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Mayor, transit authority say Third and Locust bus shelter removed after safety and vagrancy concerns
Summary
Public commenter asked whether the police chief requested removal; mayor read a South Central Transit Authority (SCTA) email saying the chief requested removal, the shelter had reached its 15-year useful life and was removed by contract; borough officials say they will consider a redesigned, more open shelter.
Ethan Byers, a resident who signed up to speak during public comment, asked Columbia Mayor Billy Lutz whether the borough police chief had asked South Central Transit Authority to remove the bus shelter at Third and Locust after it was taken down earlier this year.
Mayor Billy Lutz read an email from South Central Transit Authority into the record, saying, “South Central Transit Authority was contacted by chief Romer to request that the shelter at Third Locust be removed due to vagrancy, safety, and hygiene issues.” Lutz said SCTA told the borough the shelter had met its 15-year useful life and was therefore eligible to be replaced or removed, and that SCTA’s contractor removed the structure. He added that Rabbit Transit had no concerns when SCTA informed them.
Columbia Police Chief (identified in the transcript as chief Romer) told the council that police had discussed repeated incidents at the shelter and requested SCTA do a site survey. “We had a discussion regarding the issues at [the] bus shelter. We’ve had horrible incidents … The conditions have been terrible from a standpoint of trash,” the chief said. He said he asked SCTA to inspect the site; after a site visit the contractor “made a decision to remove it.”
Lutz and other council members said the borough and SCTA have discussed replacing the shelter with a design that is open on the sides to reduce hiding spaces and improve sanitation. Lutz said the borough has, in the past, allowed bus riders to wait inside the borough offices when weather was bad and that the borough maintains a public restroom during business hours.
Byers told the council he had seen a SCTA email, reported publicly by Columbia Spy, stating SCTA was contacted by the police chief and asking whether the mayor knew the chief had requested removal. Byers also read the SCTA text into the record when he spoke.
Mayor Lutz said borough volunteers previously helped maintain flowers and clean at the shelter and that the borough and transit partners would look at options for a new shelter. He emphasized that borough employees should not be asked to clean unsanitary messes at bus stops.
The council did not take formal action on a replacement at the April 8 meeting; officials said discussions about relocation or a different shelter design would continue.
