The Most Overlooked Piece of Transit Infrastructure

Every budget season forces the same question: What improvements can we make without adding staff, raising taxes, or increasing operational burden?

One answer is hiding in plain sight at bus stops.

The Problem Cities Are Already Paying For

When cities discuss transit improvements, the conversation usually centers on frequency, reliability, shelters, and benches. But there’s a quieter, less visible piece of infrastructure shaping how transit stops function.

Recycling and Trash Bins.

Bus stops are what urban planners call transition points—places where people wait, move, eat, smoke, read, and discard items as they shift from one part of their day to another. That makes them some of the most littered non-roadway public spaces we have.

And the data backs this up.

What’s Really Happening at Bus Stops

A targeted study of more than 200 urban bus stops found an average of 14–15 pieces of litter per stop at any given time. Even more telling: small-scale monitoring shows that roughly a new piece of trash appears at every stop every 24 hours—and that’s excluding cigarette butts.

Food and beverage waste accounts for over 31% of the litter.

And when events or promotions are nearby, paper litter from flyers and business cards can increase by more than 260%, almost overnight.

This isn’t a behavior problem. It’s an infrastructure gap.

The Bin Gap Cities Rarely Talk About

In some major metros, fewer than 1 in 5 bus stops have a trash can—often due to maintenance costs, staffing limitations, or ridership thresholds that leave “lower-use” stops unserved.

But those stops still accumulate trash.

Cities already spend an estimated $11.5 billion every year cleaning litter from public spaces, including transit corridors. When bins aren’t available at the source of trash generation, cleanup becomes reactive, labor-intensive, and expensive.

Interestingly, research also shows that signage alone barely moves the needle. Adding “Please Don’t Litter” messaging reduces litter by about one piece per stop on average.

In other words: Messaging without infrastructure doesn’t work.

Why Recycling Bins at Transit Stops Matter

Well-placed recycling and trash bins:

• Reduce daily litter accumulation before it spreads into streets and storm drains
• Lower the frequency and cost of manual cleanup
• Improve rider experience and public perception of transit
• Support climate and waste diversion goals in a visible, practical way
• Help keep transit corridors clean without adding operational burden

The Takeaway for Cities

If we want cleaner streets, better rider experiences, and real progress on sustainability goals, we have to match infrastructure to behavior.

People will dispose of waste responsibly when the option is there.

Recycling bins at transit stops aren’t a nice-to-have. They’re basic public infrastructure—just like shelters, benches, and lighting—and one of the most cost-effective ways cities can reduce litter at its source.

Sometimes the most impactful improvements aren’t flashy. They’re practical. They’re visible. And they quietly make public space work better for everyone.

Please feel free to reach out for the details on our Cost-Free, Maintenance-Free Public Space Recycling Partnership.

#cityplanners #citycouncil #mayor #cityadministrator #urbanplanner #transit #busstop #publictransit #trustee #bus

Lynn Terlaga, Creative Outdoor and Insite Street Media, Municipal Relations

Direct:   775.433.4107 Office:   800.661.6088 ext. 308

Website: www.CreativeOutdoor.com