The Story Shelter on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard

Imagine the experience of waiting for public transportation in a space that provides adequate shade, shelter, and comfort. Now, imagine the experience of waiting for public transportation in a space that lacks these qualities, on a hot summer afternoon in New Orleans, with a storm looming in the distance. For most New Orleans residents who rely on public transportation, imagining this second scenario is not difficult -- it’s lived every single day.

Our team will address this challenge by making the everyday experience of taking the bus more enjoyable, while also giving teens an opportunity to put their design + build skills to work for community improvement! Our idea is to work with local high school students to prototype and install a creative bus shelter and crosswalk improvements along Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard that meets the needs of daily riders, engages the community in the collection and sharing of individual stories, and celebrates the richness of this community.

Our teen collaborators will be offered a well-paid stipend for their leadership. This not only improves rider experience, it allows young people in the neighborhood to see and use the product of their hard work on a daily basis. We know that the process of taking a community design project from concept to actualization can have a powerful and lasting impact on young peoples' attitudes towards themselves and their neighborhood.

• Select which bus stop(s) will receive new shelters

• Hire Youth Interns (stipend of $10/hour)

• Host a design charrette with bus riders to advise on the bus shelter features

• Artist/Designer mentors work with teens to create shelter prototype

• Purchase materials (steel, lumber, hardware)

• Hire local artist for shelter artwork with input from youth designers

• Develop cooperative maintenance agreement with local businesses/organizations/volunteers to keep the shelter clean and safe

• Install one or more shelters

• Design and install crosswalk improvements

• Make prototype design/blueprints available online for replication

Many people in the immediate neighborhood surrounding Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard are transit-dependent, including a large percentage of elderly citizens and youth. Young people attending school and enrichment programs along the Blvd. often wait for 30 minutes or more without shade or seating. Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard is a beautiful and historically rich commercial corridor in Central City, New Orleans, named after the inimitable human rights leader. It is home to locally owned businesses, arts and cultural destinations, and many non-profit organizations. A dynamic street and neighborhood deserves transportation infrastructure to match -- and while any bus shelter that provides “a shaded place to sit” would be an improvement, we will use a participatory process and public art to create a bus shelter that is functional, aesthetically pleasing, and which pays homage to the front-porch culture of our city, by encouraging friendly interaction between users.