Eight Downtown bus stops will close temporarily starting Wednesday for new shelter installation over the next two weeks, according to transit officials.
The shelter construction is part of a larger project to provide amenities to bus stops throughout the city, according to Long Beach Transit spokesperson Arantxa Chavarria.
The new shelters will include electronic signage and solar panels, as well as seating, according to Chavarria.
“We’re very excited to provide these to our customers,” said Chavarria.
Just two shelters will be closed at any given time, and then only for two or three days, according to Long Beach Transit. The closures will affect Routes 51, 111, 112, 151, 181, 191 and 192.
Bus riders impacted by the closures will be directed to the nearest stop, according to transit officials.
Here’s the schedule of bus stop closures:
- Third Street and Pine Avenue: Oct. 19-21
- Broadway and Magnolia Avenue: Oct. 19-21
- Third Street and Pacific Avenue: Oct. 24-26
- Broadway and Pacific Avenue: Oct. 24-26
- Third Street and Magnolia Avenue: Oct. 27-31
- Broadway and Long Beach Boulevard: Oct. 27-31
- Broadway and Maine Avenue: Nov. 1-3
- Broadway and Atlantic Avenue: Nov. 1-3
The stops that will see new shelter construction are all “bus islands,” according to Chavarria, which are waiting and boarding areas for bus passengers that are separated from the sidewalk by a protected bike lane. The city constructed the islands in the last year or so to improve bicycle safety and bus accessibility, but they lacked shelters, said Chavarria.
The project is estimated to cost about $650,000, which came from federal grant funding.
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