City of Hattiesburg celebrates grand opening of bus shelters

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The city of Hattiesburg opened three bus stop shelters around town that will benefit residents.

The city said it spent $30,000 for the shelters to protect residents from severe weather elements and to serve as a convenient rest stop.

The newly built shelters are located at the Briarfield Apartments, Edwards center, and Robertson Place.

Edwards Street Fellowship Center Director Ann McCullen said, "“I spoke with an elderly disabled man, a couple of weeks ago, he was sitting on the bench at the shelter and he said, now I can come get my groceries, I can come to the health clinic, and I do not worry that I am not going to be able to make it."

She continued, "He couldn’t carry his groceries, he had them on the seat of his rolling cart.”

Officials said the bus shelters are a community necessity.