Thinking inside the bus
Altro Transflor Metris Vintage Cherry
Prior to 2015, SMRT used ribbed rubber flooring in their buses, a choice that
proved to be slippery and difficult to clean - impacting both passenger safety
and aesthetics.
“We used RCA Rubber until around 2015 and went to Altro because the rubber
was tough to clean and very slick.”
— Gamaliel Anguiano, Transit Manager
After switching to easier to clean and easier on the eye Altro flooring in 2016,
rider expectations and agency considerations of accessibility and the diversity
of their passengers evolved. SMRT sought a more inclusive, inviting, and userfriendly
flooring solution - especially for neurodiverse individuals.
SMRT partnered with Altro to take the next step and provide a safe, welcoming,
visually comforting environment to satisfy the growing need to consider
addressing the diversity of their riders.
“We wanted a brighter space and more inviting areas in the buses.”
The choice was Altro Transflor Metris™ in Vintage Cherry, a wood-look, slipresistant,
lightweight flooring that brings a warm, familiar, comforting setting to
bus interiors.
This aligned with the agency’s acknowledgment of inclusive and neurodiversityfriendly
design.
The response to the new flooring was overwhelmingly positive — from both the
agency and its riders.
Since transitioning to Altro flooring, the agency has seen:
• A significant increase in ridership
• Positive feedback from riders who say the transit experience feels “like
riding in their living rooms”
“Everyone loves the product and look. Since we have gone to Altro Vintage
Cherry wood-look, our ridership has increased substantially and we’ve noticed
neurodiverse clientele now using the buses. They are saying it is like riding the
bus in their living rooms.”
- Gamaliel Anguiano
“We are also looking at putting the Altro Vintage Cherry flooring in our Driver’s
Lounge with a digital print of our company Logo!” and “…We have ongoing
orders with manufacturers and will ultimately go to Vintage Cherry on all 40’
busses, and [are]contemplating doing the same for microtransit.”
- Gamaliel Anguiano
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