TransLoc’s Top 10 Favorite Transit Stops in the World

Transit stops and stations don’t have to be boring and overlooked. They can be quite the opposite—fun, functional, whimsical, and beautiful. There are some fantastic transit stops all over the globe, and we’ve listed our 10 favorites submitted by our TransLoc team. Read on to see which stops and stations made the list.

The Interchange in Minneapolis, MN: an example of “Open Transit Design,” this transit station earns our favor for considering all available transit modes, cultural integrations, and transit and non-transit users alike, as well as being just a really cool iconic space. 

Bus Home in Ventura, CA: this one happens to be in my hometown, which makes it that much higher on my list! Dennis Oppenheim designed an art sculpture around the busiest bus station in town—the Pacific View mall. The sculpture depicts a bus transforming into a house.

This lush Moroccan retreat in Fenway, Cornwall: designed by Jane Tinsley, mom of three and local resident, this stop’s transformation resulted from Jane’s desire to prevent vandalism of her local stop. Go, Jane, go! The stop is complete with terracotta paint, wooden chairs, and even a curtained window.

This bus stop with a swing in London, England: courtesy of street artist/guerrilla playground builder, Bruno Taylor, this stops brings the joys of childhood back to daily life, so stop adulting and give a good push!

The fruit bus stops in Isahaya City, Nagasaki, Japan: ALL THE CUTE! These adorable stops, 16 in total, are complete with intricate details and cute little windows. They’ve been around since the 90s and have made multiple appearances in Anime and Manga.

Dupont subway station in Toronto, Canada. The Toronto Transit Commission began commissioning artists and architects to add interest and vibrancy to its subway stations in the 1970s. I have fond memories of subway stations, having spent most of my summers growing up with my dad in Toronto. One of my favorites was Dupont, which features beautiful glass mosaic tile murals made by local artists.

Metromover First Street Station in Miami, FL. The Metromover is a monorail on an elevated platform that goes around downtown Miami. One of my favorite stations is the First Street Station. It’s not known for its aesthetic quality, but it’s interesting because the rail actually cuts through the middle of a building. Plus, riding the Metromover gives you a fun birds-eye-view of downtown Miami landmarks.

Bucklige Welt, Austria has a collection of modernist bus stops that will amaze. Built by architects from all over the world, these bus shelters dot the hilly landscape of the small Austrian town home to only 1,000 residents. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but being a lover of modernist architecture, I chose the Smiljan Radic design.

The Edible Bus Stop in South London. What started as guerrilla gardening has turned into a project to create a network of edible community gardens. Who wouldn’t like to look at a beautiful garden while waiting for their bus to arrive?

Listen to jazz music while you wait for the bus in Pittsburgh, PA. A bus shelter in the cultural district of the city (9th Street and Liberty Ave) makes waiting for the bus and listening to jazz one in the same. The bus shelter is even known as “Pittsburgh’s Smallest Jazz Club”—how fun!

What are some of your favorite transit stops or stations?