The Bus Stop Census 2020 Final Report is here!

On the two year anniversary of it’s launch, the Operation Bus Stop Census 2020 Final report is finally complete. The report documents the findings from a nearly year long effort to crowdsource data on over 3,200 MARTA bus stops in metropolitan Atlanta. The report is intended to be an educational tool, empowering MARTA, local and state jurisdiction, advocacy organizations, and individuals to understand the deficiencies of bus stops in our community and how to take action to make bus stops more safe, accessible, and dignified. We encourage you to read and share with your community, elected officials, and transit agency staff. Thank you.

The Bus Stop Census 2020 Final Report was written by Binh Dam, Morgan Jacobus, and Becca Kiriazes. The report was designed by Sarah Lawrence with contributions from Josh Madwed. Maps were designed by Davis Cover.

Operation Bus Stop Census Executive Summary

Bus stops are gateways to opportunity, connecting people to jobs, healthcare, family, groceries, entertainment, recreation, and more. They are a pivotal part of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority’s (MARTA) current bus network, serving as an origin or destination to over 44 million boardings in 2020. The humble bus stop is a contributor to the social, economic, and environmental vitality of our communities, but bus stops do not get the attention they deserve.

Many bus stops in metropolitan Atlanta lack adequate sidewalks, accessible nearby marked crosswalks (within 100 feet for the purposes of this report), lighting, trash cans, and shelter from the natural elements. Dangerous and poorly designed bus stops are barriers to opportunities and social connections. Without connecting sidewalks and curb cuts, people with disabilities cannot reach bus stops. Without shelters or benches, older riders cannot comfortably wait for buses, particularly during hot Atlanta summers or wet winter days. Every day, bus riders, especially people of color and low-income riders, must endure bus stops that are unsafe, inaccessible, and undignified.

MARTA Army acknowledged these issues in its Fall 2019 Book Club on Steven Higashide’s Better Buses, Better Cities: How to Plan, Run, and Win the Fight for Effective Transit. The conclusions drawn from this book club were1) there is a knowledge gap on the condition and amenity level of bus stops and 2) that knowledge gap must be filled so that agencies, local jurisdictions and advocates can identify, prioritize, and implement improvements. Thus, MARTA Army and its partners launched “Operation Bus Stop Census” to fill the gap.

Operation Bus Stop Census is a crowdsourcing initiative whose purpose is to collect data on bus stop amenities, pedestrian facilities, and rider behavior. The operation launched on Transit Equity Day in February 2020 with the goal of collecting information on 2,500 bus stops in the MARTA service area.

DATA Collection

Since its launch, Operation Bus Stop Census accomplished the collection of data on available amenities at over 3,200 bus stops (approximately one-third of all MARTA bus stops) with the help of over 300 volunteer surveyors. The data collection phase lasted nearly one year and was conducted both in-person and remotely via Google Street View. Through the Bus Stop Census, MARTA Army obtained a sizable sample of bus stop conditions in the MARTA system, including a comprehensive snapshot of at least 85% of bus stops along twelve bus routes.

The findings

Bus stop accessibility emerged as a top issue from the census data. The Bus Stop Census found that 25% of surveyed bus stops, accounting for 11% of the average weekly ridership, lack any paved sidewalk while many others had obstructed sidewalks. The Bus Stop Census also found 58% of the surveyed bus stops, contributing to 44% of the average weekly ridership, lacked nearby crosswalks on the main street. Crossing infrastructure such as curb cuts and tactile guide strips were missing from 45% and 60% of surveyed bus stops, respectively.

There is an opportunity to add seating and shelters at more bus stops. Seating and shelters were present at 19% and 12% of bus stops surveyed and contributed to 41% and 36% of the average weekly ridership, respectively. A sizable number of riders already benefit from seating and/or shelters at a small number of bus stops, where the ridership  exceeds the threshold for a bench or shelter installation. 

