Better By Design

In November, METRO leadership, elected officials, and community partners cut the ribbon on the first of hundreds of newly designed bus shelters.

METRO’s Facilities Maintenance Department will install 30 shelters each month, 400 per year, with a goal of 2,000 in the next five years.

“I am thrilled to see this new, modernized design brought to life and thankful for all the METRO staff,” said President and CEO Tom Lambert at the event. “This takes a team effort to make sure we get this done and they’ve done a lot of work, a lot of tireless efforts to work with the Board and our private sectors.”

The shelters are an update to the long-standing bus shelter design and feature a silver-colored, more durable structure with steel framing and solar-powered lighting to enhance the customer experience.

"From new shelters to accessibility upgrades, we at METRO are committed to making the necessary improvements for the region to ensure that every customer has a safe and reliable commute," said METRO Board Chair Sanjay Ramabhadran.

 

The first installations will focus on stops without shelters and then move to replacing older shelters. METRO will also upgrade existing trash cans and add 1,000 new ones. Benches will be added, where feasible.

 

Shelter installation priority will depend on these factors for bus stops:

• Number of daily boardings
  
• Use by senior population
  
• In a community with a high concentration of people living with a disability
  
• Serves a significant activity center such as a hospital, grocery and other retail stores
  
• Connects with other bus routes or METRORail