Bus Stop Improvement Guidelines describe the criteria Metro Transit uses to prioritize investments in bus shelters and other improvements for transit customers.
Metro Transit’s bus stop improvement guidelines were developed using feedback from community engagement to better understand where people think shelters are most important and what features are important at bus stops.
Adding a bus shelter
Metro Transit places shelters at bus stops to help improve transit customers’ comfort while waiting for the bus. Bus shelters provide a roof and three walls for weather protection and include a bench and schedule poster as standard features. Shelter light or heat are not standard features.
Bus stops with 20 or more daily boardings may be considered for a bus shelter. Shelters are prioritized based on transit transfers, equity considerations, and community destinations.
Once a bus stop is identified as a priority for a shelter based on the guidelines, site factors such as available space, slope, and obstructions determine if a shelter can be located at a bus stop.
Improving a bus shelter
Metro Transit may add lighting or heating to a shelter, if it meets the criteria and electricity is available or easily added. Lighting and heating are not standard features in shelters due to the high costs of installing and maintaining them.
-
Lighting is considered where there are higher boardings during evening or overnight hours or where there are documented personal security concerns
-
Heating is considered at major transfer points if there are at least 70 average daily boardings
Personal safety at bus shelters
Occasionally people use a bus shelter in ways that violate Metro Transit’s rules, negatively impacting transit customers and neighbors.
Where there is a repeating issue, Metro Transit attempts to make design changes to improve visibility. Rules for Riding may be posted. As resources allow, additional visits from Metro Transit staff and partner organizations may address the concerns.
If persistent or illegal activities create dangerous conditions, Metro Transit may temporarily remove a shelter bench or bus shelter to interrupt the pattern of behavior.
Removing a bus shelter
Metro Transit considers permanently removing a bus shelter where the bus stop consistently has fewer than 10 daily boardings and no transit service improvements are planned.
A shelter may be permanently removed due to planned service changes with an expected decrease in ridership or due to site constraints where there are no feasible design solutions.