Renaissance

Re-Thinking the Public’s Shelter

Raymond Chetti
PD 450: Environmental Design Workshop 3
Instructor Jordana Maisel
Fall 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 1. OVERVIEW
3 1.1: Public Transit and Health

4 2. EXISTING CONDITIONS
5 2.1: Existing Bus Shelter Description
6 2.2: Existing Challenges & Potential Issues

8 3. BEST PRACTICES
10 3.1: Solar Power & L.E.D. Lighting (Toronto)
12 3.2: NextBus GPS Technology & WiFi (San Francisco)
14 3.3: Weather-Proof (Curitiba, Brazil)
16 3.4: Innovative Technologies (Florence, Italy)

17 4. DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS & FURTHER STUDY

21 5. COST IMPLICATIONS

23 6. CONCLUSION

25 7. WORKS CITED
1
OVERVIEW
 1Overview
The purpose of this study is to suggest design
recommendations for Niagara Frontier Transporta-
tion Authority (NFTA) bus stops to promote pub-
lic transit. Improving the physical quality of the
bus stop environment will make bus stops safer,
convenient, and accessible for all users. By build-
ing upon its strength as the public transit leader
on the public’s general health as access to quality
- Public Transportation,” (2009) respectively. These
son’s levels of both physical activity and obesity.
Since its founding in 1967, the NFTA has played
an integral role in the economic development of
- cies and disasters, and increased safety. The focus
ing people to and from their every day jobs. Just
about 28.2 million people . When discussing the
NFTA’s role in transporting people to and from
their destinations in 2008-2009, James Fink (2004)
of
increased by 5% to 21.39 million from 20.38 million
while Metro Rail boardings rose 20%, increasing to
6.8 million from 5.68 million.”
Despite the economic stresses that Western New
York is facing in the 21st century, the American
2
Public Transportation Association (APTA), the
National Business Coalition for Rapid Transit, and
Transportation for America emphasize the many
tation systems, such as the NFTA, in their publica
-
the 21st Century” (2007) , “The Economic Impor -
tance of Public Transit” (2005) , and “Stranded at
the Station: The Impact of the Financial Crisis in-
transit such as increased mobility, sustainable
economic development, reduced oil dependence
and auto congestion, support during emergen-
of this report is centered on public transit’s role in
shaping active lifestyles as people who ride public
transit have been proven to be more physically
active and less obese.
As outlined in this report, design recommenda-
tions for improvements in bus shelters will provide
transit users with a better commute that has the
-
ship, lower crime, and foster an environment that
embraces active, healthy lifestyles.
1.1 Public Transit
and Health
By investing in public transit and considering im-
provements for the physical bus stop environment
by catering them to accommodate all users, the
of 100 kcal/day can stop the increase in obesity,
then the walking associated with public transit
can save $10,000 in health care costs in a person’s
NFTA has the power to encourage people to live lifetime. According to his research, obesity costs
healthier lifestyles that are associated with taking an extra $48,000 in health care costs per person
public transit. where $35,200 is paid for by Medicare and other
public sources. To combat these costs, he con-
In spite of the obesity epidemic, there has been cludes that by achieving 11 minutes of daily slow
research that has linked physical inactivity with walking to and from public transit, the annual
obesity and its related diseases. A 2005 study by increase in obesity will be 0.47% and savings will
reach $11,800 per person while more strenuous or
extensive walking may increase savings to $14,400
Surgeon General’s recommendation of getting at or $17,000 per person.
least ≥30 minutes of physical activity per day . As
stated by their report, nearly half of all Americans
do not meet this requirement and some transit Taking Public
users may achieve 30 minutes of physical activity Transportation
just by walking to and from public transit. Besser
and Dannenberg examined transit-associated
walking times for 3,312 transit users from 105,942
total respondents to the 2001 telephone –based
survey “National Household Travel Survey” con-
ducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation
and found that Americans who use public transit
spend a median of 19 minutes (mean walking Increased
time of 24.3 minutes) daily, walking to and from Physical Activity
transit and 29% of them achieve ≥30 minutes of &
physical activity just by walking to and from public Lower Obesity
transit.

Another study by Edwards in 2007 supports the

notion that lower levels of obesity and higher
levels of walking and physical activity are directly
associated with taking public transit. Edwards
conducted an analysis of the same 2001 nation-
ally representative U.S. transportation survey that Less Money
Spent on
Besser and Dannenberg examined and found
that taking public transit is associated with 11 $ $ $
more minutes per day on average (34.1 – 51.7 Obesity Related
kcal) and that if an increase in net expenditure Costs
3
2
EXISTING
CONDITIONS
 2.1
When visiting the bus shelter on the corner of
Main & Division Street located in downtown
Existing Bus
Shelter Description

painted blue with the distinctive NFTA Metro logo

with its website printed on top of the shelter. The
glass shelter itself had a large NFTA Metro logo
(red, gray, and blue text) while around the entire
glass shelter, the blue and gray graphic identity

Instead of having advertising on the outside

panel, the panel was blank.

