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 Oklahoma City Bus Stop
Design/Extreme Makeover
With
no natural barriers to stop it, Oklahoma City continues to expand its
borders — 607 square miles and counting. Such
sprawling
growth results in longer commutes, increased dependence on automobiles,
higher fuel costs, and more air pollution.
While public transportation could mitigate some of these problems, the
transit system is largely ignored by business commuters, and bus stops
appear neglected by the transit authority.
To improve the image of the transit system and make it more attractive
to potential riders, AIA
Central Oklahoma held a competition in 2005 to redesign
Oklahoma City’s bus shelters.
Architectural students and interns from around the world were invited
to submit their designs. Community groups and public
officials,
including the city’s Public Works Department and Metro
Transit
staff, helped shape the competition. Criteria called for
innovative use of materials, and environmentally friendly fabrication
methods.
 The
top thirteen designs were chosen by a jury of community leaders,
and presented to the citizens of Oklahoma for their votes.
Local
media directed the public to a web
site where they could cast their
ballots. The community ultimately selected five designs to be
built, and a fund-raising campaign began in 2006 to support the project.
As these more enticing bus shelters begin to appear throughout the
city, mass transit ridership is expected to increase.
Residents
may begin to see their city as more pedestrian-friendly, and their
transit system as making an important contribution to the health of the
environment. Ultimately, the competition helped instill in
the
public a sense of ownership of the transit system. As
ridership
increases, so does revenue, enabling the transit system to make further
improvements, and to play an important role in the livability of
Oklahoma City.
View
all Blueprint Initiatives |
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