Developing Guidelines for Evaluating, Selecting, and Implementing Suburban Transit Services (2006)

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B-1 APPENDIX B: SUBURBAN TRANSIT SERVICES Characteristics of those services and their most effective applications within suburban environments are also discussed. Because various groups may use different terms to refer to the same transit concepts, we will be clear in how we define the various modes and uses of service. The goal is to ensure that when a particular term is used readers will understand what is being discussed. It is important to note that the services outlined in this chapter are not unique to suburban operating environments. Services like express buses are common in urban environments and demand-responsive service is the dominant transit service model in rural areas. Nonetheless, as this project progresses, it will become clearer that the way in which a particular transit service is operated in the suburbs can distinguish it from service in an urban or rural environment. Additional detail on any of these concepts is available through the source documents listed in the bibliography at the end of this report. ESTABLISHED SUBURBAN TRANSIT SERVICES American suburbs vary widely and there are equally diverse transit services operating within them. This section describes the array of transit services traditionally operated in the suburbs and provides some basic information on characteristics of the environments in which they operate. Eventually these services will be related back to the typology of suburban environments, helping individual agencies choose the best transit service given their operating environment. Here transit services are characterized by the form they take, rather than the function they serve. Most forms of transit serve a variety of functions. In the case of a fixed route, it may serve as an express service or a neighborhood circulator depending on the area’s demographic characteristics, travel behavior and the form of the transportation network. In most cases the choice of transit form will be dictated by service area characteristics, scheduling capabilities, and the desired level of service. This discussion contains a general description of each form of transit and includes more detailed information on the various functions. Fixed Routes Among the most commonly deployed transit service, fixed routes are those which follow a predetermined alignment and schedule. Fixed routes may operate more frequently than other service forms, providing service during peak hours or all day. They tend to operate most effectively in areas with higher densities and diversities of land use, particularly along higher density corridors or where there are multiple origins and destinations to anchor the route. Consequently, fixed routes often experience higher productivity and lower costs per passenger than demand-responsive services. Fixed routes function as trunks, expresses, limiteds, circulators, and shuttles. Fixed routes are often a desirable solution because they are a well understood service. They are relatively easy to implement and are a more intuitive service model for residents than route deviation.

B-2 Trunk Trunk route transit service is often the backbone of any suburban service, providing consistent service along well defined corridors throughout the service span. Passengers often access trunk services from collector services and routes or use them to travel within the route’s corridor. In most cases, trunk routes run along major arterials. Trunk routes may play a variety of roles – either improving mobility within a community, or connecting neighboring communities. In order to minimize travel times associated with the route alignment, trunk routes tend to provide very direct service between major origins and destinations. Therefore, in order to improve the accessibility of the service, circulator and feeder routes often connect to trunk routes. Travel times for all passengers are minimized through coordinated transfers between trunk routes and other transit services. Express Express service focuses on providing long-distance regional trips at speeds competitive with private automobiles. These characteristics make it ideal for commute service between suburbs, from suburbs to a central city, or even a reverse commute from a central city to an employment concentration in the suburbs. These routes typically run on major arterials and highways. The primary benefit of express service is reduced travel times, which are made possible by limiting the number of stops made by the route. Generally express routes make a limited number of stops near their starting and ending point, with few in between. Express routes tend to be longer, because their primary origins and destinations are dispersed, making their travel time savings more pronounced. Trip times are further reduced by having passengers depart from a single location (such as a transit hub or park and ride lot), having arrived via feeder routes, shared rides, or single occupant vehicles. To further encourage choice riders to use express routes, passenger amenities and service quality emphasize comfort, reliability and safety. Two common applications of express routes are for commute service and corridor enhancement. As mentioned above, express routes can compete with single occupant vehicles through their service design and by offering a high quality service. In addition to having a limited number of stops and collecting passengers from a single location, expresses can improve operating speeds by taking advantage of high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes and other priority treatments for transit. Priority treatments are discussed in another section and include such things as queue jump lanes and automatic vehicle detection. Generally speaking, express commuter service is provided only during peak periods when the majority of work trips are made. When service is only offered during peak periods, it is important to provide passengers with transportation alternatives during the mid-day. These alternatives might include a guaranteed ride home program in cases of emergency or shuttles which facilitate mid-day errand running. Even if the mid-day services are rarely used, they may increase passengers’ willingness to commute on transit. Commute services may operate to major employment destinations or to intermodal transit stations where passengers may access a regional rail system. They may also function as a reverse commute service, taking central city residents to jobs in suburban locations. When used as a corridor enhancement, express service supplements local bus service with additional capacity and higher operating speeds. This differentiates the service to better meet the travel needs of different passengers. This service model requires high density areas or

