Los Angeles is an international epicenter of entertainment, commerce, fashion, and culture. Known for its world-renowned entertainment and history, Los Angeles is home to iconic landmarks, including the Griffith Observatory, Rodeo Drive, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chinatown, and Olvera Street. The city also has a long and diverse architectural history with a variety of influences, from the towering Art-Deco City Hall building to the sleek mid-century modern design of Dodger Stadium. These features blend together to make a community that is rich in culture and history.
Tranzito-Vector is continuing this tradition in the urban landscape along with the City of Los Angeles by integrating elegantly designed, accessible, community-focused mobility hubs throughout the city with the Sidewalk and Transit Amenities Program (STAP). The program brings together a team of design experts to develop and execute the program, including Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), Designworks BMW, Studio One Eleven, Fehr & Peers, HLB Lighting, and Tolar Manufacturing. This 10-year initiative enhances the transit experience and reflects the culture and architectural heritage of Los Angeles.
“Tolar’s reputation is unsurpassed for their quality of work and overall value.”
– Gene Oh, CEO, Tranzito-Vector
PROJECT SCOPE
STAP will create 3000 tech-enabled, comfortable, and aesthetically integrated bus shelters and 450 shade structures where they’re needed most, guided by data on ridership, urban heat, and accessibility. As of June 2025 150 shelters have already been installed, providing shelter to over 20,000 riders. The program will provide amenities to 75% of bus riders in each of the city’s council districts, helping to encourage ridership and connect communities throughout Los Angeles.
The custom 12-ft Signature bus shelters were inspired by California Modernism and are designed as an easy-to-assemble kit of parts, tailored for scalability and customization across diverse neighborhoods. The Signature bus shelters feature a modern angled aluminum flat roof below an upper structure of 3-in sq. steel tube framing, including a three-part ceiling, wrap-around aluminum skin, and perforated rear screen. Under-roof LED illumination provides passenger security. The bus shelters will also feature digital solutions, including LED backlit rectangular display plates offering real-time information, smart light communications, location branding, RTIS, and optional emergency call box communications, all powered by solar or 110V inset into the bus shelter end wall.
“Tolar’s reputation is unsurpassed for their quality of work and overall value. But it’s their people that really made a partnership with Tolar a no-brainer,” said Gene Oh, CEO of Tranzito “Their entire staff has been great to work with, they are honest and straightforward in their dealings, provide expert consultation balancing design with cost, and took on a true partnership attitude from the start.”
Tolar Manufacturing was selected by Tranzito-Vector for its extensive expertise in creating high-quality transit amenities that enhance the rider experience and is responsible for fabricating the state-of-the-art shelters designed by SOM. All shelters are fabricated at Tolar’s facility in Corona, California, under full Build America, Buy America (BABA) compliance.
