GRTC Bus Stop

Sidewalks, shelters, and benches at bus stops are essential for the health, safety, and well-being of bus riders. In 2021, only 19% of bus stops in the Commonwealth had a bench and just 11% had a shelter. The lack of bus shelter infrastructure presents major public health and safety concerns for transit riders, especially given the increasing frequency of intense rainfall and heat waves. Bus and light-rail riders are forced to wait exposed to the elements year-round, putting undue physical stress on riders and increasing the risk of illness such as heat stroke. Previously, when localities attempted to install more dignified infrastructure on state right-of-way they would need approval from the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Department of General Services. The approval process often took up to 30 months. Overall, this highly convoluted process limited localities’ ability to build better bus stops and dissuaded transit ridership.

The new “Better Bus Stops” law streamlines the approval process for new shelters, benches, and sidewalks at bus stops by authorizing local building officials to review and approve plans. This allows localities to swiftly improve bus stop infrastructure, making transit riders’ experience more dignified and comfortable. Improved bus stop infrastructure encourages increased ridership and supports the growing transit ridership in Virginia.

HB 285: (Delegate McQuinn) Assigns local building officials, rather than the Department of General Services, to enforce the building code of bus shelters less than 256 square feet, as long as these shelters are for constructed transit agencies receiving state money. This law is set to expire on July 1, 2027.

The new legislation will speed up the approval process for bus shelter construction, allowing localities to more rapidly improve bus stop infrastructure. Improvements to bus stops make riders’ wait for the bus more safe and comfortable, in turn making people want to use the bus more. Robust public transportation use lowers the amount of vehicle miles traveled and reduces air pollution across the Commonwealth.

Continuing to bolster bus ridership is critical for Virginia to meet its environmental goals as the transportation sector makes up half of the state’s carbon air pollution. These emissions largely come from single-person vehicles, so getting people out of their cars and onto the bus is imperative to reduce carbon air pollution. The Better Bus Stops bill proves we can achieve major climate successes by making it easier to build good things faster, like dignified public transportation infrastructure.