Located on the inside panel was an advertisement

for NFTA Metro with their website and telephone Fig 1: The existing NFTA bus shelter lacks essential necessities that might
number. discourage bus ridership (information, bus pictogram, and lighting).

Attached to the top of the shelter was a sign that

Fig 2: Blank advertisement
portrays the image of neglect.
depicted the bus route numbers that serviced the
stop and their respective route names in white,
while the background for the routes was in blue.
- On the other sign attached next to the bus route
sign was a telephone number in white text, laid
against red background, while directly under
neath was the NFTA Metro logo laid against white
background.
BUS SHELTER MEASUREMENTS
Fig 3: The only bus information Front View Side View
that users are provided.

Inside the bus shelter were two seats that were

approximately 19½” in length each with the seat
44½”
themselves had handle bars in the shapes of rings
5¾”
that extended approximately 5¾” above the seat. 17½”
The width of the two seats measured about 11¼”.
19½” 19½” 11¼”
To the left of the seating and the right of the 79”
49”
interior ad panel, there was approximately 79” of
Fig 4: The shelter width (side view) does not conform with
waiting room with nothing in the way. From the Universal Design standards of 5’ (60”) as outlined by Easter Seals
side, the shelter itself measured about 49” wide. Project Action (2006). Additional seats can be added provided 36”
is reserved for wheelchair like vehicles.

5
2.2 Existing Challenges
& Potential Issues
The current NFTA bus shelter presents a challenge
for both new riders who have never had experi-
ence riding an NFTA bus while experienced riders
might also experience some difficulties in their
commute. After examining the existing bus shelter
conditions, there are a number of issues that
might inhibit or discourage new users and confuse
continuing users from taking NFTA Metro Bus.
Issue 1 - Lack of Information
• No schedule information.
• No individual or regional bus route map(s).
• No “station name” sign.
• Customer service number confusing for first
time passengers
The existing bus shelter provides transit users with
bus route numbers, the names of the bus routes,
and an automated customer service telephone
number that can be reached 24 hours. For new
riders, the display of bus route numbers and names
might not be helpful since they would be unsure as
to where these buses would go, what direction on
the route the bus would go, and where the bus
would stop. While the shelter provides route
numbers and names, the shelter lacks a place
dedicated to a route map and schedule for both
new and continuing users to figure out what time
their bus arrives at or what bus they should take.
For a new user it is also important for them to
know where they presently are as compared to a
continuing user who might be aware of what stop
they are at. At the current NFTA bus shelters, there
is no signage or indication as to where the user
currently is (no station name signage). By including
bus station name signage a new user might be
able to figure out where they are in relationship to
other bus stops on the route map.
The automated customer service telephone
number that can be reached at (716)855-7211 is
effective in recognizing Spanish as a secondary
language, but is not effective for transit users who
might not have access to cell phones since in
some locations public telephones are absent; this
telephone number is not as effective as having a
dedicated place for route maps and schedules. For
first time users, having to call the customer
service phone number might be intimidating
since it portrays the message “If you want a sched-
ule or information, you need to call this number.”
Route information and schedules should be
accessible on site for users to freely analyze on
their own without being required to call a service
number.
As a commuter using public transportation, a bus
shelter should be able to answer the following:
• Which bus stop am I at?
• Which buses come to this stop?
• Which bus do I need to get where I have to go?
• When does my bus arrive?
• How much will it cost me to ride the bus?
• I have a question, but who do I ask?
The existing bus shelter could not answer four out of
the six questions. For a first time bus commuter, this
problem might cause confusion and discourage
