photo by: Contributed by City of Lawrence

Members of the Sunset Hill Neighborhood Association and Lawrence Transit staff gathered at a bus stop along Ninth Street to celebrate the donation of a new bench for the bus stop. The bench was designed by KU students and built by carpenter and Sunset Hill resident Gary Webber, center, in blue.

Two things Lawrence resident Gary Webber is a big supporter of are the Sunset Hill neighborhood and Lawrence Transit.

Webber said he read an article two years ago about the Self Engineering Leadership Fellows Program, or SELF, at the University of Kansas, which created a design for a bus bench. As a carpenter, he thought building a new bench using that design could be a way to give back to Lawrence Transit and a fun project to try out. So he contacted the city, and staff provided him with the plans.

“It was a nice combination of using my skills and doing something for Lawrence Transit,” Webber said.

Webber donated the final product to Lawrence Transit earlier this month on behalf of the Sunset Hill Neighborhood Association, and the bus stop near the corner of Ninth and Iowa streets — right near The Merc Co-op — received the new bench along with other upgrades, including a metal canopy, bike parking and trash container.

It was the second bench to use the design created by the KU students, according to Felice Lavergne, the city’s director of transit. The department first partnered with SELF students in 2022, which led to the design prototype and the first installed bench at bus stop 109 — Naismith and 21st streets.

Webber, who served for many years as the president of the Sunset Hill Neighborhood Association, said he was “flattered” that the bench was put in such a well-used location. He said the most challenging aspect was finding good-quality wood that was durable enough to be used for a bus bench.

Webber said he and his wife were major supporters and “huge users” of Lawrence Transit, so it was nice to add something positive that makes the system more accessible.

Several other groups have expressed interest in creating benches, Lavergne said, and they’ve been provided with the design for this bench, too, so the city expects to see more of these at stops across the city. Lavergne said whenever a group or individual expresses interest in contributing a bench, the city shares the design to ensure the benches will be “safe, functional and compatible.”

Lavergne said the bench project highlights how the work of the students from a few years ago helped create a “real-world community benefit.”

“It’s a great example of how technical planning and community initiative can come together to improve public spaces,” Lavergne said.

photo by: Bremen Keasey

Bus stop 327 in Lawrence on Ninth Street by the Merc Co-Op. The stop received upgrades, including a metal canopy, bike parking, trash can and a bench that was constructed by a Lawrence resident based on plans created by KU students.