Simplified: The City of Sioux Falls received a nearly $2 million federal grant to fund dozens of new bus shelters across town over the next few years. Here's what you need to know.
Why it matters
- Most of the shelters across town are around 30 years old, Transit Program Coordinator Bren Schweitzer said. The funding will ensure the stops are not only updated, but also compliant with ADA accessibility standards.
- The city received just over $1.9 million from the Federal Transit Administration's Bus and Low and No- Emissions Grant award, which is expected to fund between 60 and 80 new shelters.
- The city will use data from bus routes to determine the high-traffic areas that most need the new stops. The design may be a bit "bolder" than what's out there now, Schweitzer said, but it'll ultimately come down to whoever the city chooses to work with through a request-for-proposals (RFP) process.
"At the end of the day, it’ll have to meet budget and realistically what can we do as far as amenities (like heat and electricity)," she added.
Tell me more
Sioux Falls' public transit system has seen quite a few changes in recent years, especially since switching to a new transit provider, Via, in early 2024.
- That switch brought on-demand transit to the city, as well as new, data-driven bus routes.
Megan Raposa
Those changes have brought an increase in ridership, and the hope is new shelters will have a similar effect.
"We want the system to be attractive to people," Schweitzer said. " Bus routes and shelters are part of the infrastructure, and it just needs to be updated as time or change happens."
As far as specific locations for the stops, it's largely still to-be-determined. It is likely the South Dakota One Stop building and the east-side Walmart will have larger-than-normal bus shelters due to the high demand in those spots, Schweitzer said.
What happens next?
The Public Transit Advisory Board has already heard updates on the bus shelter grant.
Now, it'll be up to the city to figure out any necessary easements for the spots where the new shelter will be. Then, the city will have to wait until the weather warms up in the spring to pour concrete to maintain ADA accessibility and serve as the foundation for each of the new shelters.
Then, an RFP process will be used to find the company who will provide the shelters themselves. Schweitzer estimates the entire process will take between two and three years until all the new shelters are complete.
