Bauer Media Outdoor in partnership with Essex County Council has launched the Milestone range of bus shelters, which the supplier describes as representing the most significant innovation in UK bus shelter design for decades.
The Milestone product forms part of Essex County Council’s Basildon Greener Route launch. It has been developed through extensive research into the needs of modern bus users with a focus on accessibility, safety, comfort and sustainability.
Bus shelters have been designed and manufactured in the UK and they use locally sourced, sustainable materials to contribute to what Bauer says is a low-carbon supply chain. Key aspects include:
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- Greenery and biodiversity enhancements, including living roofs and platers with native species and wildflowers to give a welcoming and nature-inspired design
- Use of sustainable materials including long-lasting Douglas fir wood, low-carbon glass and low-carbon concrete to give what Bauer says is a circa 70% lower CO2 equivalent than a three-bay legacy shelter
- Innovative and extensive use of timber, with structural parts of the shelter made from engineered timber that has been responsibly sources from hand-selected trees in Scotland
- An enhanced passenger experience with new seating focused on lumbar support and comfort
- Improved accessibility, with NaviLens codes for visually impaired people, priority seats, and backlit timetables
- Redesigned lighting that is low-energy and solar powered, with more even distribution of ‘smart lighting’ for better visibility, including lipreading
- What3Words and Strut Safe helpline information displayed on timetables to support safer journeys
- Above-ground foundations for faster installation to reduce disruption and lower the shelter’s environmental impact, as foundations can be reused.
Altogether, 18 of the Milestone bus shelters will be installed along Whitmore Way in Basildon as part of the Greener Route initiative. That sits alongside introduction of battery-electric buses in the town by First Bus.
The new shelters will be deployed in two types. Most numerous will be the Nest (13), which is a compact, off-grid, non-advertising option ideal for narrow or lower footfall locations. It has solar-powered lighting and NaviLens.
Alongside those will be five Roam variants, including three with digital advertising screens. That type is described as “a sustainable take on the classic bus shelter,” and has modular, scalable and familiar design to meet current and future urban needs.
Insight from 3,200 bus users via the Transport Focus panel has shaped the Milestone range, Bauer Media Outdoor says. Managing Director Will Ramage describes the product as “the range for change.”
Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Sustainable Transport Cllr Tom Cunningham adds: “These incredible new shelters are a huge step forward for Basildon and for Essex.
“Not only do they offer an improved experience for passengers, but they are also more accessible and better for the environment. By investing in greener infrastructure and working with partners like Bauer Media Outdoor, we are helping to create a safer, greener and healthier transport network for everyone in Essex.”
