On May 15th, the Portland Design Commission provided its approval for TriMet’s placement of prototype Next Generation Bus Shelters on city streets. The presenters outlined the three classes of new bus stop weather protection that will use many interchangeable parts for more efficient maintenance. Oregon company GK Machine Inc. is manufacturing the test shelters, and project planners anticipate crews will begin installation at the end of June. After an evaluation period and some public engagement that could allow for modest design updates, TriMet planners intend to start replacing its approximately 1000 shelters with these new units as needed.
The current shelter design received approval in the early 1990s, and decades of repair and upkeep experience have influenced these prototype designs. They also incorporate refinements based on the Bus Rapid Transit stations constructed for the FX 2 line on SE Division Street. Two of the three shelter size classifications use two or three vertical support poles at the back of the structure, with the roof cantilevered over its footprint. The smallest Pavilion XS design uses four posts with two in the back corner and the remaining vertical supports placed in the middle of the sidewall dimension. The roof uses a low-pitched asymmetrical hipped roof design that will direct most rainwater runoff to the front corners of the shelter.
The three shelter types will all support sidewalls made from transparent two-foot-wide panels, but TriMet can also place the units without any walls, essentially floating a horizontal covering over the waiting riders with minimal vertical supports. The new design will structurally support glass panels if needed. However, due to increased glass breakage and growing material costs, TriMet is considering using decoratively etched polycarbonate panels protected with Vandal Guard coating for prolonged protection from graffiti.
The Pavilion XS unit will likely become Portland’s most common varation as crews can mount them directly to a sidewalk that is at least 5.5″ thick, similar to existing shelters. Aditionally, is smaller footprint will fit more places in the streetscape with a roof that covers 5′-6″ by 10′-2″. The 8′ by 10′-10″ Pavilion and the 8′ by 14′-10″ Pavilion XL require more significant footing for their support posts. Unlike existing shelters with the underside of roof panels exposed, these new shelters will have ceilings, creating a sealed compartment protecting two battery units that can charge via roof-mounted solar panels. That power system will support integrated LED lighting, e-ink schedule reader boards, and pushbutton audio notifications of pending arrivals. Shelter seating is an updated design of current street furniture that will similarly mount to the sidewalk, independent of the shelter structure.
Although the Design Commission can exempt new shelters and associated amenities from future Land Use review, each shelter will require a permit authorized by the Portland Bureau of Transportation. Based on the sidewalk or platform space, the structures can face towards or away from traffic. TriMet plans to introduce larger shelters for high-ridership locations, but presenters did not include them in the May 15th request for approval. The High-Capacity Family of weather protection units will share many replacement parts with the Pavilion styles for a more cost-effective maintenance program. Riders could begin to see these prototype units installed this summer, and TriMet will continue to evaluate the Next Generation Bus Shelters’ performance over time before moving to full production.
Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the 82nd Avenue Transit Project Community Advisory Committee (CAC) but had no involvement with Next Generation Bus Shelter design.
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