Accessible wayfinding was also lacking at many bus stops. The Bus Stop Census found that only 13% of bus stops surveyed had some wayfinding information available, and even fewer had route maps, route schedules, route numbers, or customer service information. The 13% of bus stops surveyed with some wayfinding information accounted for 40% of the average weekly ridership. In addition, the Bus Stop Census determined wayfinding information provided in shelters to be inaccessible because the signs do not meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements: the sign’s mounted height to font size ratio does not meet section 703.5.5 Visual Character Height guidelines and the color contrast of the sign does not meet 703.5.1 Finish and Contrast guidelines regarding a non glare finish, making the signs difficult to read.

Other elements of the bus stop experience, such as rider and motorist behavior, were collected as well. 32% of submitted surveys reported dangerous motorist behavior around the bus stop. 14% of survey responses reported riders crossing the street midblock where there is no marked crosswalk. And finally, 12% of submitted surveys reported riders traveling to the bus stop using informal pathways where a sidewalk does not exist.

Recommendations

MARTA Army recommends key stakeholders take action to improve bus stops through three channels: planning and design, data collection and sharing, and community engagement. The recommendations from this report were developed by analyzing data collected from the Bus Stop Census, researching best practices from other metropolitan areas, and speaking with stakeholders about challenges to providing safe, accessible, and dignified bus stops.

Planning and Design

The most effective path to improved bus stops is through early intervention during planning and design. For transit agencies such as MARTA and the Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority (“the ATL”, which coordinates regional transit), this means adopting universal design standards to make bus stops accessible by the greatest extent of users.

It means addressing issues under its control such as the availability of wayfinding information availability and its adherence to ADA requirements.

For local jurisdictions, it means planning for the installation and maintenance of safe and accessible sidewalks and crosswalks near bus stops, with lighting, traffic signals or other safe crossing measures where appropriate.

In addition, developers and property owners should be required to coordinate with MARTA and the relevant DOT for all projects impacting bus stops, ensuring bus stop planning and design is baked into the development cycle versus being an afterthought.

Data Collection and sharing

Clear processes for agencies and communities to continue collecting and sharing bus stop data should be established, so that the public has a dedicated, visible means to submit new requests and observe the progress on bus stop improvements. 

As a low-tech supplement, MARTA and community/advocacy organizations should conduct regular listening sessions throughout the MARTA bus network to collect feedback from riders on how their bus stop needs may be met. 

MARTA and local governments should look ahead to how future data standards on bus stop amenities could make bus stop details easier to share, especially with ADA routing applications.

Community Engagement

Communities serviced within the MARTA network, need to be empowered to take action not only to understand their bus stops, heavy rail stops, and streetcar stops, but also to improve them for their members. Adopt-A-Stop programs provide an outlet for local riders and residents to take ownership of bus stops in their community for a small incentive. It also provides transit agencies and local jurisdictions with a way to stay abreast of issues before they become major problems while reducing the maintenance load on staff.

Residents should be trained to navigate the bus stop planning, design, installation, and maintenance process through leadership academies hosted by MARTA and/or advocacy organizations. Such training gives residents the tools needed to take action when their community is experiencing problems with their bus stops.

Finally, leaders and residents must be well-resourced and educated on all things the system has including bus stops. They should become knowledgeable about the history of the bus network; the process of bus stop planning, design, and maintenance; performing community bus stop audits; designing safe crossings; requesting shelters; and more. With this knowledge, communities can make better decisions to maintain and improve their bus stops in a way that best meets their needs.

Conclusion

The findings from the Bus Stop Census are indicative of metropolitan Atlanta’s struggle to provide safe, accessible, and dignified bus stops to as many of its residents as possible. Personal anecdotes collected from bus riders during the Bus Stop Census exemplify how this struggle has failed to meet the diverse set of needs of a diverse group of riders.

The deficiencies reported are not solely the responsibility of any one entity. MARTA, state and local jurisdictions, neighborhood associations, religious organizations, community organizations, and individuals have all contributed to the forsaking of bus stops through the prioritization of auto-centric projects, the devaluation of the voices of bus riders, and the inability to think big in small ways. In a region where promises for mobility have fallen short, now is time to master the basics and regain trust.

Refocusing planning and design efforts to prioritize the needs of bus riders, implementing innovative data sharing and collection practices to collect feedback and monitor bus stop conditions, and empowering communities to take action to understand and improve their bus stops are our recommendations to regain trust and provide safe, accessible, and dignified bus stops.