Design, Operation, and Safety of At-Grade Crossings of Exclusive Busways (2007)

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TRANSPORTAT ION RESEARCH BOARD WASHINGTON, D.C. 2007 www.TRB.org T R A N S I T C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M TCRP REPORT 117 Research sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration in cooperation with the Transit Development Corporation Subject Areas Planning and Administration • Public Transit Design, Operation, and Safety of At-Grade Crossings of Exclusive Busways Kimberly A. Eccles VANASSE HANGEN BRUSTLIN, INC. Raleigh, NC I N A S S O C I A T I O N W I T H Herbert S. Levinson HERBERT S. LEVINSON TRANSPORTATION CONSULTANTS New Haven, CT CENTER FOR URBAN TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH Tampa, FL LIVABLE STREETS, INC. Tampa, FL

TCRP REPORT 117 Project D-11 ISSN 1073-4872 ISBN: 978-0-309-09888-5 Library of Congress Control Number 2007929565 © 2007 Transportation Research Board COPYRIGHT PERMISSION Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein. Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA, FMCSA, FTA, or Transit Development Corporation endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP. NOTICE The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the Transit Cooperative Research Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. Such approval reflects the Governing Board’s judgment that the project concerned is appropriate with respect to both the purposes and resources of the National Research Council. The members of the technical advisory panel selected to monitor this project and to review this report were chosen for recognized scholarly competence and with due consideration for the balance of disciplines appropriate to the project. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied are those of the research agency that performed the research, and while they have been accepted as appropriate by the technical panel, they are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, the Transit Development Corporation, or the Federal Transit Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical panel according to procedures established and monitored by the Transportation Research Board Executive Committee and the Governing Board of the National Research Council. The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research Council, the Transit Development Corporation, and the Federal Transit Administration (sponsor of the Transit Cooperative Research Program) do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the clarity and completeness of the project reporting. TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM The nation’s growth and the need to meet mobility, environmental, and energy objectives place demands on public transit systems. Current systems, some of which are old and in need of upgrading, must expand service area, increase service frequency, and improve efficiency to serve these demands. Research is necessary to solve operating problems, to adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to intro- duce innovations into the transit industry. The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the transit industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it. The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special Report 213—Research for Public Transit: New Directions, published in 1987 and based on a study sponsored by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration—now the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). A report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Transportation 2000, also recognized the need for local, problem- solving research. TCRP, modeled after the longstanding and success- ful National Cooperative Highway Research Program, undertakes research and other technical activities in response to the needs of tran- sit service providers. The scope of TCRP includes a variety of transit research fields including planning, service configuration, equipment, facilities, operations, human resources, maintenance, policy, and administrative practices. TCRP was established under FTA sponsorship in July 1992. Pro- posed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, TCRP was autho- rized as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). On May 13, 1992, a memorandum agreement out- lining TCRP operating procedures was executed by the three cooper- ating organizations: FTA, the National Academies, acting through the Transportation Research Board (TRB); and the Transit Development Corporation, Inc. (TDC), a nonprofit educational and research orga- nization established by APTA. TDC is responsible for forming the independent governing board, designated as the TCRP Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Committee. Research problem statements for TCRP are solicited periodically but may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility of the TOPS Committee to formulate the research program by identi- fying the highest priority projects. As part of the evaluation, the TOPS Committee defines funding levels and expected products. Once selected, each project is assigned to an expert panel, appointed by the Transportation Research Board. The panels prepare project state- ments (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide techni- cal guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process for developing research problem statements and selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooperative research pro- grams since 1962. As in other TRB activities, TCRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation. Because research cannot have the desired impact if products fail to reach the intended audience, special emphasis is placed on dissemi- nating TCRP results to the intended end users of the research: tran- sit agencies, service providers, and suppliers. TRB provides a series of research reports, syntheses of transit practice, and other support- ing material developed by TCRP research. APTA will arrange for workshops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure that results are implemented by urban and rural transit industry practitioners. The TCRP provides a forum where transit agencies can cooperatively address common operational problems. The TCRP results support and complement other ongoing transit research and training programs. Published reports of the TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM are available from: Transportation Research Board Business Office 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 and can be ordered through the Internet at http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore Printed in the United States of America

