The new bus stops for Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus have been over four years in the making, but it's taken just a few months for people to start really hating them. The fancy new bus stop seats and shelters, designed by Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects, have been responsible for what the Santa Monica Daily Press calls an "outpouring of e-mails, letters, and phone calls" from angry bus riders. No one seems to have a problem with the real-time bus information read-outs, but complainers say the backless, circular, individual seats are "silly," uncomfortable, and difficult for disabled users to use; they complain that the round shade canopies, meanwhile, don't actually provide shade.
"I'm not sure what has happened to the old benches, but with proper care they could have been in service for years," bemoans one rider. Though BBB defends its new designer stops, a rep for the company says that in light of the critiques they may add more of the new seats or bring back the old benches, which are all in storage now.
· Residents bash new bus stops [SMDP]
· SaMo Upgrading Big Blue Bus Stops With Fancy New Shelters [Curbed LA]
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