Better Bus Stops

Metro Transit buses serve more than 12,000 stops. With so many stops, Metro Transit prioritizes where shelters are located with the goal of providing shelters for the most people and serving transit customers who may need or especially benefit from a shelter.  

Metro Transit’s shelter placement guidelines were developed following a community engagement process to better understand where people think shelters are most important and what features are important at bus stops. 

Adding a shelter 

Metro Transit considers adding shelters at bus stops as funding and maintenance resources allow based on this criteria:   

  • Locations with average daily boardings of 30 or more people

  • Locations that serve people with disabilities, housing for older adults, hospitals, healthcare clinics, or social service providers

  • Stops that are major transfer points

  • Neighborhoods with higher number of households without a car

Some locations that may meet the criteria for a shelter may not have space to fit a shelter.    

Removing a shelter 

A shelter may be permanently removed if: 

  • There are consistently fewer than 15 average daily boardings

  • Changes in roadways or property boundaries that make it so the site cannot fit a shelter

  • There are site problems, such as inadequate clearance around the shelter for pedestrians or traffic safety issues

A shelter may be temporarily removed if: 

  • It is located in a construction zone, such as a street construction project or development of property

  • There is ongoing vandalism or documented public safety issues. Persistent vandalism takes maintenance staff time away from other needs, and temporarily removing the shelter interrupts the pattern of behavior

Improving a shelter 

Metro Transit may add lighting or heating to a shelter, if it meets the criteria and electricity is available or easily added. Lighting and heating are not standard features in shelters due to the high costs of installing and maintaining them.

  • Lights are considered where there are higher boardings during evening or overnight  hours, especially where there are documented personal security concerns

  • Heaters are considered if there are at least 100 average daily boardings