B-3 major activity centers to anchor either end of the service and generate demand for trips in both directions. Limited Service Limited service routes are similar to express routes in that they supplement existing local routes along congested corridors. Frequently limited routes follow the same alignment as local routes, but they only serve a fraction of the stops. Reducing the number of stops allows the bus to increase operating speeds and reduce travel times. The most notable characteristics of limited routes are the reduced number of stops and high service frequency. Instead of providing stops every quarter of a mile, a limited might have stops every one mile or every three-quarters of a mile. Although their faster speeds are a benefit in and of themselves, limited routes are made that much more attractive when they have headways between ten and twenty minutes. Services geared toward commuters might only operate during peak periods, but limited routes often operate all day. Bus rapid transit, or BRT, is a newer, more sophisticated application of limited routes. BRT pairs a limited route with innovative bus designs and technologies to provide higher quality service. Characteristics often associated with BRT include: • Dedicated running ways • Enhanced stations and stops • Vehicles that are easy to board • Off-vehicle fare collection • ITS technology Many of these characteristics are adopted to improve travel times, while others aim to attract riders through higher quality facilities and improved information and marketing. More details regarding the features of BRT will be provided later in the chapter. Like express buses, another application of limited routes is for workers who have a reverse commute – from a central city to the suburbs. Circulators Circulators collect passengers along their route and deposit them at local trip generators (such as shopping malls or health clinics) or at timed-transfer points to connect with express, limited, or trunk routes. Such a service improves the accessibility and coverage of a transit system by providing service within limited areas of lower density neighborhoods and connecting them to trunk or regional transit service. Fixed-route circulators are probably the most common application of neighborhood bus service. Based on vehicle running times and demand, vehicles can be added or removed from a route to reach the desired service frequency. A number of the agencies with fixed-route circulators market them with names and color schemes that are different from their standard bus service. Service characteristics of a fixed-route circulator can vary a great deal depending on the characteristics of the operating environment and the desired level of service. Shorter routes within limited areas minimize travel times and permit higher service frequencies. Routes are often non-linear and sometimes even circuitous, allowing them to increase the coverage provided by the route. While some systems use full-size buses for fixed-route service, others use small buses or even vans depending on demand, road infrastructure, and community desires. Operating

B-4 characteristics of fixed-route circulators may vary according to the trip purpose anticipated for most riders. One variation on the basic fixed-route strategy is to develop a hub-and-spoke system, where multiple circulator routes connect to one (or more) transit hub(s) to facilitate transfers to other circulators, intra-city routes, or express routes. A hub-and-spoke system uses multiple routes to improve directness to the hub and outside of the neighborhood, which is appropriate if most trips will be made outside the community. For special purpose trips, such as from a rail station to employment locations, circulators should provide very short, high frequency, low cost trips because the segment of the trip on the circulator is a single part of the passenger’s trip. These service characteristics will make the circulator as appealing as possible to choice riders who could switch to alternative modes of transportation. When circulators serve multipurpose trips, the service characteristics do not need to be quite as appealing – although it may help in attracting additional ridership. For multipurpose trips, fares can be similar to those charged for trunk service and the routes and headways may be longer because the passenger is less likely to be transferring between multiple routes. Circulator routes serve lower density neighborhoods with fewer or less significant trip generators. The routes operate along local streets where it is important that the road network has a high degree of connectivity. Although circulators serve lower density neighborhoods than other fixed routes, fixed-route circulators are more effective than other service forms when densities are high enough to provide a reasonable ridership base. Shuttles and Feeders Shuttles and feeders are similar to circulators in their service characteristics and common operating environments. The primary difference is that shuttles focus on providing service to one or both ends of the route, as opposed to internal trips within the route. Shuttles often provide a connection between major activities points – which could be a transit station and work or home. Feeders have a general collection/distribution function throughout an area, such as the commute shed of a rail station. Services going to residential neighborhoods are primarily publicly funded and operated, while services to employment locations are more likely to be privately subsidized or operated. The primary goals behind shuttles and feeders are to get choice transit riders out of their cars and to improve the mobility of non-choice riders. Shuttle and feeder routes are necessarily short, quick routes because they represent only part of a passenger’s overall trip. Similarly, the fare should be fairly low to reduce total travel costs. Minimizing total travel times requires that shuttle schedules be coordinated with those of the regional transit network. Finally, shuttles must be very reliable to ensure passengers’ ability to transfer and estimate arrival times. Shuttles and feeders are used in a variety of applications where there is a concentrated pool of potential riders. Three common applications are: • Running a shuttle between a transit hub and an employment center, • Running a feeder between a residential neighborhood and a transit hub, and • Operating a mid-day shuttle between employment sites and a retail center for errands and meals.

