If you can have a sorry bus stop there, you can have a sorry bus stop anywhere.
Yes, it's up to you, New York, N.Y. as we pit two really lousy Big Apple bus stops to round out the Elite Eight in our annual America's Sorriest Bus Stop competition.
Nashville; Cincinnati; Beverly Hills; Pittsburgh; McKees Rocks, Pennsylvaniaand New Orleans have already moved on to the second round. Meanwhile, voting is still open for yesterday's matchup, which pitted San Rafael, California, against Vancouver.
Today's contenders are extra awful because they come from the nation's most transit friendly metro area. But they still fall into the traps we see elsewhere: complete disregard for riders' safety and comfort. Let's take a look:
Brentwood, N.Y.
This sorry bus stop, sent by an anonymous reader, shows Crooked Hill Road in suburban Brentwood, N.Y.
The reader explains:
Absolutely no thought given to pedestrians with this stop. No sidewalks towards either direction, sitting feet away from a busy, higher speed thoroughfare, with no safe method to cross the road. Most that use this stop would need to cross, as employment centers are mostly found opposite this stop. Additionally, possibly the worst part of this stop, if you turn around the street view, you will see a business next to it with heavy duty trucks in use. They have chosen to go instead of turning right directly outside the driveway, using the area of the bus stop as a merge to the road instead, creating another hazard for the riders of this already dangerous stop.
The Bronx
Meanwhile, this stop on Sedgwick Avenue in the heart of the Bronx, comes to us from reader Nolan Levinson — and (not to prejudice you voters) it was selected by our editors from many, many New York City sorry bus stops. If Gotham is going to win this year's competition, this is the sorry bus stop on which that crown will rest.
Look closely: Yes, bus riders are literally waiting in some guy's driveway for the bus.
Levinson adds his exasperation:
The bus pole is right in the middle of a driveway. There's nowhere to wait.
As you can see in the photo, the stop serves three MTA bus routes, so it's no outpost in the wilderness. This is a stop with high service frequency. But the surrounding environment leaves a lot to be desired.
Both the city DOT and the state-run MTA share the blame for bus stops like this that clearly have not been given a second thought.
