Bus Shelters being installed
by Lenny Roberts

After years of trying to balance the need for bus shelters along Highway 33 with the public's insistence to reduce visual pollution, County Supervisor Steve Bennett announced last week that the installation of 10 advertisement-free shelters has begun.
"These shelters will be a big help to the bus riders of the valley, and hopefully, they'll encourage more people to get around without cars," Bennett said.
"The MAC (Ojai Valley Municipal Advisory Council) and the Bus Stops Here Committee did a great job soliciting community input and selecting a shelter that works well with the valley. Their hard work enabled the county to secure grant funds so that these shelters could be built without advertising."
The shelters will be located at the most heavily used SCAT bus stops in Casitas Springs, Oak View and Mira Monte. The locations and designs were selected by the MAC with input from the Bus Stops Here Committee, Bennett explained, adding that as future grant funding becomes available, a planned six more shelters will be added.
Steve Offerman, of Bennett's office, said $76,650 of the $85,500 project was secured through grants from the Ventura County Transportation Commission, with the balance coming from the county.
"The shelters will provide a bench and protection from sun and rain for bus riders, as well as a trash can," Offerman said. (Consolidated Industries has donated garbage collection services.)
"The Bus Stops Here Committee was instrumental in identifying a shelter design that would fit within a reasonable budget, and thereby offer a viable alternative to using shelters with advertising."
Offerman added that commitments from organizations such as the Group Against Graffiti to maintain the shelters which made it possible for the County to take on this additional responsibility were also secured.

© 2002 The Ojai Valley News

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