Bus riders at the busy 12th and Grand stop in downtown Kansas City have a small shelter to protect them from the elements. But there’s no place to sit while they wait for the bus.
The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority removed the benches that were there in 2023 after a request from developers and the Kansas City Police Department.
Instead of a place to sit, riders now have a place to lean.
The KCATA recently installed “leaning benches” at three bus stops in Kansas City — 12th Street and Grand Boulevard, 11th and Grand, and the East Village Transit Center. The curved metal structures have an angled surface that allows a person to lean against them without sitting.
Michael Sterling has a disability that makes it hard to stand for long periods of time. When he’s waited at the 12th and Grand bus stop before, he’s sat on a concrete ledge nearby. He doesn’t think the leaning benches are helpful.
“As a disabled person, no thanks,” Sterling said. “Put in a bench that's useful for people, that people can sit on, or you might as well not even bother.”
In an announcement posted to social media, KCATA called the leaning benches a “new rider amenity.” The transit agency said they comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and are “easy to maintain, cost-effective and built for accessibility.”
But riders aren’t so sure.
'Bare minimum and not super useful'
RideKC's social media post received more than 400 comments before the agency limited them.
Many users called the leaning benches “hostile architecture” — an urban design strategy in which public spaces and structures are used to restrict certain activities or people, usually those who are homeless.
Don Bowlin is the chief transit experience officer for KCATA. He said the new leaning benches are a test to see what amenities work in certain areas throughout the bus system.
He said the agency did not seek public feedback before placing the leaning benches.
Sterling said the structures are only marginally better than having nothing at the bus stop at all. He said he may use them when there are a couple of minutes until the next bus arrives, but they won’t be helpful for long wait times.
“To make something like this, that just seems like the bare minimum and not super useful for most people, is kind of insulting,” Sterling said. “You sometimes just need to get off your feet as a disabled person. I have issues with my ankles, knees and hips. So leaning like this will only be useful for so long.”
Bowlin said the leaning benches are also more affordable for the agency to install — they’re about half the cost of a standard bench.
He said KCATA plans to solicit feedback from riders and businesses near the three stops to determine if the leaning benches are useful.
After KCPD, business owners and some riders complained about loitering when there were places to sit, Bowlin said the leaning benches are a compromise to still provide something for riders.
“I appreciate those people that are out there that really enjoy our bus stops as a kind of place to come together and talk and connect,” Bowlin said. “But we also want to make it a place that is welcoming to all people who are using our transit service, and sometimes that can be prohibitive, or sometimes they're in conflict with each other.”
‘They aren’t usable for many people’
Stephanie DiPetrillo is a senior research project manager for the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center at Rutgers University in New Jersey. She researches how to make transportation more accessible.
DiPetrillo said she’s seen this type of infrastructure around the country, and it often faces pushback because the leaning benches are designed so that people are uncomfortable.
“Leaning benches may technically meet ADA requirements, but they aren’t usable for many people — including disabled people, older adults, pregnant people, children, and those recovering from injury,” DiPetrillo said. “In trying to prevent unhoused people from sleeping or lingering, we’ve created a new barrier for those who may need a place to rest the most.”
DiPetrillo said the leaning benches, which were placed at some of the busiest bus stops, could make ridership stagnate and decline. People whose needs aren’t being met may not be incentivized to ride the buses and endure KCATA’s long wait times unless necessary, she said.
“It seems to me that the goal here is to say we've provided seating, but also satisfy whatever powers that be that are like, ‘Make it so that people can't lie down, can't linger,’” DiPetrillo said. “The people who are riding the bus are probably not the people who are being served by making these decisions.”
DIY benches at bus stops
Some aren’t waiting for KCATA to decide which bus stop amenity is best for tired riders.
Sunrise Movement KC, a climate activist group, has been placing DIY benches at bus stops throughout the metro, after hearing complaints about seating getting removed or missing.
Lucas Sander, an organizer with Sunrise Movement, said the group has installed more than 10 benches since last fall. But only two are still in place.
“It's been a really cool effort,” Sander said. “It's been really frustrating to see both of the first ones that we installed last fall be taken away, and then even some of the ones that we installed in the last few weeks have been removed almost instantaneously.”
Bowlin said the KCATA has been removing those benches because they are a liability issue for the agency. He said the KCATA places benches at stops with a high level of riders. That includes the new leaning benches, which the agency considers the same as a standard bench.
“I love the fact that people want to put benches out at stops,” Bowlin said. “If something happens to somebody on those benches, we can't leave them in place. So we do have a policy where we are removing benches as they get placed.”
Sander said Sunrise Movement will continue to place benches but is determining the best way to move forward so people can “sit on it for more than 12 hours before it’s removed.” He encountered the new leaning benches on his bus ride home from work, and said they aren’t enough for riders who have to wait a long time for the bus.
“It feels like they're putting more time and effort and resources into a less effective solution without explaining their reasoning at all, and really not paying any attention to the dignity of bus riders or accessibility needs for people that can't use leaning benches,” Sander said. “It really makes no sense and feels much more like an insult than help.”
Bowlin said the KCATA has received positive feedback from people who don’t want a large group of people “partying at a bus stop” and is considering the negative feedback it’s received.
“I understand not everything we're going to do is going to be popular with 100% of the people,” Bowlin said. “What we're trying to do is make our environment as safe as possible for all transit users. Unfortunately, not everyone's going to like or appreciate what is done. But that's why we test it.”