them from trying to ride public transit.
6
 Issue 2 - Lack of Direct Bus Lighting
• No direct bus shelter lighting to provide a
greater perception of safety.
Even though the Main and Division Street shelter
was located in proximity to an existing street light,
the primary benefit of providing direct bus shelter
lighting enhances a person’s perception of safety
and comfort (Transit Coorperative Research
Program of the Transportation Research Board,
2009). It is also proven to reduce the number of
nighttime driver pass-bys when the bus driver is
unable to see patrons waiting at a dimly lit shelter
(Urban Solar, 2009).
After analyzing the times that Metro’s most used
bus with the highest ridership runs (3-Grant), the
bus runs from 4:50am until 12:39am to downtown
Buffalo and from 5:24am until 1:25am from down-
town on weekdays (Niagara Frontier Transporta-
tion Authority, 2009). Following a similar late night
schedule as other bus routes on weekdays and
weekends the lack of direct bus shelter lighting
might discourage transit use at night since a lack
of lighting might discourage a user from feeling
safe in a dimly lit area (Loukaitou-Sideris, 1999).
Issue 3 - Lack of Seating
• Not enough seating to meet demand of transit
passengers at certain stops.
After performing a visit to the highly utilized Main
and Division Street bus stop during the afternoon, it
was evident that one shelter design cannot accom-
modate all bus stops regardless of their ridership.
Bus stops that attract more riders than others
should have more seating available versus bus stops
that have shelters and lower levels of ridership to
accommodate the higher levels of occupancy.
To better analyze stations with higher ridership, it is
recommended to review NFTA Metro’s “Service
Restructuring and Fare Analysis/Strategic Assess-
ment; Study Overview & Findings” document that
was published in June 2009.
7
Issue 4 - Lack of Universal Bus Sign
• No bus logo or pictogram indicating that the
shelter is for a bus.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA), a shelter should include a pictorgram
indicating that the shelter is a bus stop (Easter
Seals Project Action, 2006).
Issue 5 - Awkward Advertising (see Fig 1 & 2)
• Advertising NFTA info 3 times at the same shelter.
• Large outter advertisement panel is blank.
Even though the bus shelter has signage that
displays the NFTA website and customer service
phone number (located above shelter), the inside
panel of the shelter contains a large advertisement
for the NFTA that contains the same information as
the signage that is attached to the top of the shelter.
If the large NFTA advertisement is meant to reach
auto drivers, the likelihood of a driver paying atten-
tion to the ad is not high since they have to devote
most of their attention to driving. Unlike billboard
advertising where information is easy to read, the ad
displayed on the inside panel of the shelter contains
smaller print where drivers might not have the time
to concentrate hard enough to read the details of
the ad. The large ad panels can be used for a differ-
ent client since ad space is the most common way
to generate revenue from a bus shelter.
While the inside panel contains an NFTA adver-
tisement, the outside panel does not contain any
ad at all. It is just a blank, white wall. The lack of an
advertisement on the outside panel may lead
transit customers to think that the shelter is
abandoned and uncared for.
Issue 6 - Small Shelter Width (see Fig 4)
• The shelter’s width is only a little larger than 4’
wide (49”).
In accordance with the design principles of
Universal Design, a shelter should include mea-
sure approximately 9’ long (108”) by 5’ wide (60”)
(Easter Seals Project Action, 2006). These measure-
ments are meant to provide comfort, safety, and
accessibility for all.
3
BEST PRACTICES
3
What are Best Practices?
Best Practices in
Bus Shelter Design
The best practices in bus shelter design that are highlighted
In relation to bus shelter design the concept of
“Universal Design” is important because it is
important to accomodate persons of all shapes,
in this section do not only comply with the minimum ADA sizes, ages, and capabilities (pregnant women,
Accessibility Guidelines, but embrace concepts of Universal women with strollers, children, etc), including
Design to accomodate all transit users. people with disabilities.