CRP STAFF FOR TCRP REPORT 117 Christopher W. Jenks, Director, Cooperative Research Programs Crawford F. Jencks, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs Dianne S. Schwager, Senior Program Officer Eileen P. Delaney, Director of Publications Natalie Barnes, Editor TCRP PROJECT D-11 PANEL Field of Engineering of Fixed Facilities Jose Farran, ADAVANT Consulting, San Francisco, CA (Chair) Leon Goodman, Searingtown, NY Michael Moorman, Port Authority of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA Brent Ogden, Korve Engineering, Inc., Oakland, CA Phil Olekszyk, World Wide Rail, Inc., Gloucester, VA Tori D. Rhoulac, Howard University, Washington, DC Paul F. Schneider, New Jersey DOT, Trenton, NJ John D. Wilkins, New Jersey Transit Corporation, Newark, NJ Irving Chambers, FTA Liaison Ken Lord, FTA Liaison Guan Xu, FHWA Liaison Richard A. Cunard, TRB Liaison C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M S

AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The research reported herein was performed under TCRP Project D-11 by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB); Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South Florida; Livable Streets, Inc.; and Herbert Levinson. VHB was the prime contractor for this study. Work undertaken by the Uni- versity of South Florida, Livable Streets, and Mr. Levinson was under subcontract with VHB. Kim Eccles, P.E., of VHB was the principal investigator and is one of the authors of this report. The other author of this report is Herbert Levinson. Cheryl Thole and Joel Volinski of the University of South Florida are the authors of Appendix A. Significant contributions to the report were made by Nancy Xenelis, Frank Spiel- berg, Joedel Zaballero, Charlie O’Connell, and Dibyendu Sengupta, all of VHB; Michael Moule of Livable Streets, Inc.; and Alasdair Cain, Dennis Hinebaugh, Cheryl Thole, and Joel Volinski, all of the University of South Florida. The authors would like to acknowledge the contributions of the following individuals around the United States and Canada who provided information for this effort: • William Hoople, Service Planner/Scheduler, Regional Transportation District, Denver, Colorado • Ralph Stavermann, Traffic Engineer, City of Denver, Colorado • Mike Zamiska, Director-System Safety, Port Authority of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania • Sean Skehan, Senior Transportation Engineer, City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation, California • Gary Spivak, Division Transportation Manager, and staff, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Trans- portation Authority, California • Rex Gephart, Bus Rapid Transit Manager, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, California • Rory Santana, District VI Traffic Operations Engineer, Florida Department of Transportation, Florida • Bob Williams, Traffic Control Center Engineer, Miami-Dade County Department of Public Works, Florida • David Fialkoff, Director of Service Planning and Scheduling, Miami-Dade Transit, Florida • Mike Schipper, General Manager-Development, Greater Cleveland Regional Transportation Author- ity, Cleveland, Ohio • Jomarie Wasik, Assistant Director, Department of Public Service, City of Cleveland, Ohio • John Motl, Modes Manager Engineer, Ohio Department of Transportation District 12 • Terry Dolan, Manager of Rail Transportation, Tri-Met, Portland, Oregon • Brian Mills, Transit Planning Manager, TransLink (Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • Hansel Wang, Program Manager, Transportation Engineering, Road and Infrastructure Planning, TransLink (Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • Colin Leech, Transit Planner, OC Transpo, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • Kornel Mucsi, Transit Priority Projects Manager, City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • Doug Jamison, Project Manager, LYNX Planning, Orlando, Florida • Charles Ramdatt, City Transportation Engineer, City of Orlando, Florida • John Rhoades, Project Manager, City of Orlando, Florida • Michael Sanders, Transit and Rideshare Administrator, Connecticut Department of Transportation • Mark Rolfe, Project Manager, Connecticut Department of Transportation • Jim Cunradi, Project Manager, Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit), Oakland, California • Jamie Levin, Director of Marketing & Communications, Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit), Oakland, California

