NYC Bus Bulb Remediation

In an effort to reduce route times and increase ridership, New York City Department of Transportation installed bus bulbs - special curbs that come out to meet the bus lane - on lower Broadway in SoHo and Tribeca in New York City.

The original design included a fence at the back of the bus bulb that prevented the drainage channel between the bus bulb and the sidewalk from becoming a tripping hazard. The fence, however, was seen as unsightly and problematic in terms of pedestrian access and street circulation.

As such, Billings Jackson Design was enlisted to remediate the bus bulbs while leaving the historic granite sidewalks intact. The design concept removed the existing fences to allow for improved circulation between the bus bulb and the sidewalk. In order to do this the drainage channel needed to be covered without having to alter the sidewalk in any way, due to significant curb-edge variations across locations and in materials. In response, Billings Jackson Design developed a kit-of-parts that accommodates the variations and produces a cohesive solution.

In terms of amenity, Billings Jackson Design also designed the Civil Bench. Consisting of two two-seat modules, each portion is composed of one continuous stainless steel tube with a perforated seat of anodized cast aluminum. The tubing divides the bench into front and back, so that users may people-watch along the Broadway sidewalks or face the street as they wait for a bus. The division when aggregated also provides single and double seating options. The perforations of the Civil Bench draw upon the vault lights prevalent within the SoHo historic district. Also, the depth of the perforation is varied to create a sense of depth and to suggest seating position on the bench.