Staff Report #10
March 27, 2024
To All Commissioners
Re: 2024 Transit Passenger Shelter Program
Recommendation
That the Commission APPROVE the following list of warranted locations for installation of non-advertising shelters in 2024:
- Fanshawe at Dalmagarry WB
- Fanshawe at Wonderland eastbound
- Hyde Park at North Routledge Park 1 southbound
- Sarnia at Beaverbrook eastbound
- Highbury at Edgevalley southbound
- Highbury at Kilally southbound
- Adelaide at Lorne northbound
- Culver at Third westbound
- Hyde Park south of Oxford northbound
- Highbury at Godfrey southbound
- Fanshawe at Wonderland WB
Background
With the larger number of construction projects that have occurred over the past few years, there have been a number of existing shelter locations that have been permanently removed due to the impacts of construction projects, i.e. not enough space for the shelter to be reinstalled after the construction work has been completed or the permanent removal of the local stop location. As such, in 2024 there are excess shelters currently in storage at the Wonderland Facility, which need to be relocated to new stop locations.
Table I below, sets out the warranted shelter priority list for 2023. The priority list contains highly scored stop locations that meet the current shelter warrant criteria.
Table I – 2023 Shelter Priority List
| Stop ID# | Location | Ranking |
| 2615 | Fanshawe at Dalmagarry WB | 77 |
| 2516 | Fanshawe at Wonderland EB | 87 |
| 2686 | Hyde Park at North Routledge Park 1 SB | 66 |
| 2387 | Sarnia at Beaverbrook EB | 60 |
| 903 | Highbury at Edgevalley SB | 75 |
| 915 | Highbury at Kilally SB | 75 |
| 54 | Adelaide at Lorne NB | 68 |
| 500 | Culver at Third WB | 89 |
| 1029 | Hyde Park south of Oxford NB | 89 |
| 908 | Highbury at Godfrey SB | 68 |
| 2517 | Fanshawe at Wonderland WB | 60 |
All of the above locations will have 4 x 8 non-advertising shelters installed with shelters that are currently in storage at London Transit.
With the large number of shelters that have been installed over the past few years as a result of the Investing in Canada – Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS), coupled with the previously installed shelter locations needing new stop locations to be installed, it has become increasingly difficult to find appropriate stop locations that meet the current shelter warrant system. An assessment of the shelter warrant criteria was undertaken in 2023 to determine if modifications were warranted to expand the eligibility criteria.
The new eligibility criteria was used to assess the bus stop candidates for shelter installation in 2024. Although it did help to expand locations that previously did not meet the warrant criteria for a shelter to be installed, there are still limitations to the warrant criteria.
The current criteria used to evaluate shelters includes
- Assessment of the stop location- i.e. is there space for the shelter on city right of way, is the shelter in front of a front facing home (shelters are not installed in these locations) etc.
- Average daily boardings at the stop
- Passenger waiting times
- Land use near the stop- i.e. Industrial, Commercial, Residential etc.
- Special Land uses- i.e. near medical facilities, educational institutions, high ridership demand areas etc.
- Sightline considerations
- Lighting near the stop
- Exposure to Weather elements
The Planning department will again be assessing the warrant criteria and completing a peer evaluation to determine if additional changes should be made to the current warrant criteria to expand the eligibility on a go forward basis. In keeping with the London Transit bus stop location guidelines, the review of the shelter warrant criteria will not change the criteria with regards to placement in front of a front facing home and will continue to require a minimum of 10 daily boardings at the stops to be further assessed for shelter implementation. Any updates will be provided to the Commission once the review has been completed.
On an annual basis, London Transit is also able to increase the existing shelter inventory by three additional shelters as per the provisions set out in our current maintenance contract with Outfront media. Given the number of shelters to be relocated and the need to assess the warrant criteria, no additional shelters will be installed as part of the 2024 shelter program.
Next Steps
Each shelter location will also require the installation of a concrete pad. The RFP for concrete pad installation for the shelters, solar lighting and accessibility pads has been issued. A recommendation for the award of the contract will be presented at the Commission’s April 24, 2024 meeting.
Recommended by:
Katie Burns, Director of Planning
Concurred in by:
Kelly S. Paleczny, General Manager