ADA Guidelines vs Universal Design Best Practices in Bus Shelter Design

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 was
an important milestone in the design world as
it eventually led to the passage of the ADA
Accessibility Guidelines. These guidelines
revolutionized the way architects and design-
ers viewed built environments since these new
guidelines required that all physical environ-
ments be accessible for people with disabilities.
Laws were passed at both local and state levels
to ensure that ADA Guidelines were incorpo-
rated into all aspects of the built environment.
The following four cities were selected for their
innovative bus shelter designs that are revolution-
izing the transit experience:
1) Toronto (Solar Power & LED Lighting)
2) San Francisco (Next Bus Tech & WiFi)
3) Curitiba, Brazil (Weather-Proof )
4) Florence, Italy (Innovative Technologies)

As many Universal Design activists argue such as
Easter Seals Project Action (2006), while the ADA
Guidelines primarily focus on ways to satisfy the
minimum technical criteria that are required, they
are not necessarily considered “best practices.”
While cities and their transit agencies from the
United States and abroad are taking leadership roles
by following trends to become greener and more
customer friendly, the four selected best practices
are role models for the City of Buffalo to follow.

The term “Universal Design” refers to the concept

that built environments should be usable by all
people. The concept of Universal Design embraces
the ADA Guidelines while providing a higher level
of access for the disabled and accomodating the
needs of everyone.
The ADA Standards are the minimum require-
ments that comply with the law. They are not
“best practices.” Universal Design is intended to
create environments that are usable by all
people, including people with disabilities.
- Easter Seals Project Action
9
 3.1
The Case for Solar Power & LED Lighting
Solar Power & LED
Lighting (Toronto)
Despite the expense related to installing solar
powered photovoltaic panels into a number of bus
shelters, the benefit of solar power pays off with
time as solar powered shelters are not tied into the
city’s power grid. Since solar power does not use up
the city’s electricity and add to its monthly electric
bill, the integration of solar power would create an
environmentally, self-sustainable alternative for
providing a direct lighting source for the bus shelter
and will position the NFTA as an innovative public
transit leader. In regards to Chicago’s solar powered
bus shelters, officials state, “Each shelter will save
the city an estimated $200 per year in electricity”
(Environmental Leader, 2006). While saving money
and promoting the NFTA as a public transit innova-
tor, the integration of solar power would also build
the public’s perception of public transit as a sustain-
able transit alternative as opposed to driving their
personal automobiles (Urban Solar, 2009).
As opposed to fluorescent lighting, L.E.D. lighting
is energy efficient, can last up to 100,000 hours
(about 11 years), and can withstand temperatures
from -22°F – 122°F. According to Urban Solar, a
company who prides themselves in solar powered,
L.E.D. bus shelters, shelters who utilize this technol-
ogy require only a one time, up front capital invest-
ment and will not require a scheduled mainte-
nance for another 5 years (Urban Solar, 2009).
Solar powered bus shelters are not a new concept
for New York State. The first solar powered bus
shelter in Albany was unveiled by the CDTA
(Captial District Transportation Authority) and the
NYSERDA (New York State Energy Resource and
Development Authoirty) in 2006. According to
Daytech, the bus shelter manufacturer in upstate
New York and Canada, transit agencies have
10
incorporated photovoltaic (PV) systems into their
bus shelters because the PV systems use the sun’s
renewable solar energy to generate their own
green electricity and eliminate costs of laying
electric lines. They also do not require much
maintenance and require no connection to the
city’s electrical grid system (Capital District Trans-
portation Authority, 2006).
The Case for Buffalo
Despite Buffalo’s cold, cloudy, and snowy image, the
concept of solar power is not a new concept for the
City of Buffalo. As part of the University at Buffalo’s
comprehensive plan to become a greener univer-
sity by 2020, UB has already installed solar panels in
2006 on the roof of one of its lecture halls, Norton
Hall, and pledged to install 5,000 solar panels ($7
million project) around its chilled water plant on
Flint Road in Amherst by fall 2010. The addition of
these 5,000 solar panels would be used to power
735 apartments housing about 2,000 undergradu-
ate and graduate students (UB Reporter, 2009).
When discussing the economic impact of the solar
project on UB, an article in the Buffalo Niagara
Enterprise (2009) quoted State Power Authority
President, Richard Kessel, “The solar panels are
expected to save UB $75,000 to $100,000 a year.”
Cited in the same article, the National Weather
Service in Cheektowaga discusses the feasibility of
installing solar panels in a city with Buffalo’s cold
and dreary weather, “Buffalo is an area that averages
more sunshine from May through September than
other Northeastern cities as New York, Washington,
and Philadelphia. It even exceeds Raleigh, N.C.”
 visual appearance. The shelter itself is enclosed
CASE STUDY 1: Toronto (with a wide enough entrance for a wheel chair) to
provide greater protection against wind, rain, and
snow. Its tighter corners are also aimed to elimi-
nate wind, rain, and snow penetration.

The shelter also displays clear transit information

such as route map, schedule on the inside panels
while displaying street name signage that abides
by Toronto’s Street Signs above the roofline to
increase visibility and to eliminate any visual
obstruction for passengers who are waiting inside
the shelter.

Toronto’s newly designed bus shelter by Astral Media Outdoor. Well designed
shelter utilizing photovoltaic (PV) panels to illuminate LED lighting. This shelter is
also equipped with a clear map, and station signage indicating what stop it is. The
arched roof discourages precipitation from falling in front of the shelter and the
enclosed glass case protects against wind and other harsh weather conditions.

In 2007 the City of Toronto awarded Astral Media

the winner of their street furniture competition.
Toronto’s new, modernized transit shelters will
utilize solar power, photovoltaic (PV) panels that
will store solar energy into gel-batteries to help
save the city money in its monthly electric bills.
The shelter integrates the usage of solar power
and PV panels to power ultra efficient L.E.D. light-
ing. The L.E.D. direct bus shelter lighting gives
users an increased sense of security.

The roof has also been enhanced to incorporate a

UV stencil that will help reduce light transmission
in order to help maintain a more comfortable
temperature during warmer times of the year. The
roof itself has been shaped so that rain and snow
will fall behind the shelter, not in front of it. This
arch like design is aimed to help maintain clear
entrance ways to the shelter.

