Ad Deal Brings Solar Bus Shelters

By Will Oremus / Daily News Staff Writer

SamTrans will replace 200 bus shelters with lighted, solar-powered models thanks to an agreement with the advertising firm CBS Outdoor.

The shelters, painted bright green, will include a SamTrans route map, a space for advertisements visible from the road, and trash cans which will be cleaned twice a week. CBS Outdoor will purchase, install and maintain the shelters, which cost about $10,000 apiece.

“CBS Outdoor wanted to advertise, and we wanted to get better-looking shelters and sort of modernize our look,” said Rita Haskin, SamTrans’ chief communications officer. “It’s a perfect partnership.”

The shelters will be installed over the next three years, beginning in the Redwood City area and moving northward. The advertising deal runs for 15 years, Haskin said.

E-mail Will Oremus at woremus@dailynewsgroup.com.