Hyattsville’s arts district along Route 1 now features two striking new bus shelters. Their design showcases a dynamic swooping roof and curved metal frames reminiscent of Art Nouveau aesthetics.
One is on Jefferson Street next to the Armory building, and the other is on Baltimore Avenue in front of the new Canvas Apartments.
The shelters were paid for with a $50,000 public art commission from the Hyattsville Community Development Corp. in partnership with Urban Investment Partners, the developer behind the Canvas development.
While the shelters are artistic, they have several practical features, including three seating options: a space for a wheelchair, a short bench, and a higher seat.
(This is a nicer version of what is called “hostile architecture,” because the benches are designed to make it hard for a homeless person to sleep on them.)
The roof is made of translucent blue glass, letting sunlight in but providing some shelter from the rain and direct sun.
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Hmm. Shelter looks like it lets in the wind, the rain, and the sun. Not sure that helps riders.
Love the idea of art in public spaces, but $50K for a bus stop that barely offers real shelter? That’s a whole college degree used on something that doesn’t even protect from wind or seat more than a few people. It looks cool, but it’s not practical—and definitely not commuter-friendly. I hate that for us.