Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

To see how little respect bus riders get from public officials, just take a look at the sorry condition of America's bus stops. To make riding the bus a comfortable and dignified experience, we need to do better.

Readers submitted 16 forlorn waiting areas for Streetsblog's "Sorriest Bus Stop in America" competition. Earlier this week, Silver Spring, Maryland, knocked off New Castle, Delaware, to move on to the second round.

Today's matchup pits a sports stadium bus stop against a national park bus stop. Which is worse?

Kansas City

KC-bus-stop

Brian Curran submitted this invisible bus stop. He writes:

This stop is in Kansas City near Kaufmann Stadium, where the Royals play. It's located on the side of a multi-lane highway with no crosswalks nearby, and no place other than a vast grassy area to wait for the bus. There is no signage indicating exactly where the stop is either. An adventurous way to get to and from a Royals game!

The bus system in KC is run by the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, which is run by a board comprised of appointed members from both Missouri and Kansas.

We need an overhead view and another layer of information to even see where the bus stops. Note the dirt paths to the parking lot, presumably marking where people have walked between the stadium and the bus.

Screen Shot 2016-07-21 at 1.32.13 PM

Agencies in charge: Missouri DOT, KCATA

Washington, DC

dc_gallatin

Submitter Jacob Mason says of this bus stop:

From DC, this bus stop adjacent to Fort Circle Park has no sidewalk, no crosswalk, and even though you can literally see the many houses on the other side of this linear park, there is no path to cross the park. When it rains, bus riders stand or walk in the mud to get here. This land belongs to the National Park Service, which for decades has neglected to build sidewalks on streets within and adjacent to its parks in DC. Despite all this neglect of pedestrians, someone paid a good deal of money to build a concrete bus pad to make sure that the pavement doesn't get messed up from buses stopping there.

Agency in charge: National Park Service.

Here's a map of all our contestants so far, with today's matchup in green.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Wednesday’s Headlines Say Smaller is Better

Driving is not ideal, but if you need a car or truck, it would be nice to have a reasonably sized and affordable option.

April 30, 2025

Breaking: House Moves to Rescind $3.1B for Reconnecting Communities Divided by Highways

The House Transportation Committee wants to slash funding for one of America's most critical equity-focused grant programs — unless advocates speak out and get them to reverse course.

April 29, 2025

Op-Ed: What Amtrak Privatization Advocates Miss

Americans overwhelmingly want modern passenger trains operating on a system that connects cities efficiently, reliably, and faster than a car. This writer argues that privatizing Amtrak won't get us there.

April 29, 2025

This Parking Bill Could Help Solve the Housing Crisis

Washington state just passed a package of reforms that could juice housing production and get landlords to give non-drivers a break on their rent. But will other states go even further?

April 29, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines Stand Up for Transit

Transit needs investment, not defunding, Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib writes in The Hill.

April 29, 2025
See all posts