Noticing a need in his community, a California mayor found a fast and affordable way to put seating at every bus stop in town.
Writing in Streetsblog, Kea Wilson describes one mayor’s effort to place seating at every bus stop in his Bay Area town. John Bauters, mayor of Emeryville, California, pledged to install benches at every bus stop in his city—and did so in seven months.
Bauters explained that bus stop seating was a no-brainer. “You don't need to study whether or not people need to sit — especially people who are older, people have mobility issues, people with children, people who've walked a long the way, or who are carrying things.”
Seating at bus stops can greatly improve the transit experience. “Studies have shown that the presence of benches and other transit amenities (read: basics) like shelters and nearby trees can encourage ridership and even decrease perceived wait time,” Wilson explains.
While the Emeryville project is small compared to many cities, Bauters says “even his small city was not immune to the challenges of tight budgets and narrow rights-of-way where private property lines sometimes encroach on scarce bus stop space.” Bautner focused on finding an affordable, quick-build solution—a bench known as a “simmeseat”—that allowed his city to provide seating now, while planners look for longer-term fixes.
As Bauters puts it, “some of the most important and best things that we can do to improve livability and transportation choices in our city often go unnoticed by the vast majority of people, but they're greatly and deeply appreciated by the people who are in need.”
FULL STORY: What It Takes to Put a Seat At Every Bus Stop in Town
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.