Gimme Bus Shelter: New Shelters Shine

Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg unveiled the first new bus shelter from the billion-dollar street furniture contract with Cemusa. The shelter, located at Queens Boulevard and 82nd Avenue, is made out of stainless-steel and tempered glass (both the walls and the roof) and was designed by Grimshaw Architects. Some more details from Cemusa:

- Each bus shelter will include bench seating. The bench is vandal-resistant and designed to prevent reclining.
- The bus shelters display the name of the bus stop in prominent letters that can be read by approaching passengers. An illuminated interior side panel will display customer service information such as bus route maps.
- The design of the bus shelter ensures meaningful protection from the elements. Specifically designed to prevent any blind spots, the bus shelter provides excellent visibility for added security.
- The components of each bus shelter are made from recyclable materials that are free from pollutants and will have minimal impact on the environment.

We can't wait to see one ourselves, but what we really like is the illuminated map inside the shelter - that's much better than the ones outside that get faded and are hard to read because they are facing the street and you basically have to step into the street to laugh at the schedule.

According to the Department of Transportation, 650 new bus shelters will be installed by the end of September 2007, along with 110 new news stands. The city is also wondering where to put the first of the 20 new public toilets. From the NY Sun:

The toilets should debut by June, officials said, noting that the city has been pursuing them since 1978.

The long wait prompted a slightly off-color riff by Mr. Bloomberg: "It would be tasteless and I would never make a joke about squeezing your legs for that long a period of time," the mayor said to laughter.

We cannot wait for the first public toilet to be unveiled by the Mayor - maybe he'll be the first to use it!

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on December 20, 2006 2:58 PM

Comments [rss]

Modern Furniture

Those bus shelter not only helps commuters but also it can be used as an alternative source of income in the government by putting some ad space on the bus shelter.

angry_pickle

I agree ... 1 bench? Ridiculous. And it really doesn't look any more innovative than any other bus shelter in New Jersey. I just uses more sleek and modern material.

anonymous bus rider

this is great. will the mta also tell the bus drivers to stop in front of the shelter, instead of several yards beyond the shelter, where we realize there is already another huge crowd of people waiting at the pole? I hate that. Who gets priority, the shelter waiters or the pole waiters?

Can we have some kind of standardized bus waiting/riding system now?

slander

could they spare 2 fucking benches? do the people who design these things actually ever wait for a bus??? let us sit down! loosers.

Gary B

These are going up along the western end of Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. They're almost complete at Atlantic/Court, Atlantic/Clinton and Atlatic/Hicks.

a

The bus shelters are very sleek and modern. I like! As for the "giant windows," they're nicer than the current "giant platic windows" we have, so what are some of you complaining about?! I take the bus, and I'll appreciate the mod feel futuristic feel.

PleaseShutUp

I hope Gothamist posts a photo the first time an awesome streetartist scratches or sprays their tag on one of these.

bobo

Of course they look nice. They're new. Give it one night.

smitty

The bus shelter in my neighborhood seems to be smashed just about every week. I wonder how long these will last.

galen

They look nice, but the design of these shelters really doesn't say New York City. I thought the current trend in NYC streetscape design was the early 20th century "retro look".

The bus shelter shown in your picture looks like it belongs in Toronto or something.

Kevin Walsh

Like those things are going to survive the graffitists and vandals. Until you coat them with mylar so the graffiti can be peeled off, and post a guard 24/7, which won't happen, those things are DOA.

www.forgotten-ny.com

RDuffy

Like Tim said, the Chicago bus shelters are pretty well kept. I know when they first started installing them, everyone was like "Glass? Yeah, like that will last!" Surprisingly they have.

Tim

Chicago updated their street furniture a few years ago with a contract from French company JC Decaux. While a bit sturdier looking than Cemusas they also use quite a lot of glass. Although prone to taggers and etching, the company has been super diligent about replacement and upkeep, but I think they keep all advertising revenue.

ed_Extinct

why would anyone think that these new shelters would be anymore marked up than the old ones? they're aesthetically beautiful and still serve their function; shelter.

Bryan

Well the great thing s that the contractor is responsible for maintenance and cleaning-- not the city-- so if their design is flawed, they will ahve to pay the price by replacing the glass panes. I personally like this system.

RIck

Under the contract, Cemusa is responsible for maintenance and graffiti removal, not the city.

S.D.

Looks Fragile.

james

bad idea- those giant windows are going to get etched up by writers and be way more expensive for the squares to replace than a new coat of paint over some drippy marker tags. what a waste of money.

Chris

ok so there going to be vandalized. we all know that but why should we let things go to $hit because of others? it's about time something like this is happening and personally we should all want them to stay beautiful. NY deserves this.

Elderta

They look very nice, but they don't look like they actually give much shelter. The space between the roof and the side panels will probably let a lot of rain into the shelter space. The illuminated bus map is pretty damn awesome though.