Civic leaders more than a decade ago mulled over two designs for the envisioned Manteca Transit Center.

One was a sleek modern look with an abundance of steel and glass. The other incorporated a more traditional look emphasizing brick.

In going with the more traditional look, several council members hoped it would be a focal point in downtown much like Grand Central Station is in New York City.

They also wanted to create a gathering spot hence the large community room and two plazas aimed at having outdoor events

The building with its four-faced clock tower is easily the most impressive civic building in Manteca as well as downtown. It also is also arguably one of the more aesthetically pleasing transit centers in the San Joaquin Valley.

And it clearly is light years better looking than the old corrugated metal Union Ice building it replaced.

Now the City of Manteca is gearing up for several transit system improvements that will make it arguably one of the most robust transit hub for a city in California pushing 90,000 residents.

*Altamont Corridor Express Service will start to Sacramento and San Jose in 2023. A passenger platform and pedestrian tunnel under the tracks will be put in place.

*Manteca Transit, which uses the center as its route hub, will be adding a traditional bus to its fleet later this year.

*The city is looking at reducing the time between buses on its heaviest used route along Yosemite Avenue from an hour down to 30 minutes.

*The parking lot will be expanded employing the same lighting fixtures and other design.

*Shuttle service from parking lots around the city such as The Promenade Shops at Orchard Valley are being explored to ferry commuters to catch early morning ACE trains and to take them back to their vehicles after returning from the Bay Area.

All of that will be wedded with existing Modesto Area Express service that connects with Modesto and Stockton, San Joaquin Regional Transit, as well as Manteca Transit.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com