Pullman Arts Commission selects favorite bus stop design

The Pullman Arts Commission has recommended the Magnificent M as the best bus stop design out of four presented to the commission by WSU Collaborative, a team of Washington State University art, architecture, design and engineering students on a mission to create an aesthetically pleasing bus stop for the city.

Members of the commission appeared to agree the Magnificent M, a wooden, M-shaped structure featuring two parallel benches, was both the most structurally sound and thoroughly presented project at their meeting in the library Tuesday evening.

The design, presented by architecture student Mohamed Ismail, has an estimated project cost of $2,500.

The structure would build off an existing bus stop frame, something Pullman Transit Manager Wayne Thompson said could end up reducing costs. The plan would be to build the structure in front of Safeway.

Interim Chair Joanna Bailey said the commission received 85 responses to the designs, which were displayed on posters in the Neill Public Library from April 4 through Monday. Participants were asked to rank the designs from their favorite to least favorite. Some added comments.

Bailey said the Raindrop, a sloped, tear-dropped shaped structure, received the top public ranking with 31 votes for first place. The Magnificent M received 22 votes for second place. The Cave, a wooden, C-shaped structure, received 22 votes for third place and Building Blocks, a series of stacked blocks with planters and a small roof, received 40 votes for fourth place.

The designs were initially presented to the Pullman City Council last month for recommendations. The council eventually sent all four designs to the Arts Commission for its response. Now, the commission will send its recommendation back to the council for a final decision.

The commission will also make additional recommendations that the structure include bike racks, anti-graffiti glass and a planter with drought tolerant vegetation on top. The commission also considered rounding out the points of the M to resemble rolling hills, as some members of the council said last month they were concerned the M might appear to represent Moscow.

The project was originally spearheaded by Ayad Rahmani, a WSU professor who wrote a business column in the Daily News in October criticizing the city's bus stops.

Rahmani said the group is currently working on fundraising strategies and is considering soliciting donations from the community as well as setting up a crowdfunding page online to fund the project.

Thompson has teamed up with the group to help bring the project to fruition.

Taylor Nadauld can be reached at (208) 883-4630, by email to tnadauld@dnews.com and on Twitter @tnadauldarg.