B-5 The operating environment for shuttles may vary a great deal according to the type of service provided. In most cases, shuttle services are anchored by a regional rail station or intermodal transit hub. At a minimum, shuttles require major employers and/or destinations that are near a transit hub or rail station, but not within walking distance. If the destination is in a location with limited or expensive parking, shuttle service tends to be more successful. Fixed- route shuttles should operate in environments where the population or employment densities are high enough such that the pool of potential riders within the route’s catchment area can justify the service. Deviated Fixed Routes In deviated fixed-route service, vehicles have the flexibility to move within a given service area as long as they arrive on schedule at various time points. Often the time points are located at transit hubs where passengers can transfer to trunk or express service. Deviated fixed- routes frequently use smaller vehicles, whether they are small buses or large vans. It is also common for these routes to have their own identities, with unique logos and color schemes. Deviated routes generally take one of three forms. The most flexible form of deviated fixed-route is essentially a demand-response service that has two time points, one on each end of a service area. A slightly more restricted service might have a vehicle running along a route between 4 or 5 time points, but deviating as necessary for passengers to board and alight. Another common variation is to have a vehicle follow a fixed route, but allow it to deviate up to a given distance (typically ½ or ¾ mile) from the route to pick-up or drop-off passengers. Flexible routing improves the convenience of transit by allowing stops to be closer to a passenger’s origin and/or destination. Because deviated routes tend to operate in lower density environments travel times can be significantly reduced. Due to the possibility of deviations, flexible routing can be more difficult for passengers to understand and use. The most common applications of deviated routes involve circulators and shuttles, which are discussed below. Regardless of the type of application of the deviated fixed-route service, the key attribute of this service is its inherent flexibility which is ideally suited to serving suburban markets. The default transportation mode for most suburban residents is the private automobile, but deviated fixed-route service provides a viable alternative by emulating the flexibility of private automobiles. Deviated fixed-route service provides transit agencies with the ability to get closer to trip origins and destinations, thereby significantly increasing the overall accessibility and coverage of the entire transit network. New technologies, such as automatic vehicle locator and smart cards, stand to greatly enhance this particular service model. These technologies are discussed in greater detail in a following section. Circulators One of the more common applications of deviated fixed-route service is the circulator service. As defined by TCRP Report 55, circulators provide direct, timely linkages within communities, with connections to the regional rail or bus networks made available at designated transfer locations. Circulator service is often initiated to augment or even replace a fixed-route service due to various challenges in the operating environment, including the street network, lower densities, steep terrain, or increased operating costs. This type of transit service operates along a designated route alignment deviating as necessary to expand the effective service area.

B-6 Circulators generally serve the purpose of either collection or distribution in a passenger’s overall trip; therefore, the circulator serves as either the first or final leg in a passenger’s journey. Shuttles Another popular application for deviated fixed-route service is the shuttle. As defined by TCRP Report 55, shuttle service supplements the existing transit network by providing tailored, high-quality connecting services between major activity centers, one of which is often a transit center. Similar to the deviated fixed-route circulator service, it is possible to increase the service area of shuttle service by allowing the route to deviate from its designated alignment to pick-up and drop-off passengers. Shuttle services tend to be oriented towards serving niche markets, such as transportation to special events or transportation from a rail station to an employment center. Demand Responsive Services Demand responsive service, also called “dial-a-ride,” schedules vehicles to pick-up and drop-off passengers throughout a service area, providing high quality, curb-to-curb service for the general public and persons with disabilities. These services are particularly effective in areas with low-density development and/or widely dispersed trip generators that are hard to serve with a fixed-route or full-size coach. All of these trips require a call-in request. Advance notice requirements vary from days in advance to the actual time of the desired trip. Demand response services use smaller vehicles, whether they are small buses, large vans or taxis, which can navigate residential neighborhoods and narrow streets. Due to smaller passenger loads vehicles can follow more direct routes between origins and destinations, reducing trip travel times. Technological advances, including improved dispatching capabilities and real-time information, should allow transit systems to significantly reduce advance reservation requirements. Similar to the deviated fixed-route service described above, demand-response service is generally provided as either shuttle, feeder or circulator service. Demand response service is probably most commonly associated with social service transportation and is also utilized to meet the paratransit requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In the private sector, airport shuttles are probably the most common application of demand-response service. In the overall network of suburban transit services, demand-response service plays a critical role in serving niche markets that are not well served by fixed-route service and appears to be positioned to increase its relative profile in coming years. Subscription Services Subscription service offers a tailored transit service to specific individuals when they have paid a subscription fee. Many subscription services originated as private enterprises and have transitioned to public operation, although they may also be the result of a public/private partnership. