While we fight for a new infrastructure bill that won't leave public transit out in the cold, let's not forget about the countless riders who are already out there waiting on the side of the road without so much as bench to sit on.
That's right, folks — America's Sorriest Bus Stop Competition is back.
After a three year hiatus and (haven't you heard?) a world-historic pandemic that reminded us of just how essential good transit really is to our society, we're bringing back our popular March Madness-style competition where we invite Streetsblog readers to vote for the shabbiest, dingiest, and all-around worst bus stop in the country — and launching a campaign to get Congress and the agencies who maintain these embarrassments to step up and do better by American riders. (Don't worry: we've got tons and tons and tons of resources to help them out with the details.)
And we need your help.
Is your city's excuse for a "stop" nothing more than a stick in the ground? Are you forced to walk alongside a high-speed arterial with no sidewalk just to catch a ride work? Do riders have to choose between sweating it out next to highway traffic and climbing over a jersey barrier before they board? Does your region struggle so much to scrape up adequate funding that they can't even find the cash to clear the knee-high weeds around its stops?
Here's what we need from you by Monday, March 15 to give your least-loved bus stop the infamy it deserves, and help start a conversation about what a world-class bus system should look like in your community:
1. A photo of your sorry bus stop — ideally taken by you, or a screenshot from Google Maps.
2. The location of your sorry bus stop — either the closest street address, or a link to the location on Google Maps.
3. The name of the line and transit system that the stop serves (please be specific, so we know which agency to call!).
4. If you know it: a link to the Twitter handle for the public agency responsible for maintaining that stop.
5. A few words about why this bus stop deserves a little shaming.
Email us at Kea at Streetsblog dot org. DM it to us on Twitter, or tag us in a post. Or fill out this Google Form to do it all in a snap.
Again: the deadline is Monday, March 15.
