Beautiful, well-designed, part of the public space –  we thought we’d showcase some interesting bus stops as part of this week’s series of “best of”‘posts leading up to 2011. Above is a bus stop in Chile.

India’s first bus rapid transit system, Janmarg, located in Ahmedabad, features bus stops located in road medians with off-board automatic fare collection and level access to the buses.

A bus stop in Hanover, Germany, a city of about half a million in Northern Germany, is run by Grossraum-Verkehr Hannover.

This bus shelter is regularly decorated by the local community on the small island of Unst in Shetland, the most northerly set of islands in Great Britain. The bus stop even had a festival that included music, food and “Bus Shelter branded merchandise.” For more check out a website devoted to the bus stop.

An air-conditioned bus shelter in Dubai was built next to a luxury hotel a few years ago.

The well-known bus stops of Curitiba, Brazil’s bus rapid transit system showcase the city’s commitment to building high-capacity public transit and solid pedestrian infrastructure. The system features advanced fare collection, allowing residents to quickly board the bus system.

A well-used bus stop, even on a winter evening in Warsaw, Poland, illustrates how public transit stops can be incorporated seamlessly into the cityscape.

The shot below was taken of a bus stop in Iraq by a U.S. Air Force weather forecaster.

A bus stop in London is integrated into the city’s bike path network.

A wide crosswalk and bus stop located in Russia.