by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
A new Downtown bus shelter is on the sidewalk at Bay and Main streets. Completed early Wednesday morning, it’s the first of 24 new shelters that the Jacksonville Transportation Authority will install in the urban core to replace existing ones.
The shelters were designed with several factors in mind. In addition to providing protection from the elements to people waiting for a bus, the appearance of the structure and how it fits into the streetscape was also a consideration.
The new shelters are fabricated by the Tolar Manufacturing Co. in Torrance, Calif., based on specifications from JTA and the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission’s Downtown Development Review Board.
Protection from the weather had to meld with aesthetics and efficiency. One of DDRB’s requirements was that the shelters have a “historic” look that would fit in with other Downtown fixtures.
“When I think of historic Jacksonville, I think of the early 20th century, so we went with more of an art-deco feel rather than the 1800s,” said Joanne Diz, JTA bus shelter project manager.
Diz said the shelter was custom designed, combining elements found in several of Tolar’s standard models.
From a practical standpoint, the shelter design takes into account three environmental considerations: heat, rain and cold. Of those three, Diz said, heat was most important for the North Florida climate.
“Extreme heat can be very dangerous, especially for children and older people, so we designed the shelter for shade and air circulation,” she said.
There also is a solar panel on top of the shelter that will charge batteries to power LED lights, making the shelter more attractive and safer after dark. It’s the first JTA bus shelter with an interior lighting system.
The new design is also JTA’s first with benches and accommodations for riders in wheelchairs.
Diz said that as each new shelter is installed, the old shelter will be refurbished and then installed in the suburbs at a bus stop that currently has no protection from the elements.
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