Goal is to Help Build Better Bus Stops Through the Addition of a Basic Amenity – a Bench
An idea to improve the rider experience at bus stops without seating—often referred to as “forgotten stops”—has quickly become a transformative regional initiative. In just over a year, Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) and AARP in St. Louis, together with Metro Transit, St. Clair County Transit District and local government officials, have installed 11 bus benches across the bi-state area, including two unveiled in the City of Maplewood during a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 19. This includes a bench at MetroBus Stop #1850, located at 7170 Manchester Road, and another across the street at MetroBus Stop #1980, located at 7169 Manchester Road.
Project partners and the Mayor of Maplewood Barry Greenberg made formal remarks before the official ribbon cutting took place at 3 p.m. These MetroBus stops now boast a red, all-weather, 6-foot-long bench featuring the slogan “Enjoy the Ride.” Each has a customized sponsor plaque and QR code inviting riders to share how the bench has impacted their transit experience.
This feedback loop, along with narratives collected at these MetroBus stops by program ambassadors, fosters ongoing engagement and helps measure the program’s impact in real time—telling the story of the bench. Rider feedback indicates that the benches are helping ease physical and mental stress after a long day at work or school, when carrying groceries or dealing with mobility challenges or health conditions. The Maplewood bench installations were funded by Citizens for Modern Transit and AARP in St. Louis and installed by the City of Maplewood.
“Public transit connects people to jobs, services, businesses and each other,” said Mayor Greenberg. “Something as simple as a bench can make a meaningful difference for riders, and we are proud to partner with Citizens for Modern Transit and AARP in St. Louis to make Maplewood more accessible, welcoming, and connected.”
To date, benches have been installed at MetroBus Stops #11223 and #11303 along North Illinois Street in Swansea; MetroBus Stop #926 at 4402 Natural Bridge Road and MetroBus Stop #4134 at 1100 S. Grand Avenue in the City of St. Louis; MetroBus Stop #5609 at the southwest corner of South Lindbergh Blvd. and Baptist Church Road in St. Louis County; MetroBus Stop #12961 at 505 S. 8th Street near the Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center in East St. Louis; MetroBus Stop #12985 at 1110 Camp Jackson Road near McDonald’s in Cahokia Heights; MetroBus Stop #15715, located one block from the Belleville Town Square at on Scheel Street near the intersection of N Douglas Avene; and MetroBus Stop #12170, located in the Hexenbukel Neighborhood on Scheel Street.
“This program exemplifies how small, thoughtful interventions can yield profound impacts, making transit stops more than just pass-through points by becoming places of rest, connection and community,” stated Kimberly Cella, CEO of CMT. “It has been among our most impactful programs, and we will be moving full steam ahead.”
These installs have prompted $50,000 in additional enhancements at transit stops and served as a catalyst for continued growth, with six additional bench projects currently in the works. The City of Maplewood plans to install another bench in the near future and add a shelter to MetroBus Stop #1980, located at 7169 Manchester Road.
CMT and AARP in St. Louis are actively seeking additional partners— including businesses, organizations, municipalities, community groups and individuals—willing to support the installation of The Story of a Bench program at bus stops community wide. An investment of between $1,000 to $5,000, depending on the selected location, is needed per bus stop to cover the cost of each bench installation. Sponsor recognition is included on a commemorative plaque at each location.
“The Story of a Bench program grew out of our larger scale Transit Stop Transformation projects,” added Cella. “The MetroBus Stop at the southwest corner of Manchester Road and Marshall Avenue in Maplewood was the site of our very first comprehensive transformation. Partners are grateful to the City of Maplewood for its commitment to public transit.”
