Columbia bus stop location of removed shelter has 600 riders each month
Erika McGuire
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
GoCOMO bus riders are sharing their concerns after the City of Columbia removed a bus shelter and trash container at a bus stop at 21 Conley Road.
The Kroenke Group, who owns the Broadway Crossings, sent a letter to the city on Sept. 19 requesting the bus shelter be removed and it was removed the following week, according to the city.
The Kroneke Group cited the bus stop having several issues including, excessive trash, excessive noise, harassment and even violence.
Columbia Police Department dispatch logs show 54 calls were made to the 2700 block of Trimble Road from Jan. 1-Sept. 19. A city of Columbia spokesman last week said the bus stop was technically located on Trimble Road. A bus stop is listed at 2701 Trimble in dispatch logs.
Of those 54 calls, two were related for trespassing, one was for vandalism and one was for harassment and 33 were listed as “check subject.”
Columbia Fire Department dispatch logs during the same period list a bus stop on Trimble Road having five calls, three of which were medical responses and two were listed as “unknown problems.”
Columbia Public Works spokesman John Ogan said the bus stop has roughly 600 riders every month and there have been several service calls at the stop compared to other shelter locations.
“Prior to its removal, the stop had generated more police responses than is typical for a shelter. These factors contributed to the property owners request or decision to withdraw consent and the shelt’er removal does not change the fact that this remains an active bus stop,” Ogan said.
According to the city, majority of bus shelters are placed on private property via an agreement with the property owner. That agreement allows the property owner to request removal of bus shelters.
“Owners have the ability to request removal of amenities, and a shelter is no different. GOCOMO would have preferred for the shelter to stay in place,” Ogan said.
Christian Tabak with the City of Columbia said in an email Monday, GoCOMO has had money in their budget to add bus shelters to existing stops but it can be difficult to find a willing property owner.
GoCOMO Transit has 228 bus stops, 29 of which have shelters, and most of those shelters are located next to private property, according to the city.
Ogan cited the several businesses that are near the stop and a rider could wait
“There are businesses there that one could, wait in if one needed to, and use the app to see how far away the bus is,” Ogan said.
ABC 17 News spoke with two GoCOMO riders who expressed frustration with the decision to remove the shelter, citing the possibility of inclement weather as a cause for concern.