While the shelter also abides by Toronto’s Accessi-

bility Design Guidelines, it utilizes enamel baked
banding which further provides delineation for
the visually impaired. The shelter’s structural
columns and torsion bars have been engineered
using aluminum extrusions with the glass fasten-
ing external to the columns to create a floating

11
 3.2
The Case for NextBus GPS & WiFi
NextBus GPS &
WiFi (San Francisco)
Instead of assuming and guessing that a bus is
CASE STUDY 2: San Francisco

running according to schedule (provided that you

have access to a schedule), NextBus GPS technol-
ogy puts the rider in charge of their own trip by
letting them know exactly how much longer they
have to wait. Even if riders may know the bus
schedule, there might be some problems (traffic,
breakdown, changes in service) that might unex-
pectedly delay your trip.

NextBus technology takes the guesswork out of

waiting for the bus as it is possible to know the real
time location of the next bus. Since information is
displayed on the World Wide Web, riders are free to
check information from their homes, work, offices,
part time jobs, or wireless devices.

When describing the benefits of this technology,

NextBus discusses how knowing the next bus’ Similar to Toronto’s solar powered and L.E.D. lit shelter, San Francisco’s shelter
features these amenities as well as NextBus (GPS Technology) and WiFi. The steel
arrival time can be directly linked to putting frame is made up of 75% recycled materials while the roof is made up of 45% post
money back into the local economy. The company industrial recycled materials.
Photo courtesy of: Mike Chino and Ryan Hughes @ Inhabitat.com
states, “By using the NextBus system to determine
when the next vehicle is going to arrive, the rider
In May of 2009, Mayor Newsom of San Francisco
doesn't need to wait an indeterminate amount of
unveiled the first of 1,100 new solar powered bus
time at a possibly unpleasant or unsafe stop.
shelters that will be installed between May and
Instead the rider can make an informed decision. If
2013. Similar to Toronto’s newly designed bus
the vehicle will not be arriving for an extended
shelter, San Francisco’s shelter also incorporates the
period, the rider can go into a store, read the
use of L.E.D. lighting in sync with photovoltaic
newspaper, or even take another mode of trans-
laminate which is sandwiched between layers of
portation” (NextBus, 2009).
polycarbonate. While these shelters will not cost the
city any additional moneys to their electric bills,
Aside from NextBus GPS technolgy, the integra-
they are expected to pump excess electricity they
tion of WiFi would make commuting by bus more
generate back into the city’s grid. According to the
convenient for those who had access to a
Mayor’s office, the L.E.D. lights used in these shelters
cellphone or wireless device. Instead of only
use 74.4 watts which make them four and a half
waiting for the bus, WiFi would enable passengers
times more efficient than the fluorescent lighting in
to use their devices that are connected to the
the old shelters (which used about 336 watts)
internet to view real time, next bus information.
(Lombardi, 2009).
12 11
While they are similar, San Francisco’s shelters differ
by integrating WiFi and NextMuni (time to next bus
display) technology which gives transit passengers
the opportunity to surf the web and know exactly
when the next bus is coming. To make the bus
shelter more user friendly for individuals who might
have trouble reading the displayed transit informa-
tion, NextMuni displays will incorporate a push-to-
talk system where an automated voice will read the
NextMuni information out loud.
While discussing the troubles of San Francisco’s old
bus shelters (graffiti and etching), Mayor Newsom
emphasized that the materials used to create these
Close up of the solar panels which power the NextBus GPS monitor and WiFi. The
monitor displays the time until the next bus and is above a cut off regional bus map.
Photo courtesy of: Richmondsfblog @ Flickr.com
new shelters are composed of recycled materials
which are meant to reduce maintenance costs and
resist the problems of the old shelters (Roth, 2009).
The steel used for the primary structure is 75%
recycled material while the polycarbonate roof is
40% post industrial recycled materials.
The design of the red, wavy design of the roof was
inspired by San Francisco’s abundance of earth-
quakes and was meant to represent seismic shock
waves. The four convex bench seats are also meant
to shed debris and moisture while also discouraging
patrons from reclining.
L.E.D. lights within the advertisement panel and above the bus passenger foster a
bright and comfortable atmosphere. The L.E.D. lights are powered by solar power.
Photo courtesy of: greg z @ Flickr.com
Buffalo’s Bus Shelter Renaissance 13
 3.3
The Case for Weather-Proofing
The ability of a bus shelter to protect one against
Weather-Proof
(Curitiba, Brazil)
the elements can be the determining factor for
potential transit passengers as a bus shelter may
or may not provide a sense of comfort and protec-
tion against uncomfortable conditions.
As data collected by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (2008) and the
National Climatic Data Center indicate, the City of
Buffalo consistently achieves average wind speeds
of about 11.8 miles per hour every month for the
past 63 years.
A study on unpleasant pedestrian wind conditions
around buildings by Ahuja, Dalui, and Gupta
Fig 5: The average monthly wind speeds for Buffalo, NY create uncomfortable pedestrian conditions as indicated by the study done by Ahuja et.al (2006). Data from
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2008).
14
(2006) indicate that a wind speeds above 11.2
mph are considered uncomfortable, wind speeds
above 22.4 mph are causes unpleasantness, and a
speed above 44.7 mph is dangerous.
Another study by Jayachandran, Reynolds, and
Browne (2009) indicate that a special wind region
be created for the City of Buffalo since its weather
station at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport
consistently reached extreme wind speeds over
the past 65 years where there are 3 second gusts
reaching 94.9 miles per hour.
As illustrated, it is imperative for the City of Buffalo
to not only design for precipitation such as snow
and rain, but also for uncomfortable wind condi-
tions that can be felt year round.
13
 CASE STUDY 3: Curitiba, Brazil

The enclosed shelter provides protection against precipitation and wind.

