The Random Deployment of New Muni Bus Shelters
The right good folks over at Tenderblog noticed something rather strange about the deployment of Muni’s sleek/appalling bright, shiny new bus shelters. So they wrote a blog post about it. And they published that blog post.
[H]ow on earth are they figuring out the deployment pattern on these things? There’s the really nice new ones at Geary and Leavenworth (this happening corner), but then they go no further up. There’s one at Sutter & Van Ness, but then none the rest of the way down Sutter.
Indeed, what could the plan possibly be? Read the rest of Tenderblog’s thoughtful and observant post here.
Image above copied and pasted from its original resting place on the intertubes.
These things are so ugly and have finally made their way to North Beach and Chinatown. Looks like a cruel joke in these historic settings. Gross.
Obviously as seen in the article, I like them and the fact that the roof is like a seismic wave, but I understand how people can not like them as well given their radical department from the old ones. Any chance the MD might be up for doing a poll to see how people really feel since the only feedback I’ve read are in a few comments here and there?
Mikesonn, I completely agree with you. As I noted in my comment on Tenderblog, the yellow ones cast a particularly unappealing hue on the unsuspecting folks who are sitting there waiting for their bus.
OMFG those shelters are ugly. Period. The aesthetic totally does not flow with most SF neighborhoods (maybe expect for Rincon Hill and Mission Bay…
I want to know how much each one costs and where the money is coming from. The City can’t afford MUNI service but can afford these?
JimmyD, they are paid for by Clear Channel as part of their contract with MTA to do the ads.
The one thing I really don’t like about these is the position of the NextBus consoles. They just don’t feel like they are in the right place to me. Plus, since the shelters are so open they won’t be much use during those windy rainy days we tend to get in the winter.
Rachel–I’m glad you said that about the position of the NextBus displays! I feel the same way! They are really high up and kind of pushed back–and they are on the opposite side that the other ones are, so I continually look up to see them on the wrong side. Also, it’s annoying that these shelters have gone up when some very busy transit points (like the 28 stop at SFSU–served by three lines) still don’t have NextBus displays. I can get that info on my phone, but it’s nice to not always have to get out my phone to check the bus arrival times. Plus, there are plenty of people who don’t have phones on which they can get that information.