While some rail stations get the starchitect treatment, most bus stops fail to offer aesthetic value. One study suggests this is a mistake.
An Italian study published in Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives shows that the aesthetics of bus stops can affect how likely riders are to use them. As Sonja Wind notes in Bloomberg CityLab, the researchers used virtual reality helmets to offer bus riders two different experiences.
According to lead author Armando Cartenì, “It means that there are other attributes, in addition to the traditional ones of waiting time, travel time and ticket cost, to attract users to bus transport.” The study found that respondents were willing to pay an extra 25 to 40 percent for fares to use more attractive facilities.
“Apart from increasing passenger satisfaction and ticket revenue, building more attractive bus facilities would draw more riders to public transportation, reducing emissions and congestion associated with private car use.” Yet, especially in the United States, most bus stops have minimal facilities like shade and seating, let alone aesthetic elements.
Read the full story: What a Beautiful Bus Stop Can Do
NYC Secures Funding for Midtown Bus Terminal Replacement
The aging Manhattan transit terminal, the world’s busiest, will receive a $10 billion revamp and expansion.
LA Begins Adding New Bus Shelters
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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DSA members accuse Mamdani of 'abandoning values' over housing redevelopment
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All sides of BRT debate unhappy with CDOT’s most recent move
The Colorado Department of Transportation is no longer considering center-running bus lanes for Colorado Boulevard.
Massachusetts bogs generate both power, and cranberries
Putting solar panels above farmland is one way Massachusetts is advancing toward its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
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City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello