On Tuesday I mentioned that I think Greensboro should strive to provide shelter for all bus stops. Of course, that is a “shooting for the stars” goal, but we could definitely improve on the numbers I just received.
Greensboro has a total of 1,105 (corrected from 1,056 listed on the GTA site) bus stops. Of those stops only 90 (less than 9%) have benches and only 71 (less than 7%) have shelters. When I stop and think about the fact that we have 1,015 bus stops with no benches or shelters I’m a bit amazed.
According to the information I have received efforts are underway to install 15 new shelters, 4 of which are replacements, meaning 11 will be installed at new locations.
The GTA Board has established a minimum threshold of 25 riders per stop (I assume this is per day) before a shelter is considered. In my eyes I would like to see more people use GTA so that we can advance the system. If we are not making it an attractive form of transportation, part of which is providing shelters at the bus stops, we probably won’t see a bump in ridership. Maybe I’m over thinking this, but I see the lack of shelters as a possible barrier to entry for new riders, which is why I think the GTA Board should rethink this threshold.
Ideally I’d like to see shelter installation start at the center city where ridership seems to be the greatest, and then working our way out. In my eyes, we can do much better than 9%. Greensboro shouldn’t be a “just good enough” city and I look forward to helping us get to the next level.
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I typically don’t agree with the articles here, but this one is spot on. A glaring example of this is at the corner of Westridge and Battleground at the Suntrust Bank. The bank has posted “No loitering” signs on it’s exterior walls facing the bus stop. Whenever it rains or is hot, there are always people leaning against the wall right next to the signs seeking either shelter or shade and would make a great photo to illustrate your point. I’ve contemplated contacting Suntrust to be a good neighbor and provide funding to built a shelter at that location to ease the use of their building for shade/shelter for the folks waiting for the bus but as most all good intentions, I haven’t done it. I think their public relations dept. could be shamed into taking action and it’s a win/win for them for the publicity and getting people to stop loitering against the bank building.
Hugh,
We can always find common ground somewhere and I’m glad you agree with me on this. Thanks for sharing the info about the stop at Battleground and Westridge.
Ryan
Your proposal makes sense- but I question whether one reason for the lack of shelters is maintenance. Particularly when you consider that they too often become targets of graffiti artists.
Spag,
Good concern, but that should not be a deterrent. Let me give an example of how making assumptions can impeded progress.
Maybe you have heard about when I was trying to get trash cans put out on portion of Lee St and was told that “people won’t use the cans.” Fortunately, I was able to get them put out and two days later they had to be emptied because they were overflowing.
Had the assumption deterred my desire to put out the cans we would have never made forward progress and been a step closer to cleaning up this particular portion of Lee St.
Ryan
Ryan, we agree on this – if you’ve ever driven the length of Friendly Road (or is it Ave.?) at commuting times, you see bus riders waiting in all sorts of weather. The underlying meme is probably that no one ever valued bus riders and their convenience, comfort or well-being was at the bottom of every list. It’s hard to imagine that cleaning graffiti in the GSO area is a huge task. Perhaps they should put up one or two and see if it happens.
Real cities – GREEN cities – “get” that public transportation and its users have value. Draw whatever implications you want.
Sue,
Glad we agree. I think people tend to take care of things they appreciate and I think that would be the case with the shelters.
Ryan
I agree completely. I live in Morrisville where there is bus line to Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. The main line is along Highway 54 where there are numerous apartment complexes, a wonderful place to run a bus line. But there are very few shelters. To ride a bus, you need to be able to stay dry and warm or cool while waiting on it. Yes, to boost ridership one much have a bit of shade and a shelter from the rain. Good luck.
Ryan,
This is a topic that has been address before the council by a councilmember before and the group that goes to council on a fairly regular basis about GDOT issues.
Hopefully by YOU brininging up the topic it will be taken seriously.
I actually passed some people seating on the ground today waiting for a bus on Battleground Ave. This is unacceptable and if it takes YOU for the 4 member cabal and groat to do something about it, so be it.
If public transportation customers had somewhere to sit and wait, more residents may utilize the system. The problem is funding. The City of Greensboro and Guilford County have increased total outstanding debt by more than 900%, from $135,696,206 in 2000, to more than $1,300,000,000 in 2009. So what do we cut from where to fund what appears to be a very good idea?
I’m not sure if I’m responding to George… or a committee, but I only have iPhone Web access at the moment. I’ll respond in more detail later.
Ryan
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