Take a Seat: 5 Brilliant Bus Stop Fixes

The world is full of sorry bus stops. The sorriest ones—as Streetsblog has chronicled in their annual contest—are just a sign and a patch of unshaded dirt. And while grassroots organizations have come up with creative ways to reimagine bus stops as exercise hubs, sustainable gardens, and the like, many would stand to benefit from a more modest addition: a better place to sit.

Benches can be hard to come by at bus stops, much less full bus shelters, even as transit advocates have long stressed their benefits, especially for older riders. Better amenities can boost ridership, according to a Transit Center report, and given the worrying state of bus use nationwide, installing better benches should be a low-cost way for cities to address a low-hanging fruit.