flangehead

We obtained funding to connect two significant regional trails in a suburban setting. Bus service touching the connection is astoundingly good for this area at 20 minute intervals 0400-2300.

Does anyone have an example of a "super" bus stop that caters to the connection of bike infrastructure? I have not run across such a critter but I'm hoping someone here has.

Thanks!

Bleu

Where ? And bus service almost everywhere in the US is astoundingly bad, rail would be nice eh.

FBinNY 

I don't see the issue.

You note that bus service is already excellent.

Is the problem that they can't or won't take bikes? That's easily fixed with the bumper bike racks that buses all over the country already use.

Otherwise, please offer more details for what you're looking for.

flangehead

Thanks; I didn't provide much information.

At the location shown below, the most likely connection between about 30 miles of trails to the west (green) and a developing trail system that will eventually reach the central business district to the east will have to be a wide sidepath (red) on a city right of way. Current bus stops shown.

I'm hoping to encourage cooperation between our transit agency and the developers of the trail connection to make the bike/bus connection attractive, not an afterthought.

The traffic wouldn't justify a bus station but something architecturally unique and attractive, placed with convenient access to the trail, might be sellable.

That's why I'm looking for examples .. I've been through NAACTO and ASHTO and APTA (https://www.apta.com/wp-content/uplo...-RP-009-18.pdf) but haven't found anything compelling. (As you can tell it's hard for me to communicate my vision and developers like to copy things that have already been done...)


Green will be MUP; red will be sidepath. Blue boxes are existing bus stops.

indyfabz

the Wissahickon Transportation Center in Philly is served by several busses, and there is a regional rail stop near by. They are on or close to two trails, including the Schuylkill River Trail system, which is like the I-95 of trails in the area.

dmwill

This is what our county has been putting up in parks that serve as trailheads to our local rail trail.

Maybe not architecturally stunning, but the bathrooms are big enough to wheel your bike inside while you do your business, there are water bottle filling stations built in to the water fountains, there is an overhang to get out of the rain, and a picnic table under a tree to sit and take a rest. If bus service came to something like this which was too far for me to just ride from home, I'd be all over that as a cyclist.

A big step down from that in amenities and cost is a simple pavilion with either benches or a picnic table underneath to give shade and a place to sit while waiting for the bus.

Without knowing the city and being able to look around in Street View, I'd guess the tree canopy in front of the business where the 2 bus stops are across the street from each other along the red line is a good place to start. Any idea if the county or city or whomever is in charge of this has any already owned property or right of ways to work with? Any of those businesses potentially bike/bus friendly?

flangehead

Thanks; I know I'm looking for something rare (possibly non-existent). I found some articles about SEPTA cooperating with planning in 2020 to integrate to the trail but recent "construction just started" suggests the trail will go around the facility and bike connectivity isn't in the headlines. If anyone has more detailed local information I'm interested but all I can find remotely doesn't suggest any special effort to integrate with trail at time of construction.



One part of the development is the local management district and they have ties to local businesses. Thanks for the pictures.



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Korina

Last year Streetsblog had a competition for "America's best bus stop". I started pulling articles to link to but it quickly got unwieldy, so here's a link to the search. There might be some useful ideas in there. HTH.

flangehead

Thank you! I’ll go through it.

For architectural variety I found this: https://www.sovietbusstops.com/. Incredible variety.

Korina

Interesting. Streetsblog has a yearly competition for worst bus stop; some of those look like they would make it into the semi-finals.