As part of a program known as “The Story of a Bench,” Citizens for Modern Transit and AARP in St. Louis have installed their first bus stop bench in St. Louis County at MetroBus Stop #5609, located on the corner of South Lindbergh Boulevard and Baptist Church Road. The unveiling took place on Oct. 9 with Metro Transit.
“We want to create space for riders to be able to sit back, relax and unwind while waiting on the bus,” said Kimberly Cella, CEO of Citizens for Modern Transit. “The concept is simple, and the cost is minimal, but we believe the impact will be profound.”
The new all-weather red bench has a customized plaque listing community sponsors, as well as a QR code giving riders the opportunity to answer a survey about the newly installed seating.
This was the first installed bench within the program in St. Louis County, but two more were added in the City of St. Louis on the same day. This fulfilled the program’s goal of completing five bus bench installments within the first year, as the first two benches were installed in Swansea, Illinois, in June.
“Having a comfortable place to sit can make all the difference in someone’s day,” said Ron Forrest, Chief Operating Officer of Metro Transit. “We are grateful to have partners like Citizens for Modern Transit and St. Louis AARP for their hard work and investments that make a real difference for our riders and our communities.”
