The new, environmentally friendly Airways Transit Center in Memphis, Tenn., celebrated its grand opening this month and now serves as a terminal for both the Memphis Areas Transit Authority (MATA) and Greyhound.

The 30,000-square-foot facility is a hub and customer center in that portion of the city for MATA buses. It also is the new Greyhound terminal for Memphis, replacing its decades-old home downtown on Union Avenue. Greyhound Lines Inc. has moved its entire operation from the downtown facility to the new site.

The new Airways Transit Center is a major focal point for local transit service in the Whitehaven area and improves MATA's ability to make efficient connections to Greyhound's intercity bus services. It serves as a major connection for bus passengers traveling east and west in the southern part of Memphis and provides better connections to the Memphis International Airport which is less than two miles away.

Designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible, the project features flooring made from recycled glass, a roof designed to reflect heat during the summer, landscaping that requires small amounts of water, low-flow lavatories and water closets and interior lighting controlled by sensors to reduce usage.

The project is seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification through the United States Green Building Council.

Initially, about four routes and 200 MATA buses enter and exit on a typical weekday. There are four canopy-covered bus berths on the site, allowing customer to exit the terminal and board the bus without getting wet during rainy weather. There is no bus maintenance or bus storage for MATA on the property.

Greyhound operates 24 outbound and 23 inbound schedules daily from the Center. There are 16 canopy-covered bus berths, allowing passengers to move from inside the terminal to the bus completely under roof. Greyhound can perform basic maintenance on site.

The total cost of the project, including property acquisition, demolition and design is about $15 million. The construction cost is approximately $11.5 million. The terminal employs more than 40, which includes people from MATA, Greyhound and other tenants.