The Bus Stop Improvement Program and the Art Shelter Program co-exist to make transit service more efficient and enjoyable for everyone. The program was allocated SPLOST funding in 2000, 2005, 2011, and 2018. Since its inception, 815 various bus stop improvements have been completed including; 91 improved landing pads, 417 benches, and 305 bus shelters, with 44 of those being Art Shelters.
The Art Shelter program came to fruition in three phases over 15 years. Athens-Clarke County Transit partnered with the Athens Area Arts Council in 2005 and 2011 for the ‘You, Me and the Bus’ program. Artists were invited to submit designs conveying themes of movement, transportation, and people in Phase I and honor the musical heritage of Athens in Phase II. This resulted in the creation and installation of 11 art shelters.
In 2018, ACC Transit partnered with the Athens Cultural Affairs Commission on the latest round of art shelters which were completed in July of 2020. This round included 13 art shelters and an additional 20 artist-designed laser-cut shelters.
The goal of the program is to serve transit riders in the county with bus shelters that also function as public art, emphasize the transit system and bring creativity to the built environment.