• Graham Carey, BRT Project Engineer, Lane Transit District, Eugene, Oregon • Gary McNeel, Senior Transportation Analyst, Public Works Engineering, City of Eugene, Oregon • Maria Reynolds, Division Transportation Manager, West San Fernando Valley Division, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles, California • George Trudeau, Assistant Transportation Manager, Metro San Fernando Valley, Metropolitan Trans- portation Authority, Los Angeles, California • Michael C. Hunt, P.E., Transportation Engineering Associate III, Department of Transportation, City of Los Angeles, California • John Fisher, P.E., P.T.O.E., Assistant General Manager, Office of Transportation Operations, Depart- ment of Transportation, City of Los Angeles, California • Kathleen Sanchez, Transportation Planning Manager, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles, California • Morteza Delpasand, P.E., Transportation Engineer, Department of Transportation, City of Los Angeles, California • Robert H. Torres, Corporate Safety Manager, Corporate Safety, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles, California • R. Scott Page, Transportation Planning Manager IV, Regional Transit Planning, Metropolitan Trans- portation Authority, Los Angeles, California • Hitesh Patel, P.E., Director, Construction Project Management, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles, California • Vijay Khawani, Director, Corporate Safety and Rail Operations, Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles, California • Representatives from Miami-Dade Transit including Isabel Padron, Albert Hernandez, Eric Muntan, and Derrick Gordon

TCRP Report 117: Design, Operation, and Safety of At-Grade Crossings of Exclusive Busways will be of interest to transit agencies, roadway designers, city traffic engineers, and urban planners, as well as consultants for these groups and agencies. The material in this report provides considerable information and useful guidance for improving the safety and per- formance of exclusive busways. TCRP Web-Only Document 36, available on the TRB web- site (http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=7720), contains Appendixes A through I of the contractor’s final report. Exclusive busways in separate rights-of-way may have at-grade crossings with roadways or pedestrian and bicycle facilities. This report provides guidelines for the safe design and operation of at-grade crossings of exclusive busways. The guidelines are based on a detailed literature review, interviews with selected transit agencies, and site visits to Cleveland, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando, and Richmond (British Columbia). The guidelines are intended to assist transit, traffic engineering, and highway design agencies in planning, designing, and operating various kinds of busways through roadway intersections. This report includes guidance for at-grade intersections along (1) busways within arterial street medians; (2) physically separated, side-aligned busways; (3) busways on separate rights-of-way; and (4) bus-only ramps. The intersections discussed include highway intersections, midblock pedestrian crossings, and bicycle crossings. The resulting guidance provides information that can be applied to enhance safety at busway crossings while maintaining efficient tran- sit and highway operations, and minimizing pedestrian delay. F O R E W O R D By Dianne S. Schwager Staff Officer Transportation Research Board

C O N T E N T S 1 Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Background 2 Objective of Study 2 Scope of Study 2 Organization of Report 3 Chapter 2 Types of Systems 3 Median Busways 3 Side-Aligned Busways 4 Separated Right-of-Way Busways 4 Bus-Only Ramps 5 Chapter 3 General Principles of Safety and Design 5 Overview of Key Safety Issues at Busway Intersections 6 Design Principles and Guidelines 8 Functional Analysis at Busway Intersections 9 Chapter 4 Intersection Geometry Controls and Guidelines 9 Human and Driver Factors 9 Vehicle Characteristics 10 Design Designations 12 Capacity Considerations 14 Chapter 5 Traffic Control Devices 14 Intersection Control 16 Static and Active Signs 19 Pavement Markings 19 Other Traffic Control Devices 20 Summary 21 Chapter 6 Operational Practices 21 Signal Placement and Positioning 22 Left- and Right-Turn Treatments 23 Signal Operation 25 Signal Coordination 26 Chapter 7 Busway Intersection Design 26 Median Busway Intersections 27 Side-Aligned Busway Intersections 28 Separated Right-of-Way Busway Intersections 30 Bus-Only Ramp Intersections 35 Chapter 8 Other Considerations 35 Agency Collaboration 35 Procedures for Bus Operations

36 Enforcement 36 Public Information, Education, and Awareness 37 Busways in the MUTCD 38 References 39 Appendixes