Over the past few days, several news outlets in the Wilmington area have reached out to us regarding the current situation with our bus stop benches. In an effort to avoid conflicting statements or selectively edited quotes, and to be as clear as possible, Wilmington Democratic Socialists of America (ILM-DSA) has decided to release this statement. Our intent is to correct misconceptions, make our position clear, and explain where things stand.
We have built and placed over 30 bus stop benches since April 2025. The bench builds were undertaken as a mutual aid project to improve city transit and the lives of working class Wilmington residents by making their commute easier. This demonstrates one of our core beliefs as Democratic Socialists: that the city must work for the citizens within it. We paint these benches with friends and families both inside and outside of DSA. The building and painting rotates between locations based on availability and turnout. These benches are made from reclaimed wood and leftover paint and we actively strive to minimize both expense and material waste in this project. The benches we created cost around $200 in total.
There is a misconception that we were given approval by WAVE to set up these benches; this is not the case. We received an email from the Executive Director of WAVE on July 6th informing ILM-DSA that there had been complaints about the benches, and that they had been instructed by the city to get in touch with us. These complaints, to our knowledge, stem from people who found the messaging on the benches “too political” after the benches were the topic of discussion in a Facebook thread. Many benches feature art and messages designed to provide a bit of levity and joy for people who see them. A few feature messaging about real issues like rising rents from predatory landlords. We do not find these facts controversial, we believe affordable housing and public transit are rights owed to all.
Due to the complaint, we were informed it was possible that the benches would need to be removed. As we began to explore our options, we launched a letter writing campaign to show public support for the benches. Hundreds of citizens responded, and we thank them all for their belief in our project and for their desire to support our attempts to help improve the city when the city government and its various arms can’t or won’t.
We want to be clear: do not harass or bother WAVE over this. In our recent discussions with them they have been understanding and helpful. We also discourage arguing with the city government on social media. This will not be solved in the comments of a post. If you have positive stories about the benches, please post about that and tag us, we would love to read them. Hopefully that will allow council members to direct their attention away from social media and focus on assisting with finding solutions to Wilmington’s transit accessibility.
It has been brought to our attention that at least one bench has been the target of graffiti, with racial slurs on it. This is, obviously, against everything we believe in. More importantly, we are reminded to thank everyone who has kept the benches in such good condition over the past year. While we perform maintenance on benches that have issues, one of the most positive things about this entire experience has been seeing how riders and passersby have helped to keep the benches clean. That is a validation of this project: this community can, and wants to, care for itself. It believes that these benches, while certainly not perfect, are a valuable asset that improve the material condition of everyday life.
We acknowledge that one concern raised is compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility requirements. While we do believe that the entire city should be ADA compliant – which means more sidewalks, ramps, etc. – most of these benches are placed at bus stops that are inherently not ADA friendly, as they are patches of dirt and grass, often on uneven ground. What is more harmful for our neighbors of various abilities and conditions is being forced to stand in the increasing heat and humidity or sit in the dirt while waiting for buses that are increasingly late.
A recent article about the benches stated that 25% of WAVE’s 400 bus stops have benches or shelters; however, WAVE’s own website and interactive map shows that there are 28 benches and 36 shelters. That equates to roughly 16% of stops with seating. The thirty benches we created have doubled the original number of solo benches in the city in just one year, for around $200.
ILM-DSA is currently engaged in discussions with WAVE and City Council to find a solution that allows riders access to seating while waiting for public transit. We realize there is a bit of debate going around between who is ultimately responsible for the allocation of funds, construction, and maintenance of bus stop benches and shelters in the city. But the truth is unchanged: this is a service that Wilmington needs, and there is enough money to do it. What is yet to be seen is the willpower and creativity to solve a problem that would benefit everyone in Wilmington. We hope that through the outpouring of support we have received, as well as the proof of process by which we were able to creatively address this problem ourselves, a solution can be found. In the interim, we will not be providing further comment as we seek to find that solution.
If you haven’t already, please join our campaign to let City Council know that the community supports this initiative. Second, we encourage anyone who has been inspired by this project to join us at a bench build or paint day. We hold them on the second and fourth Sunday of each month, respectively. If that is not your cup of tea, we do group readings, social events, and more nuts and bolts community organizing all the time. More information can be found on our calendar at https://www.wilmingtondsa.org/events/.
A better world is possible – here in Wilmington and beyond – if we build it together. If you agree, join DSA at dsausa.org/join.
In Solidarity,
Wilmington DSA