Considering Buffalo’s high wind velocities and poor wintery seasons, weather-
proofing should be made a priority when designing its next bus shelter.
Photo courtesy of: Spacing.ca/wire/
As part of Curitiba’s bus-rapid-transit (BRT) network, these bus shelters serve as a
model for protecting one against the elements. The shelter is enclosed while there
are openings on each side. With cities like Toronto considering a design like
Photo courtesy of: Spacing.ca/wire/
Curitiba’s (enclosed shelter), it is as especially
important for the City of Buffalo to consider a
The success of Curitiba’s bus-rapid-transit (BRT)
design that would lessen its harsh weather condi-
system has lead to the improvement and develop-
tions on waiting bus passengers since providing a
ment of semi-enclosed tube like shelters. Their
sense of comfort is essential for creating a pleas-
new and improved BRT system has served as a
ant commute.
model for cities around the world who also strive
to impliment a BRT system. Curitiba’s shelter has
the potential to serve as an innovative solution to
Buffalo’s harsh, seasonal weather. Ideally, the
enclosed, tube like shelter will provide efficient
protection against rain, snow, and wind.

In the event that Curitiba did experience heavy

rain or snow, the bus shelter would deflect precipi-
tation away from waiting passengers. The tubular
shape of the shelter would force rain or snow
down to the ground as the elevated shelter would
separate passengers from the collection of precipi-
tation. In the event of wind, the enclosed shelter
would also provide bus passengers a safe place
from heavy winds.

In citing the success of Curitiba’s shelter, Spacing

Toronto states, “as Toronto moves forward with its
own Transit City (TTC) plans, thinking about the
elements that the TTC will add to the streetscape
will be important. Ideas and inspiration from other
cities like Curitiba will be crucial” (Blackett, 2007).

15
 3.4
CASE STUDY 4: MIT’s “Eyestop”
InnovativeTechnolo-
gies (Florence, Italy)

MIT’s bus shelter design for the City of Florence, Italy integrates state of the art
technology to provide waiting bus passengers a pleasant waiting experience.

Considered a role model for future bus shelters,

the Eyestop by MIT’s Sensible Lab (2009) for the
City of Florence, Italy has the potential to set the
precedent for futuristic bus shelter designs. The
design concept of the Eyestop revolves around
one similar to an iPhone where the shelter is
adaptable, sensing, responsive, and interactive.
It’s primary feature is an interactive touch screen.

The shelter will be powered by translucent photovol-

taic (PV) cells and utilize the solar power it generates
to power L.E.D. lighting, WiFi, and the CPU that runs
the touch screen. While providing all of these ameni-
ties, the shelter also registers information about its
surroundings (you can monitor the current air quality
and your exposure to pollutants) and changes colors
as a bus gets closer to the respective shelter.
The integrated touch screen (like an iPhone) provides users a chance to directly
interact with the bus shelter. A passenger can plan their route using the touch
screen, look up community announcements or post one themselves, check out
nearby tourist attractions, draw graffiti without doing any real damage to the
shelter, monitor your real time exposure to pollutants, and more.
“The Eyestop could change the whole experience of urban travel.”
- Carlo Ratti
Head of the SENSEable City Lab at MIT

16
4
DESIGN
RECOMMENDATIONS
& FURTHER STUDY
 4 Design Recommenda-
tions & Further Study
After examining the existing NFTA bus shelter conditions and studying best practices in bus shelter design,
the following design recommendations should be taken into consideration when designing the next NFTA
bus shelter to provide transit users of all ages and capabilities a safer, convenient, and sustainable commute.

