Brewed Fresh Daily

In 1929, the London Underground, the city's subway system, produced what's now considered a classic advertising poster. It shows a group of umbrellas, presumably held by damp, shivering people, on a gray, rainy street. Almost hidden behind one of the umbrellas is the cheerful red Underground sign. Underneath are four words, "No Wet, No Cold." Not a bad reminder for today's urban transit systems. After all, what are the things people value most in their daily journeys? Their time, their money and their comfort. Which brings us to the subject of bus stops. Buses may be a wonderful way of getting to work cheaply and even quickly (many systems are experimenting with dedicated bus lanes and traffic-signal overrides to speed up their journeys). But there's still the dismal prospect of waiting at a bus stop, many of which are nothing more than a wide spot in the sidewalk. What happens if the weather's bad? You get wet and cold. Small wonder that buses are so unpopular. The good news, though, is that some transit systems recognize the problem and are trying to do something about it. Cleveland's transit system surveyed its riders not long ago to find out what would make waiting at bus stops more bearable. The unsurprising answers: Where there are no transit shelters, build them; where there are shelters, make them nicer. But what makes a bus shelter nice? Riders said that, aside from protection from the elements and a place to sit down, lighting, information about approaching buses and trash cans are the most desired improvements. The Cleveland system is experimenting with some of these things. There are solar-powered light systems at several shelters; people entering the shelter can push a button to turn on the lights, which switch off after a while. And there are electronic signs at the busiest stops, telling riders how long until the next bus arrives. Now the transit system is working on appearance. But with so many bus stops (there are 8,500 in the region), there's no way the system can keep them all clean and attractive. That's why it's looking for neighborhood groups or businesses to help out. "There's no greater disincentive (for transit) than to sit in a dirty or unkempt shelter," said one transit board member. "Every community has their local garden club. Maybe they could plant flowers around the shelters. Anything that could be done would help."