobs. Champaign offers plenty of outdoor activities thanks to the area’s lakes and rivers.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, whose campus Champaign shares with its sister city Urbana, has earned a reputation as a world-class leader in research, teaching, and public engagement. 

Tolar Manufacturing Company is honored to have provided shelters for the campus’ Wright Street section, a street segment that provides movement for a high number of pedestrians and buses traversing the heart of this academic and historic portion of the University.

A Word from our Founder

“Working with forward-thinking agencies like MTD is always a great pleasure,” said Tolar Manufacturing founder and president Gary Tolar. “Their MCORE project is a testament to what can be accomplished when a community is committed to improving the mobility of its citizens. We are honored to be part of this multimodal project and look forward to providing bus shelters and street furniture for the micro-urban environment at Green Street, Urbana.”

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