This Bus Chick post reminded me of the contest SF Muni (San Francisco’s Bus and Rail company) is currently running to design new bus shelters for the service. This is what current muni shelters look like. All of the possible shelter designs include a “next bus” sign with information about the next bus. Take a look at the photo below of a next bus sign in Melbourne Australia. Vandalism is probably less of a problem in Australia than it is in Seattle (and in Seattle FAAAAAAAR less than in San Francisco.
I haven’t thought a lot about what the perfect metro bus stop would be like, but it would definitely include a next bus sign, and uh, a shelter. I take the 545 at Bellevue & Olive Street (down a block from Olive Way, confusing, right?) and its great to just show up in the summer since the bus comes every 8~12 minutes and the weather’s wonderful but come January, I’d like to know when the bus is coming, and be able to stand under a shelter. Have you got anything more than that you’d like in the perfect shelter? Wi-fi is probably asking too much… Japanese train stations always have fabulous vending machines that serve a variety of cold drinks in the summer, and a mix of hot and cold drinks in the winter (actually you could replace ‘train stations’ with basically anything in that sentance). I think a perfect bus station would have a vending machine because I’m always thirsty.
Nextbus is a must! If it is too expensive then hit all the major stops and then start working out to others and money comes in. Buschicks blog had mentioned that the removal of benches is annoying people. I agree with this, although, I do see that it prevents transients from making benches beds. Here is an idea, if you make a bench with armrests, they can’t abused. Ok, problem solved with that issue. I don’t particularly understand why some of the stations that are sheltered face away from traffic? Do you know why? That is a mystery to me. I have to admit I really could careless how deco or artistic the stops are, because I am more for functionality at this point. However the art is a nice touch! My perfect stop wouldn’t have etched windows like a lot of the shelters do, because this makes looking for bus numbers impossible. Again lacking function. Definitely information kiosk. I like the ones they currently have, although some of them could use a cleaning. Let’s be honest I will take a little dirty for great function. I wonder if Nextbus would be a target for vandalism and that is why they don’t have it? Sad, if so. I heard via Buschick that Overlake has Nextbus type of technology they are using? That is cool. Except that I have never been there. Along with beverages I think a snack machine would be nice, although I don’t know if that would promote more eating and drinking on the buses, which technically is against Metro rules although they weakly enforce that. Just a thought.
anything would be better than the current ridiculous eyesores that metro has right now.
having just come back from portland over the weekend, bus shelters should include:
0.) schedule and system map information
1.) the stop ID for the closest mybus location (so you can check arrival info via cellphone)
2.) one or more lights so it is not sketchy to wait for the bus late at night
3.) a trash can
additionally, the bus shelters should not look like steel-welded deathmatch cages or otherwise converted shipping containers. every other real city seems to be going towards a nice, bright, cheery and open glass enclosure that is not a major eyesore. also, brown?
finally, while it’s great we do so much for the arts, maybe metro could do something else with those murals that are randomly placed on bus shelters throughout the city. some are just downright bad.
I do agree some of the art is bad, which is why I vote for functional.