It’s time for transit agencies to unlock the power of bus shelters
“Transit ridership is down in the U.S., led by declining bus use. This has serious consequences, felt most acutely by low-income, non-white and disabled Americans. . . .
“But there’s at least one hopeful sign, and it’s bolted onto a galvanized steel post on the side of the road.
“Research indicates that ridership grows at safely accessible, sheltered bus stops. These are relatively inexpensive additions, often supported by existing revenue sources. They might just help reverse the downward spiral of bus ridership if heartily embraced.
“At TransportationCamp, hosted by Mobility Lab in January at Catholic University in Washington, DC, two representatives of TransitCenter — Senior Program Associate Kirk Hovenkotter and Research Associate Mary Buchanan — presented the organization’s latest work on bus stops. . . .
“The report, titled ‘From Sorry to Superb: Everything You Need to Know about Great Bus Stops,’ was released in October 2018. It’s built on case studies of American bus systems in major cities. . . .
“‘Most bus stops across America are a pole in the ground,’ says Hovenkotter.
“However, it’s this deficiency — poor-quality bus stops and not enough shelters — that could be an opportunity for many transit systems to increase ridership.
“A study by the University of Utah found that bus stops upgraded with a shelter, benches, and adjacent sidewalks dramatically increased ridership.”
FULL STORY published January 16, 2019 via Mobility Lab