Installation of solar panels or photovoltaic (PV) cells in bus shelter roofs to generate solar power.
•The integration of solar power will generate power for lighting, NextBus
displays, and WiFi systems.
• Solar powered bus shelters are self-sustaining entities which do not run
on the city’s electrical grid and do not add extra expenses to the city’s
electric bill. However, solar powered shelters do have the potential to
return excess power back into the grid.
Solar powered bus shelter with solar panels.
Photo courtesy of: Jngsolar.com

L.E.D lighting - advertisement panels and/or direct above passenger lighting

• As opposed to alternative lighting options,
L.E.D lighting has proven to be the most
efficient and sustainable lighting option.
Whether lighting is installed in the inside
advertisement panel or directly above transit
passengers, the additional light will increase
a person’s perception of safety as well as
reduce accidental bus driver drive-bys. Direct, above LED lighting. Ad panel LED lighting.
Photo courtesy of: SeattleTransitBlog.com Photo courtesy of: CitySkip.org
• L.E.D. lighting should provide 2 to 5 footcandles of
illuminance and be able to illuminate bus patron’s
faces. Lighting also should be vandal proof and
easily maintained (Easter Seals Project Action, 2006).

NextBus / GPS Technology & WiFi

• NextBus technology used with WiFi will take
the guesswork out of taking public transportation
and will enable users to know exactly when
buses will arrive.
• Passengers are free to check next bus arrivals
from their wireless devices since next bus
data is made available on the World Wide Web.
• WiFi enhances the waiting experience and NextBus display. Shelter enabling WiFi capabilities.
Photo courtesy of: TheMainFrameBlog.com Photo courtesy of: SecondAveSagas.com
enables users to remain connected to the web.

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 Enclosed design to protect from wind and inclement weather
• By enclosing the shelter on all four sides with an opening large enough
for people who may have a disability will better protect passengers from
inclement weather.
• According to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements, an
opening of at least 36” must be made available to those who require
wheelchair like vehicles (Easter Seals Project Action, 2006).
Enclosed on four sides with one entrance
big enough for a wheelchair.
Photo courtesy of: Duo-Guard.com

Installation of bus route and schedule information, universal bus pictogram to indicate bus stops, and bus station name.

• Information should be easily accessible without

having to call a telephone service. Providing
route maps and schedules will help passengers
better plan their trip.
• Information should be placed in areas where
everyone (young, old, or disabled) can easily
read the information,but should not obstruct
views of oncoming buses. Intuitive bus pictogram indicating a bus stop. Easily accessible information.
Photo courtesy of: F. Aujero @ Panoramio.com Photo courtesy of: ExpressNightOut.com
• In accordance with ADA guidelines, a bus
pictogram should accompany any bus
signage (Easter Seals Project Action, 2006).

More seating for bus shelters with higher levels of ridership

• Bus stops that have higher levels of ridership
should be equipped to handle the excess
amounts of people.
• An analysis of NFTA Metro’s “Service Restructuring
and Fare Analysis/Strategic Assessment; Study
Overview & Findings” document that was
published in June 2009 should be taken to
analyze high ridership stops. NFTA shelters only can seat two passengers. Seats up to four passengers.
Photo courtesy of: by Author Photo courtesy of: SecondAveSagas.com

Increase shelter width to at least 5’ (60”) from the existing 4’1“ (49”)
• In order to abide by Universal Design guidelines that provide a safe and accesible commute for all, a
shelter length of at least 9’ (or 108”) long and width of at least 5’ (or 60”) must be measured (Easter Seals
Project Action, 2006).

Due to the timeframe and scope of this project a few issues of importance could not be considered, but
should be considered for further studies about NFTA bus shelter designs. These issues include:

Heated bus shelters / heated seating

• Since Buffalo is known for its harsh, wintery seasons, the study of heated bus shelters and heated seating
should be investigated. The integration of heating with future bus shelter designs would enhance the bus
riding experience since waiting for the bus in cold, harsh weather conditions is an uncomfortable experience.

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 NFTA bus route maps
• A clear bus route map is an important part to any transit
system. An article in the Buffalo Rising (2008) raises the
issue that the current NFTA bus route maps are unclear
and hard to read. By providing its users with unclear
and hard to read maps, potential riders might be too
confused to try riding the bus.
• The existing maps only show the bus route in bold in
blue while there are several arrows indicating the
direction of travel.
• Other bus route maps from different cities display not
only the route, but also “Timing Points” where
passengers are informed what time the bus will arrive
at a certain station. Other maps also include transfer
points that show where one may connect to other
transit and buses. The NFTA maps include timing
points on the route schedule, but fail to display them
on their route maps. The existing maps also do not
display where on the route bus stops are. Since users
would not be able to pin point an exact bus stop location,
they might be unsure to as exactly where to on the bus
route to catch a bus.
• By providing potential passengers with a legible bus NFTA Metro bus route map is not legible The NYC bus route map
and is difficult to understand for new displays exact bus stop names
route map, they will be more comortable with riding and continuing users. Where are the bus along with transfer points to
the bus system. stops? other bus routes and transit.

• The key above is color coded for

each bus route for improved legibility.

• Within the zoomed in area are

locations of bus stops (red dots with
corresponding letters to the letters
in the “Bus Stop” route finder).

