Woe to the person waiting for a bus in a downpour or heat wave. At the vast majority of stops in the region, bus drivers find no shelter from storms or the scorching sun. Only 1 in 4 bus stops served by Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority buses are protected from the weather, according to a new analysis.
It’s a sign of how little thought or planning has gone into improving conditions for bus drivers in Los Angeles County, despite voter support four VAT increases since 1980 to fund transportation projects and programs. More than 560,000 people ride metrobuses every day. What should be a simple, basic convenience of bus travel – a bench to sit on and some shade while you wait – is still a rarity in most parts of the country.
But as climate change fuels increasingly deadly heat waves, bus stops are no longer seen as convenience. This is necessary to ensure the safety of the driver. It’s time for Metro and cities across the region to work together on a plan to fund, build and maintain bus shelters at most stations.
Until recently, Metro didn’t keep track of whether stops had benches or shelters. The subway runs the buses and chooses the stops, but the cities, which control the sidewalks, are responsible for providing shelters and benches. There is often little coordination between agencies.
That is slowly changing. Metro surveyed bus stops in the 1,000-square-mile service area with the goal of attracting more state and federal funding for emergency shelters. Metro provided the data to UCLA’s Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies and MoveLA, a public transportation advocacy group, which mapped and mapped 10,500 bus stops.
The analysis showed that only 26% of the stops have a shelter. About half of the stops have a bench, That reports The Times last year Most areas where bus stops are located have an average ground temperature of more than 30 degrees in the summer. According to MoveLA, a sunshade structure can lower the temperature of surfaces by 25 to 40 degrees.
If riders are lucky, there may be a tree nearby to provide shade, but the area also lacks street trees, especially in low-income black communities. About 18% from Los Angeles County iis covered with treetopsThis is less than the national average of 27%.
The analysis also revealed major differences in the distribution of emergency shelters across the region. Some cities have chosen to make emergency shelter a priority. In Bell, 89% of the stops have a bus shelter (42 of the 47 stops in the city). The neighboring towns of Huntington Park, Bell Gardens and Maywood also have bus stops at over 60% of the stops.
But near Downey, only 8% of the stops (12 of the 143 stops) have a shelter. Beverly Hills has a shelter on the net An are 95 bus stops. (A Full street map 2021 of the city acknowledged the dire situation, noting, “Upgrading bus stops will dramatically improve the transportation experience in Beverly Hills.”)
The city of Los Angeles, with the highest density of metrobus routes, hosts 23% of bus stops. LA leaders have also admitted that it is downright inadequate. The city council approved a new bus shelter contract last year with the goal of adding 3,000 bus shelters across the city, targeting high-traffic stops in warmer areas. The program is designed to shade 75% of motorists.
Under the terms of the agreement, the city pays the cost of installing the shelters upfront and receives 60% of advertising revenue, including digital advertising, after the fact. Installation was supposed to begin this summer, but city officials have yet to sign a $30 million loan to get work started, raising concerns about city bureaucracy among some advocates could again delay the rollout of emergency shelters.
That may not happen. Los Angeles leaders have ambitious goals to increase public transportation use and reduce driving to help fight climate change. The city will never achieve these goals without making public transport – and buses are the workplace of transport – more comfortable, reliable and safe.
It’s good that Metro and other cities in the area are starting to plan and fund critical bus infrastructure. But it’s a problem all over California. Rep. Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) introduced Assembly Bill 364, which would require transportation companies to send information to the Department of Transportation about the availability of bus stops and benches along their system, allowing lawmakers and advocates to see which communities are unable to to accommodate riders.
For too long, bus stops have been an afterthought when they should be treated as the front door of public transportation, one that welcomes passengers and improves the surrounding community.
Source: LA Times
Roger Stone is an author and opinion journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He is known for his controversial and thought-provoking views on a variety of topics, and has a talent for engaging readers with his writing.
