Bal Harbour gets new bus shelters

BY RODOLFO R. ROMAN
Special to The Miami Herald

Congress is stepping in to help Bal Harbour replace village bus shelters. Bal Harbour will receive $250,000 in federal funding from the Transportation Appropriations Bill to replace the village's bus shelters, which are stationed at 14 locations.

``These shelters are important to both residents and visitors who utilize public transportation,'' village manager Alfred Treppeda said. ``With the extreme heat and frequent thunderstorms here, we have had frequent requests for structures that provide more shelter than our current ones.''

The village has been working on the project for about a year. The village submitted federal appropriations requests to U.S. representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz for a number of projects, including bus shelters.

``I know all too well how our local municipalities are struggling during these tough economic times,'' Ros-Lehtinen said. ``So every bit of Washington aid helps.''

Because of the salty environment in Bal Harbour, the current bus shelters, which were installed in 1999, are rusting. The new bus shelters would buffer against wind, rain and heat.

Brian Mulheren, who lives in Bal Harbour, said the equipment will be an asset.

``The shelters we have don't protect you from the rain and elements,'' Mulheren said. ``Residents use the buses tremendously.'' The new shelters will be installed during the next fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1.