Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In

The Final Four of sorry bus stops is starting to come together.

The first city to secure a spot is Seattle. You can still vote in Friday's Tampa vs. Chapel Hill match to decide who gets the second spot.

The third spot is up for grabs today. It's either a perilously balanced Pittsburgh bus stop or a scary stop by the side of a highway in Englewood, New Jersey, across the Hudson from NYC.

Vote below.

Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh bus stop

This entry in the Steel City beat a bus stop in Medford, Massachusetts, in the first round. Submitter Noah Kahrs writes:

You'd think that a bus stop this close to Downtown Pittsburgh and just half a mile from a light rail station and major bike path would be reasonably accessible, but Pittsburgh's confusing road system gets in the way. This bus stop is alongside a four-lane highway that essentially serves as a full-speed connector between two major interstates, and has no sidewalks along the road. Instead, you can access the bus stop by a footbridge across the highway from Duquesne University, or via a lengthy rickety staircase from the bottom of a sheer 100-foot cliff.

Let the record show that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette went out and interviewed someone who waits at this stop, and he said it was actually pretty convenient.

Agencies responsible: Port Authority of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh Public Works

Englewood, NJ 

englewood_bus_stop

This stop on Route 4 in Englewood beat New Haven in the first round. It was nominated by Michael Klatsky, who says bus riders are forced to "climb over a guardrail or walk in highway traffic."

Klatsky also shares this photo showing how transit riders have worn a path in the grass behind the guardrail:

englewood desire line

That matches up with what one of our commenters pointed out: Even though the area isn't pedestrian-friendly at all, this bus stop still gets plenty of use. It is served by NJ Transit and private jitney operators, on a route that runs from Paterson to the GW Bridge Terminal with high frequencies throughout the day. Route 4 in New Jersey is covered with bus stops like this, but despite the high transit usage, walkable connections from surrounding neighborhoods are in short supply.

Agencies responsible: New Jersey DOT, NJ Transit.

bus_stop_2017

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Talking Headways Podcast: A Week Without Driving

Anna Zivarts discusses the lessons of her national campaign and yearly event with several politicians who brought it to their communities.

January 22, 2026

Aisle Be Damned: Dems and GOP Unite in Oregon In Bid To Legalize Kei Trucks

Tiny trucks bring people together across the political spectrum — and they could help save lives and budgets.

January 22, 2026

Thursday’s Headlines Are Getting Their Butts Kicked by China

China alone accounted for 72 percent of the new metro and light rail lines that opened last year, more than doubling the rest of the world combined.

January 22, 2026

Survey: Most Americans Are Open To Ditching Their Cars

Automakers have spent a century and countless trillions of dollars making car-dependent living the American norm. But U.S. resident still aren't sold, a new survey suggests.

January 21, 2026

You Can’t Afford Wednesday’s Headlines

Americans want to live in walkable areas near transit, but not enough housing is being built there, driving prices out of reach for many and forcing them into a car-dependent lifestyle.

January 21, 2026

NYC Warns Delivery Apps to Follow New Worker Protection Laws

The Mamdani Administration sent letters to over 60 delivery app companies, warning they must comply with new regulations.

January 20, 2026
See all posts