Transit providers in the two largest cities in Missouri, Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) in Kansas City and Metro Transit in St. Louis, both offer a similar program aimed at connecting transit riders to the community surrounding their bus stop.
Adopt-a-Stop programs exist around the country and are modeled after the Adopt-a-Highway programs that grew in popularity in the 1980s. If you’ve ever driven on a highway and complained about the amount of debris along the roadway, you can imagine that transit riders and residents in the surrounding area feel similarly about the trash and debris that may be seen at transit stops.
KCATA launched their Adopt-a-Stop program in 2023. An individual, group, or business can choose a stop to maintain and are asked to clean the stop at least once a week and report any graffiti or vandalism. In return, the participants receive a posted sign with their name(s) at the stop. In 2024, KCATA reported 13 bus stops were being maintained through the program.
Metro Transit’s Adopt-a-Stop program was launched in 2016. Participants agree to maintain a bus stop for one year. Metro Transit provides trash bags and other materials to participants in addition to posting a sign with the adopter’s name on it.
TransitCenter, a foundation working to secure a more just and sustainable future with abundant public transportation options, reports that “Americans are more likely to use public transit if they can walk to it and have a comfortable place to wait,” in a 2018 report. Offering clean, well-maintained transit stops is a relatively simple way to encourage ridership and show the surrounding community that an established transit system is a positive for the area.
Does your transit agency offer an Adopt-a-Stop program that is not mentioned here? Let the Missouri Public Transit Association know by sending an email to: ktroxell@MOpublictransit.org.