Detroit puts brakes on bus-stop benches

Marlon A. Walker, Detroit Free Press | USATODAY

DETROIT -- After watching an elderly woman forced to stand while waiting for a bus, an idea popped in to Charles Molnar's mind: How about putting park benches at bus stops throughout the city where seating is lacking?

But that idea became even more creative.

Armed with a sander and reclaimed wood from demolished homes, Molnar recruited several students from the Detroit Enterprise Academy to help him create a bench than can seat a half-dozen riders, equipped with a bookshelf to hold reading material to help pass the time for riders as they wait.

Several nails and wooden boards later, the first bench was placed at a Detroit bus stop Thursday afternoon.

But it might not be there for long.

Detroit Department of Transportation officials are saying the bench was not approved. If it is affixed to a bus stop, the bench will have to be removed.

"That's ridiculous," said Molnar, 22, who recently finished his junior year at Wayne State University, where he is an urban studies student. "Now there's not going to be a bench there. Let them take that away from the community. A community that built that bench. A community that put their blood, sweat and tears in it. That's all they wanted, a bench at the bus stop."

Angelica Jones, DDOT deputy director, said the bench was not authorized, but a proposal for the project could open a dialogue.

"There is protocol that takes place," she said, "but it is our understanding that it did not take place regarding this bench. DDOT is not aware of this (bench)."

Originally, Molnar and friends decided to build one-person seats to go at the bus stops. That idea morphed into providing benches at stops, building them to be sturdy and seat more than one person. He read about people using reclaimed wood from demolished homes, and figured it would be a cheap way to get supplies for the project.

About a year ago, Molnar said he went to DDOT officials and even the mayor's office to find out if he could place the benches at local stops. He said he received the blessing of someone from DDOT, but could not remember the man's name or find his business card.

Students from Detroit Enterprise Academy spent time last weekend in Molnar's workspace, sanding, stripping and finishing wood for the bench. Students from other schools also have chipped in on the labor. Enterprise Academy eighth-grader Kenyatta Sellers said it was a great experience.

"It was pretty cool to see the change happen," he said of watching the wood come into form. "Plus, it was nice to know we can make a change if we all come together to help our community."

Many of Detroit's bus stops don't have seating, including many of the bus shelters.

Jones said not every bus stop in the city will have a bench or covered shelter, depending on its proximity to the edge of the street and whether there is room on the adjacent sidewalk.

Charisse Brown, who was waiting at a shelter, said seating is necessary when dealing with a sometimes unreliable system. Brown said she has waited for more than an hour sometimes for the bus that carries her from her job at the Ambassador Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

"I've been out here hot and tired before waiting on this thing," she said, relaxing in the shelter. "They need to put benches at all of them. It's a mess."