HaMifratz Central Bus Station
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HaMifratz Central Bus Station is the main bus station of the Haifa Bay (Mifratz Haifa) region which is the Eastern part of the Haifa metropolitan area. It opened on January 1, 2002 as part of the plan to realign Haifa's public transportation system whereby two major bus/rail stations were built, one in the Western and one in the Eastern part of the city in order to avoid the need for inter-city buses to travel into the center of the city to Haifa Bat Galim Central Bus Station. This allows for a more efficient distribution of Inter-city and Intra-city lines in and around Haifa. Since its opening all buses coming from the north and the Galilee which formerly ended at Haifa Bat Galim Central Bus Station now terminate at the Mifratz Central Bus Station and new more frequent lines operate between the two stations. Passengers can get a free transfer to an urban bus when they buy their inter-city ticket to continue from one central bus station to the other one or into the city. Since the opening of Haifa Hof HaCarmel Central Bus Station, which became the main bus station serving the Western part of Haifa metropolitan area, passengers can also continue directly from the Mifratz Central Bus Station to Haifa Hof HaCarmel Central Bus Station on the same transfer. Haifa Bat Galim Central Bus Station no longer serves inter-city buses, and just a few urban lines pass nearby.
The Mifratz Central Bus Station serves local Egged bus lines within the city of Haifa and all suburban and intercity Egged bus routes heading to the north and the Galilee. The entire station is outdoors with just a covering above but is not enclosed. At present, there is no building.
The Mifratz Central Bus Station is adjacent to Lev HaMifratz Mall and Lev HaMifratz Railway Station.
Future plans exist to replace the open-air bus station with a modern, enclosed structure like the one at Hof HaCarmel, alongside massive road improvement projects that are scheduled to take place in and around the station and an extension of the nearby train station which will serve the proposed Jezreel Valley Line railway to Afula, Bet She'an and possibly even Jordan someday. There is also a proposal to build an aerial tramway to connect the Mifratz station with the Technion University on Mount Carmel.
