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

Wednesday’s Headlines Take the Wheel

If Jesus won't take it, maybe AI will.

December 3, 2025

Advocates Push for Safety in Next Surface Transportation Reauthorization

A much-anticipated annual survey of state road safety laws called on federal lawmakers to back up their colleagues work.

December 3, 2025

Report: NYC is Undercounting The E-Bike Boom

A new study from an MIT grad student shows that e-bikes are the most popular vehicle for those using New York City's bike lanes.

December 3, 2025

Agenda 2026: Will Zohran Mamdani’s Left-Progressive Backers Mobilize for Faster Buses?

New York's new mayor must mobilize the coalition that got him elected if he wants to avoid his recent predecessors' failure to speed up buses.

December 2, 2025

Opinion: One Less Lane Ought To Fix It

Federal inaction means states must lead on reducing emissions — but their reluctance to reallocate road space for cars may doom climate goals.

December 2, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines Fight Fire With Fire

Berkeley, Calif., is far from the only city where the fire department dictates transportation policy.

December 2, 2025
See all posts