Back of the bus

Typical scene in the back of the bus.  Washington DC.  Evening commute.

Photo courtesy of Simon Clarke

To finish off this series on a positive note, TransitFan provides a few examples of good bus stop design from other parts of the world - both near and far. While most bus stops in our fair city are less than ordinary, should we not be striving for the extraordinary?

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CURITIBA, Brazil – This Brazilian city has probably the coolest-looking bus stops in the world along its Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. But they’re also functional. Passengers enter the tubes and pay their fares before boarding, reducing dwell times at stations are to between 15-18 seconds. The tubes also provide shelter from sun, wind, and rain. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to buy a bus ticket at a bus stop in Vancouver? And I’m sure UBC and SFU students would appreciate shelters that truly provide shelter. (photo taken by Morio)

BILBAO, Spain – This city in northern Spain has great bus stop displays. TransitFan isn’t sure if this is real time information, but seeing the expected arrival times of all upcoming buses is a great feature. While this would be very expensive to roll out for even a majority of bus stops in Vancouver, something similar could at least be installed at major intersections where the number of boardings is high. (photo courtesy of Ryan Griffin-Stegink)

SAN FRANCISCO, United States – This photo is of a streetcar stop in the Muni system, showing the actual arrival time for the next streetcar. This would be the promised land for bus riders. The 98 B-Line bus stops have similar signage, but the arrival information is strictly the scheduled arrival time, not the actual arrival time. However, there is talk that TransLink is planning to roll out a system with real time information in the near future. TransitFan’s guess is that the B-Line bus stops will have real time information displayed, while for regular bus routes information will be accessed by cell phone or internet like the current Next Bus service. (photo courtesy of sftrajan)

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