October 1, 2026 | Posted In News
Tolar Manufacturing Provides Modular Bus Shelter Solution for WMATA Riders at Metro Stations
Tolar Manufacturing Company, North America’s leader in the design and fabrication of transit shelters and street furniture, was selected to build and deliver new modular bus shelters for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for the next 7 years. The new shelters give riders brighter, safer, and more accessible places to wait for Metro buses and trains. Tolar supplies the shelters under an annual, renewable eight-year contract, manufacturing them at its Corona, California facility for installation at Metro stations throughout the District, Maryland and Virginia.
“Every trip starts at the stop, and the shelter is the first thing a rider sees and the last place they stand before the bus arrives,” said Scott Williams, Business Development Manager at Tolar Manufacturing Company. “Our goal was to give WMATA a modular design that stands up to daily use, protection from inclement weather, installs quickly, and makes the wait safer and more comfortable for the people who count on Metro every day.”
The shelters are built in two modular sizes, 12 feet and 24 feet, scaled to each stop’s ridership. Both share an identical, interchangeable design, so components are consistent, making installation and repairs easier, and allowing maintenance crews to move quickly from station to station, which reduces the cost of deployment and long term maintenance. Each shelter features 3/8” clear tempered glass walls and roof panels for increased visibility, integrated LED security lighting, seating with an ADA-compliant clear space, and WMATA’s Metor branding. The aluminum construction is Build America, Buy America Act compliant, with materials and manufactured products produced in the United States.
Tolar produced and supplied 31 shelters during Phase 1 in 2024 and 2025, supplying full station replacements at the Fort Totten, Brookland and Rhode Island Avenue Metrorail stations. Phase 2 expands the program to 195 shelters, of which 119 have been delivered to date. Tolar has supplied shelters for recently completed installations at the Twinbrook East, Shady Grove East and West, Medical Center and Grosvenor stations, with work continuing across additional Metro stations.
The shelters are part of WMATA’s Bus Stop and Shelter Improvements Program, launched in 2023 under the agency’s Better Bus initiative to replace the oldest shelters in the system, some of which had been in place for nearly 50 years. WMATA has said the new aluminum design delivers significant cost savings over previous versions while improving weather protection, lighting and accessibility for riders.
