As we examine transit in Matthews, there is a lot of overlap with the comprehensive work of Sustain Charlotte. While their focus is on Charlotte itself, Matthews can benefit from some of their approaches.
One Sustain Charlotte activity, Walk2Transit, is a simple bus stop audit. Walk2Transit provides a method of grading bus stops from various perspectives (such as ease of getting to the stop, comfort while waiting on the bus, etc.) aids in better design of future stops. According to Meg Fencil, Sustain Charlotte Program Director, “80% of ‘all-purpose’ riders reach their bus stops on foot. If we want more people to choose to ride transit, they need to feel safe and comfortable walking to and from bus stops.“
Although photos only provide limited information, below are a few of the bus stops in Matthews. How would they score on a Walk2Transit audit? Which stops feel well designed? Which could use improvement? Does a comfortable bus stop encourage greater public transit use?
