PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION UPDATE

In Mesa, Ariz., some residents are waiting for a bus that will never arrive. The city of Mesa recently installed two bus shelters in obscure locations where the metro buses do not run, for a cost of $32,000. How can a bus shelter--a structure of concrete, plastic and sometimes a wood park bench (usually splinter-ridden) cost $16 K? Undoubtedly Mesa was only following the sterling example set by Tampa, Fla., whose mass transit system is so incredibly screwy that the locals don't dare ride the buses--they are considered a tourist trap, like Busch Gardens.