• Once figuring out what stop you want

to get to, you are able to find what bus
services your desired stop, what
direction of travel (”Towards”) the bus
you need to get should be heading,
and finally where you can catch the
bus you need to take.
The London bus route map takes a small geographic area and shows where one can take a bus within a 5-10 minute walk from there. To improve wayfinding and
legibility, all stops have station names and show transfer points, similar to a subway map.

20
5
COST
IMPLICATIONS
5 Cost
Implications
While providing funding for many of the extra
amenities for a state of the art bus shelter can be
expensive, cities all around the United States like
new bus shelters…it will generate more than $1
billion (estimated $1.4 billion) in revenue for the
city.” The partnership between Cemusa and
San Francisco and New York are finding sponsors NYCDOT states that Cemusa is responsible for
to help alleviate the cost of the project and getting maintaining existing bus shelters and is also
them installed in their cities, free of charge. San responsible for replacing broken and graffiti-
Francisco’s sponsor, Clear Channel (world’s largest covered glass.
outdoor advertising company), funds the fabrica-
tion of these new shelters in return for 55% of the While cities like San Francisco, New York, Chicago,
advertising revenue over the next 15 years of the Oakland, Washington D.C., Toronto, and Vancouver
20 year contract (Roth, 2009). According to Clear are awarding street furniture contracts to several
Channel Northern California Regional President outdoor advertising companies such as Astral
Bill Hooper, each shelter would cost the company Media, Cemusa, Clear Channel Adshel, and
$25,000 - $30,000 per shelter, but an anticipated Viacom-Decaux, the City of Buffalo and the NFTA
$300 million will be gathered in revenue over the might also want to consider reaching out to a
15 year deal with San Francisco’s MTA. private company who specializes in street furni-
ture to cover the costs of installing and maintain-
Similar to San Francisco, the New York City Depart- ing new bus shelters.
ment of Transportation (NYCDOT) awarded a 20
year contract to Cemusa (leader in outdoor adver- Cities & transit agencies sign contract with
tising) for the design, manufacture, installation, outdoor odvertising company
and maintenance of new street furniture with no
cost to the City . According to the Coordinated
Street Furniture Franchise by NYCDOT (2009),
“Cemusa will be allowed to sell advertising space
on the structures within clearly defined limits.”
After the deal was made in 2005, a 2009 survey
was conducted by Cemusa and indicated that Company installs and maintains shelters but
93% of respondents felt that the new bus shelter either gains control of advertising, or gets a
designs improved the city’s appearance and 88% percentage of the advertising revenue
liked the new designs (Reuters, 2009) . The survey
also indicated that the new shelter design influ-
enced their opinion of New York City government
while 89% of survey respondents said that the
change was positive.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg New shelters improve city’s image,
discusses the economic impact of New York’s new, promote public transit, & increase ridership.
modern bus shelters in Real Estate Weekly (2007), All with no cost to the city or transit agency.
“…our partnership with Cemusa creates 3,300

22
9
6
CONCLUSION
 6 Conclusion
The importance of bus shelters cannot be taken
lightly since they are the first contact transit users
have with the public transportation system. As
proven by several studies, walking to and from
public transportation has the ability to curve the
obesity epidemic by promoting physical activity.
According to the Project for Public Spaces (2009),
in order to provide a pleasant transit experience
for its passengers, a bus shelter should foster a
sense of comfort and safety, while also providing
enough information so the passenger may feel
comfortable navigating their way.
The existing NFTA shelters do not provide a full
sense of protection from inclement weather since
they are only enclosed on three sides. The existing
shelters also lack a wealth of information that
might help transit users plan their trip. They do
not display route information/maps, schedules,
bus station names, or lighting. The existing shel-
ters also do not accomodate Universal Design
standards and ADA standards by not including a
universal bus pictogram and lacking sufficient
shelter area (5’ width required for U.D).
As the current trend for best practices in bus
shelter design are leaning towards greener,
sustainable alternative energy solutions such as
24
solar power, L.E.D. lighting, NextBus technology
(passengers know exactly how long until the next
bus), and WiFi, it is important for the City of Buffalo
and the NFTA to remain competitive in providing a
quality public transit commute to its customers.
Despite the cost of providing high quality bus
shelters, cities are looking to private outdoor
advertising companies that specialize in street
furniture to pay for both the installation and
maintenance of the city’s bus shelters. Depending
on the terms of the contract, companies will gain a
percentage of the advertising revenue generated
from the shelters for a period of time or just
control all of the advertising. After signing a
contract, these companies are obligated to main-
tain the shelters even if any of them may run into
unfortunate ends with no cost to the taxpayers.
As the City of Buffalo and the NFTA considers their
existing bus shelters and their importance to the
Erie and Niagara county population, it is important
to remember public transit’s role in helping main-
tain healthy, physically active populations.
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