Starting next week, you'll get to know the 16 awful transit waiting environments that will be competing for the title of America's Sorriest Bus Stop this year. But we received so many submissions -- more than 50! -- that we had to spread the shame around and show you a few that didn't make the final cut.
Massive thanks to everyone who took the time to submit a bus stop. You're shining a light on a big problem that doesn't get enough attention from public officials.
Shake your head at these six sorry, sorry bus stops. Is it any wonder so few people ride transit?
Up top, we have a bus stop on McKnight Road in Pittsburgh, which is a perennial contender in this tournament. At least there's a crosswalk to show you where to dodge cars on the scary divided highway. Then you can wait for your bus in a patch of dirt by roaring traffic, and don't worry, that sad highway marker will definitely protect you in case one of those drivers gets distracted.
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Below, lots of people clearly live by this bus stop in Miami... ...but it's a dumping ground for concrete curb stops and other debris.
File this Oklahoma City entry under "bus stops that should not exist":
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What sets apart this Pace bus stop in Lombard, Illinois? Not only does it only have a guardrail for seating but it's right outside the U.S. headquarters of Transdev, a company that operates transit systems in more than 4,000 cities worldwide. Safe to assume few people working at Transdev HQ are riding transit to work:
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What better place to wait for the bus than a stormwater ditch with an expansive view of highway infrastructure waste? You can try it yourself in Fenton, Missouri, a St. Louis suburb:
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Or how about waiting for the bus on a skinny sidewalk between a curb and a dumpster in Watertown, Massachusetts?
Angie is a Cleveland-based writer with a background in planning and newspaper reporting. She has been writing about cities for Streetsblog for six years.
