Tolar Manufacturing Company announced it has been awarded a multiyear contract to design, fabricate, and deliver bus stop shelters for use by riders of Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CapMetro) in Austin, Texas, according to the company's news release.

The $8,365,350 contract begins with a one-year base period with an option for four additional years in which to produce up to 550 new shelters for stops throughout the CapMetro service area.

“Our team is proud to continue providing bus shelter solutions for the city of Austin and surrounding areas,” said Gary Tolar, president/CEO of Tolar. “Knowing our shelters will be installed at bus stops currently without bus shelters is extremely satisfying. It means more people will be provided a safe and comfortable place to wait for their bus and frankly, that’s very important.”

Tolar has delivered over 300 bus shelters to CapMetro since 2016. This new five-year contract will bring that total to over 850 bus stops throughout the greater Austin area that will provide individuals with Tolar-built shelter, shade, and a place to rest as they travel through the CapMetro service area.

The Tolar Signature Brazos model 12-foot shelters are customized to meet the needs of CapMetro riders. With a visible street-side agency branding banner, the shelters incorporate a weather-protecting aluminum roof and perforated metal walls. Side perforated screens offer a mounting location for agency-provided, real-time information signs, and the shelter roof is designed to provide mounting for solar lighting to enhance passenger safety.

“The safety of our customers is a priority for CapMetro,” said Moraima Dones, CapMetro's technical program manager. “We all know that people have to get to work, the grocery store, or wherever their destination is, even if it’s raining, snowing or if it’s 100 degrees outside. Anyone standing or sitting at a CapMetro bus stop should feel protected from the weather elements, which at times can be extreme. The new accessible shelters will be installed at various locations to replace some of the outdated shelters that no longer meet the standards of the agency.”