Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transit topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sterling Heights to pilot privately funded upgrades to bus stops with Creative Outdoor
Summary
City officials described a pilot with Creative Outdoor and Smart Transportation to install benches, ADA‑compliant pads and recycling/waste stations at 35–40 bus stops; the service agreement requires no city funding and includes reporting and maintenance requirements plus a small revenue share.
Sterling Heights — City staff outlined a pilot program with Creative Outdoor and Smart Transportation to upgrade fixed‑route bus stops around Sterling Heights with benches, concrete pads, trash and recycling units, and maintenance services funded by local sponsors.
Assistant City Manager Haley Bradley and planner Ryan Fox said the program is structured as a public‑private partnership that does not create formal financial obligations for the city. Fox told council the city currently has about 299 stops and the pilot will start with 35 to 40 of the most used stops; Smart Transportation will participate in site selection and some high‑use stops already have shelters.
Lynn Turlaga of Creative Outdoor described the company’s model: sponsor‑funded street furniture deployed at no capital cost to the municipality, ongoing maintenance, monthly cleaning, barcode inventory tracking and photographic verification of maintenance tasks. Turlaga told the council Creative Outdoor’s revenue‑share proposal for Sterling Heights would be 5% on recycling bins and 15% on benches.
“We provide fully serviced, cost‑free amenity programs,” Turlaga said. “We do a complete audit, give you the latitude and longitude, and you have the opportunity to review each location and approve or reject them.”
Bradley emphasized the service agreement does not obligate the city to pay for installations and that city staff will control placement approvals: “The city controls the program entirely as far as the placement of the unit,” she said.
Council members asked whether the concrete pads would be connected to sidewalks, who would clear snow in winter and whether local businesses would get first right to sponsor advertising. Creative Outdoor and staff said pads would generally be connected to sidewalks where feasible, the city would coordinate winter clearing with Smart and county partners, and Sterling Heights businesses would be prioritized for sponsorships.
The pilot includes requirements for ADA compliance, local sponsorships, and a reporting portal giving city staff 24/7 access to maintenance logs and photos. Staff said the pilot is intended to be expandable if feedback from residents and transit users is positive.
