America’s Sorriest Bus Stop: San Diego vs. Seattle

We’re moving on to the round of eight in our Sorriest Bus Stop in America bracket.

The cities in our Shameful Eight are Tampa, Pittsburgh, Chapel Hill, Seattle, San Diego, Englewood (NJ), and Munhall, Pennsylvania. And there’s still one more day to vote either St. Louis or Omaha into the final slot.

Today, two West Coast contenders pair up in the first match of the second round.

San Diego

After this stop, in San Diego’s Mission Valley, faced off against Commerce, California, in the first round, the local ABC affiliate went out to investigate. San Diego’s Metropolitan Transit System said it discontinued the route in April. But one woman told reporters she still uses the stop to board the bus. Only this week did the transit agency go out and remove the sign:

It’s not clear exactly how service was adjusted (did the whole route change or just this stop?), but merely eliminating a stop doesn’t really address the underlying issue of dangerous, unwalkable streets and uncomfortable waiting conditions — which isn’t the fault of the transit agency so much as the local transportation department.

I spoke to San Diego reporter Michael Turko about this stop, and he said there’s not another good option nearby. People like the Korean immigrant interviewed by Channel 10 will now have to walk more than a mile to catch the bus, according to Turko.

Responsible agencies: San Diego MTS, San Diego Streets Division.

Seattle 

This tiny sliver of dirt between a Seattle highway and an active railroad track beat a bus stop Fremont, California, in the first round — by a lot. One reader informed us that at least the trains pass by slowly at this particular location, an industrial area south of the city.

This overhead view shows South Seattle College on one side of the street and the industrial zone on the other.

Responsible agencies: King County Metro, Washington DOT

Vote to decide which is worthy of the Final Four.