Columbia Business Owner Takes Initiative To Protect Bus Riders

COLUMBIA, MD — On a dreary rainy day, Columbia business owner Erin Cassell was headed to work from her home in Elkridge when she noticed something quite concerning. There were people standing in the pouring rain along Route 1 while waiting at bus stops.

“It really bothered me to see families and kids standing in the cold and bad weather, right next to the busy road,” Cassell said. “It is hard enough to take public transport without having to deal with all that. I thought someone should do something.”

So Cassell reached out to local transportation authorities, artists and property owners to pool their talents and help those who rely on the bus. Together they constructed a new bus shelter decorated with local artwork, colorful mosaic tiles, a pet rock and a native plant. They also installed a bench built with recycled materials.

“I hope that people will see it and realize the lack of safe shelters for those who ride public transportation. It’s not something you think about if you don’t have to ride a bus, but it is important for those who do," Cassell told Patch.

Cassell said the initiative has helped raise awareness about the issues. She gave a name to the movement, Safe and Beautiful Bus Stops, and hopes that more will be built along Route 1 at additional stops. Her project was funded by the Changemaker Challenge in Howard County.

On Nov. 11, the second Changemaker Challenge in Howard County will hold Shark Tank-style presentations from nine finalists before awarding four more grants totaling $60,000. Led by the Horizon Foundation and United Way of Central Maryland, 56 applicants submitted ideas for social change. The finalists are:

• Big Red Barn Environmental Education: Danielle N. DuPuis – Community Ecology Institute
• Community Accessibility with Dignity: Liz Burrage, Colette Jackson, Bryan Sorrentino – The Arc of Howard County
• Initiative for Latin American Community Engagement – InLACE: Lucas de Melo, Patricia Silva
• Mental Health First Aid and Narcan Training with a Focus on Veterans: Gary Canteen, John Way – VA Way
• Practical Skills Training for Caregivers: Claire Cohen, Dan Demmitt, Elizabeth Edsall Kromm, Tracy Novak, Rachael Parran, Esther Tenaglio, Kathy Wehr – Howard County General Hospital
• Rubix Preventative Mental Health Program: Dr. Zaneb Khan Beams – Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center
• Spreading the Word about Columbia’s Black Freedom Visionaries: Pamela Woolford
• STEER – Strategic Training for Empathic Emergency Response: Dr. Leah Katherine Saal, Dr. Lisa Schoenbrodt
• Upcycled Structures from Recycled Goods: Orlando Goncalves, Alfred Striano – Upcycled