Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In

To see how little respect bus riders get from public officials, just take a look at the sorry condition of America's bus stops. To make riding the bus a comfortable and dignified experience, we need to do better.

Readers submitted 16 forlorn waiting areas for Streetsblog's "Sorriest Bus Stop in America" competition. Earlier this week, Silver Spring, Maryland, knocked off New Castle, Delaware, to move on to the second round.

Today's matchup pits a sports stadium bus stop against a national park bus stop. Which is worse?

Kansas City

KC-bus-stop
false

Brian Curran submitted this invisible bus stop. He writes:

This stop is in Kansas City near Kaufmann Stadium, where the Royals play. It's located on the side of a multi-lane highway with no crosswalks nearby, and no place other than a vast grassy area to wait for the bus. There is no signage indicating exactly where the stop is either. An adventurous way to get to and from a Royals game!

The bus system in KC is run by the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, which is run by a board comprised of appointed members from both Missouri and Kansas.

We need an overhead view and another layer of information to even see where the bus stops. Note the dirt paths to the parking lot, presumably marking where people have walked between the stadium and the bus.

Screen Shot 2016-07-21 at 1.32.13 PM
false

Agencies in charge: Missouri DOT, KCATA

Washington, DC

dc_gallatin
false

Submitter Jacob Mason says of this bus stop:

From DC, this bus stop adjacent to Fort Circle Park has no sidewalk, no crosswalk, and even though you can literally see the many houses on the other side of this linear park, there is no path to cross the park. When it rains, bus riders stand or walk in the mud to get here. This land belongs to the National Park Service, which for decades has neglected to build sidewalks on streets within and adjacent to its parks in DC. Despite all this neglect of pedestrians, someone paid a good deal of money to build a concrete bus pad to make sure that the pavement doesn't get messed up from buses stopping there.

Agency in charge: National Park Service.

Here's a map of all our contestants so far, with today's matchup in green.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

New Bill Would Block Apps From Deactivating Workers Without Cause

A Brooklyn Council member wants delivery app companies to be more human and less robot.

July 18, 2025

Friday Video: Is Berlin a Great Biking City?

Have recent moves by anti-bike, pro-car legislators ruined the experience in the capital of a unified Germany? Sort of!

July 18, 2025

Eyes on the Street: Meeker Avenue Bike Lane Is a Failure

The Department of Transportation still hasn't finished a critical bike lane under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that the agency has been stalling for over four years even after identifying the strip's danger and lack of proper signals.

July 18, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Cuomo’s Road Rage Edition

Why does Andrew Cuomo drive so recklessly? Plus other news.

July 18, 2025

Fixing Third Ave. Was Once ‘Top of List’ For Eric Adams — But as Mayor He Backed Off

Mayor Adams has delayed a redesign of Brooklyn's Third Avenue despite once saying safety fixes there should be "at the top of our list."

July 17, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Jerry Nadler Edition

U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler faced off with Sean Duffy on Capitol Hill. Plus more news.

July 17, 2025
See all posts