City council members received applause from residents during the Feb. 2 meeting after voting to table a study for a bus depot site.

John Whelan, a resident of the Riverport building, said a bus depot nearby would have “significant impact on the value of homes in that building. It would be devastating in more ways than one.” He asked council “Please not to even consider the idea.”

Director of Community and Economic Development Alicia Karner said the contract would be for Maser Consulting to do feasibility study. “It’s not predetermined to be the location,” she said. The site under investigation currently holds a trailer, owned by the city Parking Authority, on Mechanic Street.

The $90,450 study would be paid with grant money rather than city funds, Karner said.

Karner said she envisions a ticket booth and bathrooms, not a large bus depot. A previous study has “morphed into something much smaller,” she said. The study would freshen up the earlier analysis with current information. “It’s not something we have the staffing to do in-house,” Karner said.

The feasibility study would provide answers to the questions residents have, she said. “We too have a lot of questions not dissimilar to what the residents have.”

Residents told council members they like the Riverport building and think a bus depot would detract from an area they have worked hard to improve and maintain. They also said most of the bus riders are students from Lehigh University so a site closer to the university would make more sense.

Karner said the 10-hour meters nearby are not used very often. Residents said it would make sense to build a depot there or provide shuttle service from another location for bus riders who may attend Lehigh University.

Other residents expressed concern that bus fumes would create environmental hazard and having a bus depot would encourage theft in the area.

Some landlords in the Riverport building also told council members having a bus depot would make it harder for them to rent out their units.

Riverport resident Stephanie Alteri said, “There’s plenty of other places. It’s a terrible idea. I hope you oppose it.”

Other residents said bus companies would give information on their riders for free so it would not be necessary to do a study. Residents also suggested using the grant money to refurbish a site that is already available. Karner said the grant is for planning, not for construction.

Council member Olga Negron-Dipini asked if another site near Third Street would be viable. Karner said the site in question is privately owned.

Negron-Dipini said, “I’m excited about the possibility of doing a study,” but the Riverport site should not considered and other sites should be investigated.

Council member Adam Waldron said, “Another site would be better.”

Waldron asked what kind of volume of bus ridership. Karner said the consultant doing the study would gather that information.

Karner said the study could be given a broader scope to look at the greater Southside area to find a suitable site for the bus depot.

“We don’t want to do anything that would deteriorate our efforts” to improve the Southside, she said.

Council President J. Willie Reynolds said the goal of finding a location for the bus depot is excellent since increased bus ridership would mean fewer cars on the roads. With a broader scope, the study would help to find a place that works to accomplish these big goals, he said.

Council member Shawn Martell said the study would help to answer many of the outstanding questions about the proposed bus depot.

Reynolds made a motion to table the study and council members approved tabling the issue with a 6-0 vote. Council member Bryan Callahan was absent.

City resident Peter Crownfield told council members, “To spend money to find how to do it is just a waste.” After the vote, Crownfield said tabling the issue was “the right decision.”