A new type of waiting shelter that fits in locations with limited sidewalk space was introduced this week.
The “slim shelters” are two feet deep at the base but still have the standard four-foot deep rooftop to provide shade and protection from the elements. The shelters will also have a small bench and a location for transit information.
The new shelters were designed for bus stops where standard shelters — four or six feet deep at their base — would have gotten in the way of pedestrians. There are 40 sites where the new slim shelters could be installed over the next few years.
The shelters were developed with input from customers, members of the Transit Accessibility Advisory Committee and Metro Transit staff.
The new shelters are part of an ongoing effort to improve bus stops throughout the region through the Better Bus Stops program.
More than 40 new shelters are expected to be installed by the end of the year, including 18 slim shelters. Another 50 shelters that were privately owned and managed are also due to be replaced in St. Paul, Minneapolis, Roseville and West St. Paul this year.
Metro Transit continues to work with local community groups to get feedback that will influence potential changes to shelter placement guidelines and future bus stop improvements. The engagement efforts are focused on areas of concentrated poverty where more than half of residents are people of color.
A region-wide survey about bus stops is also ongoing.
> Photos: Slim Shelters
> Better Bus Stops
> Better Bus Stops Survey