SunLine outlines $4.5 million vision for downtown Cathedral City transit hub

SunLine Transit Agency officials presented a conceptual plan on Jan. 22 for a transit hub at B Street and Buddy Rogers in downtown Cathedral City, describing facility features, an early cost estimate and potential funding approaches.

Paul Mattern, chief planning officer of SunLine Transit Agency, said SunLine “sees this stop as... our hub in the Western Valley” and described a conceptual footprint roughly 90 feet deep by 300 feet long adjacent to the existing stops. Mattern said the design would include six bus bays (three inside and three outside), a driver comfort building, solar‑covered shade structures and passenger amenities intended to support transfers and stimulate nearby retail and housing development.

The presentation matters because SunLine framed the site as part of its long‑range system of distributed hubs and as a potential anchor for mixed‑use, pedestrian‑oriented development that complements Cathedral City’s general plan. Mattern said the hub could help connect the city to regional destinations, including an eventual airport shuttle or rail connections.

Luis Garcia, SunLine’s chief financial officer, gave an initial cost estimate and funding overview. Garcia said very early estimates for the hub are “probably 4 and a half $1,000,000,” and emphasized that the final cost will…