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With a big red bow on the top, the brand new bus shelter was hoisted by crane to its new spot at West Tidwell and Wheatley in the Acres Home neighborhood. The shelter was installed as part of Metro’s “Got You Covered” program, an initiative to put up 100 new shelters this year.
State Representative Sylvester Turner told how he rode the bus when he was working his way through college, and how he had to run to the bus stop just before midnight to get the last ride back to Acres Homes.
“Well in this day and time, there are so many kids and so many parents who are having to rely on that same public service.”
Under Metro’s Adopt-a-Shelter program, a nearby church will help keep the bus stop clean and report any vandalism. Metro CEO George Greanias says keeping shelters free of gang grafitti will help reduce crime in the neighborhood.
Metro currently has about 10,000 bus stops. A little over 2,000 stops have shelters. Metro says it plans to add another 100 next year.
According to Metro’s figures, each shelter cost just under $16,000 to design, build, and install.
