Minister Katz and Mayor of Haifa Yona Yahav consecrated Today The largest and most advanced transportation center in Israel - the new Bay Center in Haifa
Minister Katz: "The transportation center will unite all existing means of transportation in the Haifa metropolis and will be a transition point between them. It will also provide accessibility and connectivity to the cities and settlements close to Haifa, the northern and central cities, the south of the country and Jerusalem."
The Mayor of Haifa, Yona Yahav: "This is a holiday for the residents of Haifa and the north. The new interchange is another element of the public transportation system in Haifa, which is the most advanced in the country. The opening of the new bay interchange establishes the status of the city of Haifa as a metropolis and the capital of the north."
The Minister of Transportation and Intelligence, Israel Katz and the Mayor of Haifa, Yona Yahav inaugurated the transportation center today (Wednesday) "The New Gulf Switchboard" in Haifa, which will be the first center in Israel to operate an advanced and integrated public transportation system that will serve as an entry and exit gate for residents of the Haifa metropolis and the north of the country.
The transportation terminal was built by the "Yefa Nof" company at a cost of NIS 300 million and covers a built-up area of 12 square meters. The center includes stations of metro lines, city and intercity buses, railway stations of the coastal line (to Nahariya and Karmiel) and the Emek train line, as well as a "special" taxi station. In the future, the light rail to Nazareth, and the Carmel cable car ("the cable car") to the university and the Technion will also be integrated into the center.
The new Bay center will open to the public on Sunday, July 1, and will serve 6 public transportation companies, which operate hundreds of buses every day. The new central station will serve as the main entrance to the Haifa metropolis and the leading transportation artery for about one and a half million residents of Haifa and the north. According to estimates, about 60 passengers are expected to pass through the new Gulf Central Station every day and within a year it will serve more than 20 million passengers.
The new Bay Center is located on both sides of Highway 75, near the Check Post intersection at the northern entrance to the city of Haifa. The structure of the station allows for continuous and easy movement of passengers, while taking great care of their safety. With the completion of the works in the coming months, the movement between the various means of transportation will be carried out entirely within the area of the complex and on a separate safety level for pedestrians, and will not include crossing crosswalks or meeting with traveling vehicles.
The terminal is divided into two wings, which include train stations for the coastal line, the Emek train and the train to Karmiel, Metro lines to the north and south, city and intercity bus lines, as well as a connection to the cable car line, which, when it becomes operational in early 2020, will serve as a central means of transportation for the university and the Technion. A "Special" taxi station will operate next to the station.
The northern wing of the new Bay Center is an air-conditioned, two-story building. On the lower floor there are matron platforms and 14 intercity bus terminals, with advanced information signage that will inform the public about the arrival times of the buses. The second floor will be used in a few months as the departure station for the Emek train and with the extension of the coast line railway, and also for the trains on this line and the train line to Karmiel. The southern wing will be used for loading and unloading platforms for passengers for city buses and it allows for a quick passage of buses and passengers to and from the Gulf Central.
The transportation center is connected by two bridges to the Emek train station and a parking lot that includes hundreds of parking spaces for private vehicles. The construction of two additional bridges, to the Lev Hamfaretz mall, and to the coastal train platform is expected to be completed in the coming months. Access to the parking lot will be through the new underpass, which connects the Carmel tunnels with the container junction and the Kiryot bypass road (route 22). The entire center is accessible to people with disabilities and there is a large disabled parking lot at the main entrance to the station.
Minister of Transportation Israel Katz stated that the transportation center will unite all existing means of transportation in the Haifa metropolis and will be a transition point between them. It will also provide accessibility and connectivity to the cities and settlements close to Haifa, the northern and central cities, the south of the country and Jerusalem. "The opening of the new Gulf exchange will also be a response to issues such as environmental pollution, passenger accessibility and traffic congestion on Israeli roads," added Minister Katz.
The Mayor of Haifa, Yona Yahav added: "This is a holiday for the residents of Haifa and the north. The new central station is another element of the public transportation system in Haifa, which is the most advanced in the country, thanks to a wide variety of first-of-its-kind means of transportation in Israel, including: the Matron and the first cable car in Israel that will be used for mass transportation. The opening of the new Gulf exchange establishes the status of the city of Haifa as a metropolis and the capital of the north."
CEO of Yaffe Nof, Avishai Cohen: "I am proud to open the new Gulf Central Station today after the hard work of the company's employees. I see the implementation of the project as the pillar of the public transportation network of the Haifa metropolis and of the residents of the north. Thanks to hard work and while investing thought into maintaining the safety and comfort of passengers, the company was able to meet in the professional requirements and to complete the construction of the project on time and within the required budget. The new Bay Center project is one of the most beautiful and advanced transportation centers of its kind in Israel, already in the coming years the project will be the gateway to the Haifa metropolis and the main transportation artery for public transportation passengers to Haifa and the north."
