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Community-Led Bus Shelters

Guest blog post by Josie Clerfond, SLATE-Z

Less than 25% of bus stops in the City of Los Angeles have a bus shelter.

Given the scarcity of shade in Los Angeles, rising temperatures, and the heat-island effect of pavement and concrete, this creates a significant challenge for transit riders who often wait in the sun with little protection from the elements. As noted in the New York Times article Why Shade Is a Mark of Privilege in Los Angeles, this issue disproportionately affects communities in South Los Angeles, where transit use is higher and tree canopy coverage is lower.

Through a partnership between SLATE-Z, Investing in Place, Climate Resolve, and Outfront/JCDecaux, funding was secured to support community organizing and the installation of 10 new bus shelters in Council District 8.

The Bus Shelter Blitz project was designed to ensure that community members helped determine where these shelters should be located.

The new shelters will include:

  • Permanent shade structures with seating
  • Hydration stations where feasible

More Than 300 Residents Participated

SLATE-Z conducted outreach at community events, through neighborhood surveys, and through door-to-door engagement across South Los Angeles.

More than 300 residents participated in the process, helping identify locations where new shelters would provide the greatest benefit to transit riders.

This outreach was about more than selecting locations. It was an opportunity for residents to shape the transportation infrastructure that affects their daily lives.

What We Heard

Residents consistently identified safety and security as major concerns at both bus stops and on buses.

The timeliness and frequency of bus service also emerged as significant challenges.

These findings reinforce what many transit riders already know: improving mobility requires more than transportation investments alone. Riders need safe, comfortable, and reliable access to the transit system.

SLATE-Z continues to advocate for community-led infrastructure improvements that expand transportation options and improve quality of life, particularly for residents with the fewest mobility choices.

Projects like the Bus Shelter Blitz demonstrate how community engagement can help direct public investments to the places where they are needed most.

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Estolano Advisors

Richard France

Richard France assists clients with strategic planning, visioning, and community and economic development. He is a strategic planner at Estolano Advisors, where he has been involved in a variety of active transportation, transit-oriented development, climate change resiliency, and equitable economic development projects. His work in active transportation includes coordinating a study to improve bike and pedestrian access to transit oriented districts for the County of Los Angeles, and working with the Southern California Association of Governments to host tactical urbanism events throughout the region. Richard also serves as a technical assistance provider for a number of California Climate Investment programs, including the Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities, Transformative Climate Communities, and Low Carbon Transit Operations programs. He has also taught at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Richard received a Bachelor of Environmental Design from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and his M.A. in Urban Planning from UCLA.

Accelerator for America, Milken Institute

Matt Horton

Matt Horton is the director of state policy and initiatives for Accelerator for America. He collaborates with government officials, impact investors, and community leaders to shape infrastructure, job creation, and equitable community development efforts. With over fifteen years of experience, Matt has directed research-driven programs and initiatives focusing on housing production, infrastructure finance, access to capital, job creation, and economic development strategies. Previously, he served as the director of the California Center at the Milken Institute, where he produced research and events to support innovative economic policy solutions. Matt also has experience at the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), where he coordinated regional policy development and planning efforts. He holds an MA in political science from California State University, Fullerton, and a BA in history from Azusa Pacific University. Additionally, Matt serves as a Senior Advisor for the Milken Institute and is involved in various advisory boards, including Lift to Rise and WorkingNation.

UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

Madeline Brozen

Madeline is the Deputy Director of the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies at the Luskin School of Public Affairs. She oversees and supports students, staff, and faculty who work on planning and policy issues about how people live, move, and work in the Southern California region. When not supporting the work of the Lewis Center community, Madeline is doing research on the transportation patterns and travel needs of vulnerable populations in LA. Her recent work includes studies of low-income older adults in Westlake, public transit safety among university students, and uncovering the transportation needs of women, and girls in partnership with Los Angeles public agencies. Outside of UCLA, Madeline serves as the vice-chair of the Metro Westside Service Council and enjoys spending time seeing Los Angeles on the bus, on foot, and by bike.

Office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass

Luis Gutierrez

Luis Gutierrez, works in the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, as the Director of Energy & Water in the Office of Energy and Sustainability (MOES), Luis oversees issues related to LA’s transition to clean energy, water infrastructure, and serves as the primary liaison between the Mayor’s Office and the Department of Water and Power. Prior to joining MOES, Luis managed regulatory policy proceedings for Southern California Edison (SCE), focusing on issues related to equity and justice. Before joining SCE, Luis served as the Director of Policy and Research for Inclusive Action for the City, a community development organization dedicated to economic justice in Los Angeles. Luis holds a BA in Sociology and Spanish Literature from Wesleyan University, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Cal State LA.

Communications Strategist

Kim Perez

Kim is a writer, researcher and communications strategist, focused on sustainability, urban resilience and safe streets. Her specialty is taking something complex and making it clear and compelling. Harvard-trained in sustainability, she won a prize for her original research related to urban resilience in heat waves—in which she proposed a method to help cities identify where pedestrians spend a dangerous amount of time in direct sun, so they can plan for more equitable access to shade across a city.

jessica@investinginplace.org

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jessica Meaney

Jessica Meaney is the founder and executive director of Investing in Place.


She has spent more than two decades working across philanthropy, government, and nonprofit organizations in Los Angeles, focused on how cities care for public space. Jessica holds a BA from Prescott College and a master’s degree in urban sociology from California State University, Los Angeles.


Her background in urban sociology shapes how she understands infrastructure, not simply as physical assets, but as reflections of how cities allocate resources, set priorities, and shape daily life. She examines sidewalks, streets, and parks as interconnected civic systems influenced by governance, finance, and institutional design.


At Investing in Place, Jessica leads research, convenings, and long-term analysis of how Los Angeles manages its public realm. Her work increasingly explores how cities structure and sustain public space systems over time, contributing to broader conversations about public governance and the social life of infrastructure.