Welland Transit wants to light up bus shelters
Welland Transit wants to expand a 2018 solar light pilot project for its bus shelters across 12 more in the city. - The Welland Tribune file photo
A pilot project to improve rider safety carried out by Welland Transit last fall will be expanded to 12 bus shelters across the city if councillors approve a staff report Tuesday evening.
In a report, transit manager Dave Stuart said in September 2018 transit staff wanted to enhance safety for riders waiting on the platform at the East Main Street bus terminal.
"To that end, a vendor of solar lighting was selected who could provide a product, which would provide enough light to fully illuminate the large bus shelters on the platform, resist the weather elements, be vandal resistant, and maintain a charge to ensure a sustained level of illumination beyond our hours of evening service," he said in the report.
Transit officials chose Port Colborne's Canadian Solar Outfitters for the pilot project and paid it for installing solar lights in two bus shelters.
A review of the lights found they had performed well and were appreciated by customers and bus operators. The lights operated at approximately a quarter of their full illumination, which allowed bus operators to view into the shelters as they pulled onto the platforms, and then increased to full illumination when customers were in the shelters.
It was found the lights withstood inclement weather and were installed to deter vandalism.
Stuart said staff wanted to extend the program. A review identified 12 shelters in the city that need additional lighting, due to a lack of nearby street lighting.
The overall cost to install the 12 units would be $10,170 (taxes included). The funds have been identified and approved by council within the Green Energy Capital Account.