If your primary mode of transportation is riding the bus, it's likely you've seen some nice bus stops, some OK ones, probably a couple of bad ones. The website Streetsblog USA holds an annual contest where readers from around the country nominate terrible bus stops, and then vote on them. The bus stop with the most votes gets crowned The Sorriest Bus Stop In America.
And congratulations, Seattle: The 2017 title is yours.
Alex Lew, a transportation planner in Seattle, nominated the bus stop, located at 6716 East Marginal Way South in Seattle. To get to it, you have to cross the street quite a ways away from the stop at the nearest crosswalk, because the traffic is very busy on that road. Once you get to the other side, you walk on a narrow sidewalk until the sidewalk ends, and then get to choose to walk either through dirt and shrubs, or on the railroad tracks.
There is no curb, and only about ten feet between the road and the tracks. When it rains, the dirt at the stop gets muddy, and there is no shelter. Additionally, almost no one gets on or off at this stop.