Chelsea residents are fed up with waiting for buses in inclement weather at NYC bus stops, where there are no seats or shelter.
Members of Manhattan Community Board 4 and district residents are advocating for better bus stops not only in their neighborhood but throughout the city. On Jan. 6, the board sent a letter to the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) – the agency that oversees such matters – asking for more bus stop benches and shelters along West 23rd Street.
In the meantime, some residents are urging others to use a form on the city’s 311 website to request more bus shelters from the DOT.
Miriam Fisher, a Chelsea resident who uses the public transit system and advocates for disabled New Yorkers, said more seating and shelters are necessary throughout the city, especially in the outer boroughs where there is less access to subways.
“There is a need for comfort and protection,” she said. “Some people do need to sit and can’t stand and wait for a bus. It’s for all of us who don’t want to be in extreme weather, waiting in an unprotected area by a pole with no shelter from rain, snow, hail, and all the range of climate issues that have gotten worse and more extreme.”
The Community Board 4 letter, which was sent in January, details the area’s large and growing elderly population, many of whom they said can benefit from seating while waiting for local buses. In Chelsea alone, between 2010 and 2020, the population of those 65 and older has grown by over 40%, the letter explained.
The area also includes Selis Manor on West 23rd Street, a housing and community facility for the blind and visually impaired.
“These residents, who rely on our bus network, must have a comfortable place to sit and wait for the bus,” the letter states. “We ask that the DOT prioritize shelter installations on West 23rd Street at the following avenues: 8th south side, 7th north side, 10th and 11th both sides, 12th north side.”
If shelters are not feasible in some locations, the board is urging the agency to install a specific kind of seating for commuters.
“We ask at a minimum that the DOT install benches with a back support at stops on West 23rd, which is currently without benches, in particular on the north side of 9th Avenue,” the letter goes on to state. “Although it is not in Manhattan Community Board 4, we suggest that a shelter should be installed at the stop east of Selis Manor.”
Jean Ryan, president of Disabled in Action Metropolitan NY, stressed the need for shelters with benches and space for wheelchairs at bus stops throughout the city.
“People with disabilities need bus shelters with benches at all bus stops, especially since the city often wants to space out the stops so they are further apart,” she said. “Not everyone can stand and wait. The shelters need to have space for a wheelchair, too.”
NYC has 3,500 bus shelters; more on the way
Officials at the DOT told amNewYork that they are reviewing the community board’s letter.
“We are reviewing the letter and are committed to expanding the number of bus shelters equitably and along high-ridership routes across the city,” a spokesperson for the agency said.
There are 3,500 bus shelters across the city, with roughly 50 shelters having been installed in 2024 alone.
However, it is important to note that shelters can only be installed in areas with adequate sidewalk spaces to meet safety and accessibility needs. The DOT has specific criteria for sitting bus shelters. For example, all new shelters must allow a minimum clear path of 7 feet in width, as well as additional spacing requirements and other considerations.
The DOT also plans to add about 300 more shelters to bus stops over the next couple of years.
Meanwhile, Jesse Greenwald, co-chair of Manhattan Community Board 4’s Transportation Planning Committee, told amNewYork that benches and shelters at bus stops in his district are important for accessibility and comfort.
“As we highlight in our letter, they provide a place for elderly, disabled, and tired commuters to rest while waiting for the bus, offering relief in a city where public transit is a lifeline,” Greenwald explained. “Shelters protect riders from harsh weather conditions, such as rain, snow and extreme heat, making public transportation a more reliable, practical, and dignified option.”
