Capital Metro, in partnership with Austin Transportation, has installed a pilot bus stop that extends the curb to the bus with a ramp to protect pedestrians on Guadalupe Street in the hopes of improving speed of service, safety and traffic congestion. 

The bus stop, which is made out of recycled materials, will take over the two existing stops at the intersection of Dean Keeton Street and Guadalupe Street, and will be in place for six months to test its speed, reliability and safety, said Caitlin D’Alton, the City of Austin’s transit enhancement program manager. 

The bus stop was installed in sections bolted into the roadway and is connected to the sidewalk with an accessible ramp and signage that alerts bicyclists to yield to pedestrians, said Nadia Barrera-Ramirez, Capital Metro’s technical project program manager.

“As part of the Transit Priority Working Group, an Austin Transportation Department and Capital Metro partnership, this opportunity was identified as it prioritizes transit through this key area while being mindful of overall travel for all modes (transit, auto, pedestrians and bicycle),” Barrera-Ramirez said.

The bus stop’s location was chosen because the previous two bus stops created too much congestion with high amounts of pedestrian activity and a lot of right turn movements for other vehicles, D’Alton said. 

“We saw this as an opportunity to see where we could better place that bus stop to help this transit service get through the intersection more quickly,” D’Alton said. 

Barrera-Ramirez said the new bus stop will allow the cyclists or pedestrians to be physically separated from motor vehicle traffic. 

“If you’re on a bike, you’re kind of hoping and praying that a bus won’t try to sideswipe you, or you could get cut off,” said Steven Ding, management information systems and urban studies junior. “With the new modular bus stop, the bus will never pull into your lane.”

If the six-month pilot is deemed successful in achieving the goals set, the bus stop could become a permanent addition and be implemented in other locations. D’Alton said Austin Transportation will be measuring if the bus route is operating more quickly and if there are safety improvements for pedestrians over the six-month period. 

“If the pilot is deemed a success, Capital Metro will need to work with The University of Texas to improve the stop area and add appropriate bus stop amenities (shelter, lighting, seating, etc.),” Barrera-Ramirez said.