The great British bus stop is something we see nearly every day of our lives. Dotted along the UK’s extensive road networks are hundreds of thousands of bus stops. London alone has 19,607 of them! But if you are responsible for installing a bus stop at your office, school, hospital, or another type of facility, what size will you need? We don’t often ponder ‘How big is a bus stop?’ but it’s a key consideration for planners. Read on to learn about three key factors you will need to consider when choosing a bus stop.
Passenger capacity
It stands to reason that the size of a bus stop will depend on the number of people it is due to serve. If you need to install something similar to the ‘Shaun the Sheep’ bus stop, which serves only a handful of passengers on the outskirts of the North York Moors National Park, then you might not need it to be very large. But for a busy town centre that serves as a transport hub, you’ll need to make it much bigger to serve its purpose.
Location
Exactly where you place your bus stop will also impact its size. Bus stops placed alongside roads must have a certain amount of clearance, as must those that are placed near key public facilities like hospitals and schools. Take into consideration clearance around the stop (at least 1.8m should be allowed for passing pedestrians) as well as other factors like access to nearby buildings, parking spaces, and the direction of winds/rain.
Accessibility
One final consideration is accessibility. Bus stops must be large enough to allow people with accessibility needs and wheelchairs to use them effectively. That means the person should be able to shelter fully inside the space, still be able to see buses (and be seen by drivers), and have enough room to maneuver any mobility equipment they may be using.
What are the recommended minimum sizes?
Legal requirements vary, but planning guidelines recommend a minimum of 1.5m x 4.0m for cantilever style bus stops and 2.0m x 4.0m for enclosed bus stops.
For more information about appropriate bus stop sizes and bus shelters for your location, please get in touch for a friendly no-obligation consultation today.