Transit Riders Request More Shelter

By: Catherine McCarley

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — In 2017, the city of Fayetteville launched a Mobility Plan to help people transport themselves around the city. One of the main goals was to increase citywide transit ridership. Analyzing what exactly needed to be done to increase riders, citizens were asked what they thought would encourage more people to take the bus. Almost 40 percent of people consulted requested that shelters and benches be added to more bus stops. Currently, many people wait for the bus in the hot sun, cold rain or freezing temperatures. 

“If they offer the shelter for people to stand under, it will be more beneficial for sure,” said Sara Lawrence, who rides the bus to class three times a day. 

“People get on the bus at 8:00 in the morning, look like they have ran a mile, just from standing out in the sun,” said Abby Rushin, a transit rider who enjoys the benefit of a bus shelter at her stop.

Choosing to ride the bus impacts more than just an individual’s personal commute. People improve air quality and prevent the destruction of wildlife habitats when they choose public transportation over driving to their destination, according to the Federal Transit Administration. There are also less traffic fatalities in cities where each member of the population rides transit at least 40 times a year, the 2019 Transportation Fact Book cites. 

Razorback Transit operates on a daily schedule throughout Fayetteville. There is no fare. Every ride is completely free for users, paid for by student fees, government grants and the City of Fayetteville’s Street Fund. Buses constantly move throughout the city, but last year’s ridership data shows Razorback Transit only gave 1.6 million rides in 2018. These numbers are not high enough to allow Fayetteville to reap the benefits of a well-used transit system.

According to Scott Muddiman, Lead Operator at Razorback Transit, there are 27 bus shelters on the Razorback Transit Route, and most of those are in rural portions of the city. Muddiman said that more shelters are coming to urban parts of the bus route, but it remains unclear when.

Brasco Inc. manufactured most of the bus shelters in Fayetteville. The cost to purchase a basic Brasco bus shelter is about $7,000, according to a sales representative.