Beautiful decorative artwork has been placed on the glass panels of seven bus shelters in Lawrence, creating an eye-catching and aesthetically pleasing place for passengers to wait for the bus. The artwork was created by young artists at Van Go, Inc., and each bus shelter has its own unique character and design.
The United Way of Douglas County and AARP provided the funding in order to make this project possible. The decorated bus shelters are located at:
- Overland Drive – Free State High School
- Louisiana & 23rd Street – Checkers
- Iowa & 9th Street – The Merc
- Haskell & 16th Street
- Vermont & 7th Street – Downtown Bus Transfer Location
- 31st & Iowa Street
- 27th & Lawrence Avenue – Holcom Park Recreation Center
This is just one step in the plan to improve bus stops around Lawrence. Phase two of the AARP/United Way grant provides hand-crafted wooden shelters at five currently unimproved stops. Plans are in place to add bus shelters and benches at more than 20 additional bus stops this year.
“Lawrence is a community that embraces art and creativity. It is exciting that Lawrence Transit has had the opportunity to combine art with the functionality of our bus shelters,” said Adam Weigel, Transit and Parking Manager. “We couldn’t be happier with the partnership we have with United Way, AARP, and Van Go.”
“Our initial goal was to use the AARP Community Challenge Grant funds to install three new infrastructure sites in Lawrence, but through our partnership with the Lawrence Transit System we have managed to vastly expand the scope of the project, including these delightful contributions from Van Go which adds dignity and joy to the existing shelters,” said Daniel B. Smith, Director of Marketing and Resource Development for the United Way of Douglas County.
“The visibility and recognition derived through public art is priceless and builds the intangible feeling of self-esteem for our youth,” said Kristen Malloy, Co-Executive Director of Program Administration/HR at Van Go. “We appreciate community partnerships such as this one with the City, United Way and AARP that provide this important acknowledgement and invaluable employment opportunities for the population we serve at Van Go. We look forward to many more public art projects that draw attention to and celebrate vital services such as the Lawrence Transit System.”
For more information, please visit lawrencetransit.org or call (785) 864-4644. You can also find us on Facebook: @lawrencetransit and on Twitter: @TransitKU.
Contact: Adam Weigel, Lawrence Transit (785) 832-3464.
