New Interactive Sculpture Appears at Baltimore Bus Stop

While most bus companies are focused on making their buses more friendly and fun, one neighborhood bus line is changing the way that people experience the bus before even stepping on it. This past July, one Baltimore bus stop got an interesting addition from the nonprofit group Creative Alliance: a permanent 12-person bench, measuring 14 feet tall and 7 feet wide,forming the word “BUS.”

Each letters has been designed to fit up to four people, and the curves of each letter allow commuters to find the most comfortable position possible — whether they choose to sit on the base of the U, or lie down on the curve of the S, it’s entertaining for both adults and children alike. The B has been specifically designed to accommodate disabled commuters, as it rests close to the ground (unlike the U and S) and is easily accessible. The bus stop, located in Baltimore’s Highlandtown Arts and Entertainment District on South East Avenue, is made from wood and steel and was specifically designed with no particular region in mind — although it’s a permanent installment at this stop, the artists wanted to make something universal and fun, and something which could be appreciated by all ages and cultures.

Although installations like this one are not exactly popping up all over the country, it represents a movement among certain industries, like the transportation industry, to bring a bit of entertainment into something which is usually mundane. Rather than dreading their daily commute to and from work, bus riders can have some fun with their fellow commuters as they wait. Developments like this will, hopefully, encourage more people to use eco-friendly and cost-effective methods of transportation.

“We encourage the many inventive and creative ways visual art can partner with public and charter bus transportation to boost awareness of the use of eco-friendly transportation,” says Sheila Dodd of Cardinal Buses. “Such partnerships can make the daily commute fun and special excursions exciting! We look for more of these partnerships to emerge in the years to come.”