<div>The Charlotte Area Transit System (“CATS”) bus system has 3,026 stops in Mecklenburg County. Most of these are only a sign post: according to data we have, <strong>less than 400 stops provide seating</strong> for people waiting for their bus.<strong> CATS staff have fought hard for improvements</strong> against limitations that start at the state level, but the <strong>need still remains</strong> vast. This problem is a<strong> systemic failure to prioritize basic needs</strong> of the tens of thousands of people who rely on public transit.
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<div>We, the<strong> Charlotte Urbanists, have taken matters into our own hands</strong>. Since 2022, we’ve deployed seating to over 80 bus stops. These benches have been built or purchased by a handful of passionate volunteers. <strong>There are thousands of benches left to build </strong>and we need your help. For the next 100 benches, not only do we want to continue building them ourselves, <strong>we want communities of Charlotte to join in.</strong>
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<div><strong>We need your help</strong> to address this problem effectively!
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<div><strong>What’s the Plan?</strong>
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<div>Next steps:
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<li>Recruit <strong>volunteers</strong> to help <strong>organize workshops </strong>in their communities
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<li>Seek out <strong>partnerships</strong> with community organizations
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<li>Provide <strong>materials to help communities</strong> get their own bus stop benches started
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<li>Share <strong>all of our designs, tools, and methods for free</strong> so people anywhere can make their own Benches 4 Bus Stops benches
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<div>We’ll still be building benches and putting them at requested locations and locations we identify through a data-driven approach. However, <strong>we need you, your friends, and neighbors to help</strong> solve this problem in a reasonable timeframe.
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<div>Check out our <a href="https://b4bs.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Linktree</a> page for project resources and ways to get involved!
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<div><strong>Funding Goal</strong>
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<div>We are seeking <strong>$10,000 </strong>for the <strong>next 100 benches</strong>. Here’s a breakdown of how we expect to use that money:
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<li><strong>Raw Materials:</strong> Wood, paint, sealant, screws, bolts, washers, nuts, etc.
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<li><strong>Tools: </strong>Saws, blades, hammers, drills, wrenches, stencils, etc.
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<li><strong>Logistics: </strong>Vehicle rentals, deliveries, vehicle fuel, etc.
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<li><strong>Support Materials: </strong>Snacks and drinks for volunteers, awareness merchandising, etc.
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<li><strong>Other: </strong>New design prototypes, innovation experiments, art commissions, etc.
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<div>For <strong>every $99</strong> donated, we <strong>provide a high quality bench</strong> for a bus stop in need.
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<div><strong>Transparency and Accountability</strong>
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<div>We want to engage with and be accountable to the communities we work in. We will use surveys to solicit input to inform bench deployment and maintenance. When possible, we will organize with community members to help people build their own bus stop benches.
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<div>We will be accountable to our donors, both those who contribute financially and those who volunteer their time or other resources. We intend to provide updates every 120 days to summarize:
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<li>Notable contributions
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<li>New seating installed
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<li>Status of existing seating
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<li>Volunteer hours
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<li>New materials acquired
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<li>New funds and financial outlays
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<li>Project inventory and remaining funds
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<div>These reports will continue until funds have been expended. Since this is a volunteer-led project, we cannot make any guarantees about future activities.
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Benches 4 Bus Stops 3.0

Still $6,715 to go. Help us build momentum.