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New heat-resilient bus shelters, selected with the help of Sacramento Regional Transit riders, moved one step closer to being installed throughout the capital region.
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The chosen design, selected from two finalists, features a reflective roof and a powder coating to minimize heat absorption, as well as perforated metal sides for better airflow. It does not include glass, which can trap heat by allowing sunlight in while blocking the breeze, and has previously been damaged by graffiti.
The selected bus shelter, named Brazos, is a prefabricated design, making it easier to maintain than the runner-up custom design, named Tempe. Both shelters were named after locations where they were previously installed.
Another factor in the decision was the result of a survey RT released earlier this year.
More than 60% of the approximately 200 respondents selected the Brazos design, RT spokesperson Katie Wiseman said.
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Respondents — 60% of whom were daily or weekly riders — said the design “looks safer,” “more durable” and provided “more protection,” according to responses provided by Wiseman. They also identified climate protection as the top priority for shelters, with lighting and safety ranking second and durability third.
The bus shelter project was funded by a $449,000 grant awarded to RT in 2024 by the Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program. The program, which operates under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, funds projects that reduce or prevent heat exposure.
Sacramento Regional Transit will be installing the Brazos design at about 16 locations throughout the capital region — eleven around Sacramento, two in unincorporated Sacramento County, and one each in Elk Grove and Rancho Cordova. Some possible locations, pending permit approval, are at the Arcade-Marconi, Fruitridge-Freeport and Seventh-J stops, according to the RT website.
RT is currently in the permitting process and will be obtaining the shelters through the end of the year, Wiseman said. Construction is expected to begin early next year, delaying the initial estimate of November. The transit agency expects installation could continue into summer 2027, when it will host community events to discuss the new amenities.
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