Bus stops in Amarillo are slated for a makeover.
AMARILLO, TEXAS -- Bus stops in Amarillo are getting an overhaul, and Phase 1 of the project is underway, with 86 bus stops slated to be refurbished.
"We're evaluating all of our bus stops and in terms of trying to determine whether the site would be suitable for one of the new green bus benches," Judy Phelps, Amarillo's Transit Manager, told Pronews 7.
The refurbished bus stops will bring them into compliance with the latest standards from the Americans with Disabilities Act. Those standards say that at minimum, a bus stop must have an 8 foot by 5 foot concrete pad, with another 8 foot by 5 foot slab for a bus bench, or an 11 foot by 11 foot pad for a bus shelter. Phelps said, "before you can do anything, even to have a bus stop at a location you must have that 8 by 5 concrete pad that's free and clear so that person, or anybody can get on or off the bus there."
The new requirments mean that some current bus benches will be removed because the city doesn't have adequate right of way to meet the ADS specifications.
If you're wondering what the new benches will look like, take a look at your local park. The bus stops there have already begun to be replaced, and those shiny green benches are what the futre looks like for public transportation in Amarillo.
