Fifteen Minutes of Fame

So yesterday I was interviewed for an article in the Miami Herald for the bus shelter I designed. Here's the link, but I also copied the article here.

FAU student's design chosen as bus shelter of future

A new generation of bus shelters -- a sleek model with voice alerts to announce coming buses, moveable solar panels and protection from the elements -- may soon dot Broward sidewalks.

By LUISA YANEZ

They're sleek, have solar panels, bike racks, offer protection from the sun and even have recycling bins.

The design by a part-time Florida Atlantic University student was chosen by Broward Transit as the prototype of the county's future bus shelters.

''It's very exciting to design something and then actually see it be built,'' said Laura Daniels, 33.

It was all part of a semester class assignment at FAU.

Daniels, a mother of three who lives in Sunrise, came up with her design in just a few hours.

''We are very proud of Laura's achievement,'' said associate professor Anthony Abbate.

And she got an A in the class.

Simplicity and practicality made her bus shelter stand out from the others, Daniels said. ''It incorporates all these special features into the design and it actually looks attractive to passing traffic,'' she said.

It's also self-sustaining. The bus shelter's information system, which alerts passengers of a coming bus, is powered by solar panels that tilt toward the sun. They also provide light at night.

Daniels' design contains shaded areas meant to keep those waiting protected from the sun and rain. The seating area is also longer and there are racks to accommodate bikers. The bus shelters will be handicapped accessible and house trash and recycling bins and a resting bar that passengers can lean on while waiting for buses.

Broward Transit selected Daniels' design for development and implementation under a program for improving transit facilities countywide. The county recently received $35 million in stimulus money for transportation projects.