Tolar Manufacturing Company delivers 51 Signature Crescent bus shelters to Chapel Hill, N.C.

Tolar Manufacturing Company has delivered 51 Signature Crescent bus shelters to Chapel Hill, N.C., fulfilling its contract that began in May 2021. Chapel Hill Transit, operated by the town of Chapel Hill, is the second largest transit system in North Carolina. With over 500 bus stops in its system, the town is committed to continual improvements through its Bus Stop Improvement Plan.

The Signature Crescent shelters for Chapel Hill Transit vary in length from nine-foot shelters for smaller spaces, up to large capacity 17-foot lengths perfect for high volume University of North Carolina stops. The all-aluminum construction includes curved solid aluminum roof panels that support dusk-to-dawn solar powered LED illumination integrated into the roof beam. The wide, seven-foot-deep roof is supported by column posts with strong “I” beam aluminum extrusions and covered escutcheon base plates. Full-length wind-protecting end walls and full height rear walls are made of durable aluminum frames and clear polycarbonate panels, providing high visibility for passenger security and clear sight lines for approaching bus operators while enhancing passenger comfort by providing protection from wind and rain. Amenities in the shelter include Mesa benches in various sizes to provide passenger seating in smaller and larger stops.

Through its bus stop/shelter assessment project, Chapel Hill Transit identified several priorities including, upgrading existing stops with ADA-compliant shelters, coordinating improvements with existing development projects and/or planned sidewalk/greenway improvements and targeting improvements along routes that serve neighborhoods/areas where public housing and community services are located.

“Knowing that Chapel Hill is placing these shelters where they are needed most by passengers, many of whom rely on the bus to get them to community services, aligns directly with our mission,” said Scott Williams, business development manager of Tolar Manufacturing Company. “We’re committed to connecting communities through our bus shelters, and it’s exciting for Tolar to support the mission of Chapel Hill Transit.”