Trees and Bus Stops

The presence of large, shade-giving trees right next to bus stops matters a lot to Portland's bus riders, says Maia Vasconez-Taylor, Community Organizer for Bus Riders Unite, part of OPAL, a Portland environmental justice organization that also focuses on transportation issues. "Tree coverage that makes the area around bus stops more attractive leads to a better public perception of public transit," she says. A University of Minnesota study of bus riders in the Twin Cities found that people who wait for the bus surrounded by trees or green space perceive shorter waiting times. Here in Portland so many of our bus stops, especially on the eastside, home to some of the city's most vulnerable residents, are surrounded by hot pavement and asphalt that threaten the health of bus riders on scorchingly hot summer days. Which City entity decides whether bus stops get trees next to them? OPAL and Trees for Life Oregon are looking into this with TriMet, Urban Forestry, and PBOT. We'll keep you posted.