High-traffic conditions at the White Loop bus stop across from the Pattee Library have prompted Penn State and the Centre Area Transit Authority (CATA) to use a recently received $500,000 federal grant to construct new facilities at the bus stop.

Hugh Mose, CATA general manager, said the Pattee Library bus stop, a congested area for cars, buses and pedestrians, has been a problem for a while, and it's now on top of the priority list for both CATA and Penn State.

Rep. John Peterson, R-Pa., made the fund requests for the project -- termed the Curtin Road Transit Center -- to Congress, which voted earlier this month to award the grant. "It's been understood for a long time that we needed a better bus stop," Mose said.

Peterson's spokesman, Chris Tucker, said Peterson consulted with state and local committees and deemed the Curtin Road Transit Center necessary to pursue. "Congressman Peterson thought it should be funded on the federal level, and it was," Tucker said.

Paul Ruskin, Office of Physical Plant spokesman, said the project is in its conceptual design phase and is part of the university's pedestrian-first plan.

The project will require an expansion of the pavement on both sides of the road and the creation of a bus stop on the library side of the road for the Blue Loop to replace the current Blue Loop stop at Allen Road, Mose said.

Both stops will be equipped with weather shelters, bike racks, benches and disability services, Mose said.

Ruskin said that if other funds were needed as the project progresses, they would come from the university, CATA and other grants.

"The goals of the project are to improve pedestrian circulation and safety and vehicular circulation and safety," he said.

Mose, who said he uses the Pattee Library bus stop frequently, said that at certain times, there could easily be hundreds of people waiting for a bus.

"Sometimes, it takes a couple tries to get on," Jody Freeman (sophomore-film and video and rehab services) said.

Elizabeth Colpo (graduate-music education) said she uses the Pattee Library bus stop almost every day, and it would make sense to have weather shelters there because of the congestion, but she is concerned about the surrounding landscape.

"I'd hate to see [the park] pushed back because it's so pretty," Colpo said. "But I understand the traffic situation."

The construction, set to begin in the summer of 2007, will allow seven buses to be served at a time, Mose said.

"This will make it safer for students to access the buses and for traffic to continue while the buses are loading," Ruskin said.

Although the new facilities probably won't be completed for a couple of years, Mose said it would make a drastic difference in the system.

"All bus routes running on and off of campus will be affected," Mose said. "This will be a really important improvement for all riders."

CATA is also working on advanced information technologies that could indicate where all of the buses are and will help determine the wait time.

"It won't be long until we can share that information with the riders," he said.