The city of Chandler says bus ridership has increased by more than 20 percent over the last five years.The city is upgrading facilities to accommodate riders.
The city says it has gone from 871,000 riders during 2009-2010, to more than one million last fiscal year.
Now Chandler is upgrading the quality of 22 bus shelters to protect riders from the elements. New shelters are being installed at some of the most heavily used bus stops in the city, with those that are being replaced, being moved to bus stops where there are no shelters.
The majority of the new shelters will be 19 feet long, which will accommodate more riders than existing shelters.
Funding for the shelters, which cost between $11,000 and $18,000 each, comes from lottery money, which can be used to fund public transit.