Million Dollar Bus Stop Friday, March 29, 2013 _____ A single pole and sign simply can’t compare to a new million-dollar bus shelter in Arlington, VA. With its heated concrete floor, stainless-steel benches and architectural glass and steel canopy, the so-called ” Super Stop” at Columbia Pike and Walter Reed Drive is the future of bus-stop design in the Washington D.C. suburb. Officials have 23 more stops planned. Arlington County Arlington County Arlington County officials say the $1 million bus stop is the first of many. But, as one might expect, the public is not too thrilled. “Is this made of gold?” one commuter wondered to the Washington Post. Besides the exorbitant price tag, the lavish Arlington County prototype has seats too cold to sit on and offers little shelter if the wind or rain blows in the wrong direction, reports say. Officials Defend Project Officials say the actual construction and fabrication of the stop cost $575,000, while $440,000 was spent on construction management and inspections. Federal and state transportation money paid 80 percent of the tab. County officials have defended the stop, saying it was an investment in infrastructure to support the area’s renewal and anticipated growth. The new stops will also accommodate streetcars planned for the area, but the rest of the stops won’t hit the million-dollar mark, officials say. “Our goal, if at all possible, is to do it for less,” Dennis Leach, Arlington’s transportation director told the Washington Post. When prototypes are involved, Leach said, “you end up heavily front-loading on the costs.” The rest of the stops are expected to run about $904,000 each. NO . this is NOT an APRIL FOOLS joke . sadly this is a real news item. Your tax dollars at work.
