People sitting at a bus stop shelter at Albee Square in Brooklyn in August 2023.
Marc A. Hermann / MTA
Disability advocates and some riders are voicing strong opposition to the city’s new initiative to add benches and leaning bars to NYC bus stops around the city.
Specifically, it is the possibility of more leaning bars than benches that has commuters concerned.
The concerns stem from the initiative announced by the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) on Oct. 30, which features the installation of benches or leaning bars at approximately 8,750 eligible bus stops throughout the five boroughs.
Advocates told amNewYork that they welcome new benches, but leaning bars undermine accessibility standards and exclude many vulnerable riders from resting their feet while waiting for the bus. It is especially concerning for them in a city where the average bus speed is only 8 mph.
“A lot of older people, a lot of people with disabilities, take the buses,” said Joseph Rappaport, executive director of the Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled. “There’s absolutely no doubt that bus service isn’t reliable, that there are often long waits. And some people need a place to sit.
An M15 bus arrives at a bus stop on the Upper East Side.Marc A. Hermann / MTA)
He added that benches are more practical and help more commuting New Yorkers and visitors.
“They don’t help anybody at all,” Rappaport said of the leaning posts. “People want benches.”
Cathy Unsino, who lives on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, has been a years-long advocate for helping seniors traverse the bustling city. She said leaning posts are not designed with the best interest of older adults in mind.
“A regular bench or chair is better,” she said. “Some people really need to sit and have their backs supported. The leaning post might benefit some people, but what a poor commentary that is on who we are as a city.”
Which NYC bus stops will get leaning posts?
Starting this month, workers will put benches or leaning bars at bus stops that currently lack seating. The stops must qualify by having sufficient public space to accommodate the street furniture. NYC has over 15,000 bus stops throughout the boroughs; a little more than half qualify for the new seating.
“I find the whole idea uncomfortable,” a man who was waiting for the Q32 bus on Roosevelt Avenue and 61st Street said about leaning posts. “I’d rather sit.”
Will Livingston, a spokesperson for the DOT, told amNewYork that benches will be the first choice at a bus stop; if a bench does not fit due to space constraints, a leaning bar will be installed.
“We add seating where space allows. Every bus stop where there’s space for a bench will get a bench,” he said. “Leaning bars are great options on sidewalks that are too narrow for benches. When the choice comes down to installing a leaning bar or not providing New Yorkers with any place to rest at all, we’ll install a leaning bar.”
Leaning bars have specific benefits, too, Livingston explained. They can be helpful for commuters who have difficulty getting up from a seat. They can also be used to hold shopping bags or similar heavy items, he said.
According to the $40 million investment, the DOT will add seating at 875 bus stops annually over the next 10 years, while maintaining existing seating, to provide universal seating for bus commuters.
Currently, DOT officials stated that it is too early to determine which bus stops will receive seating or leaning posts as part of the first round of installations.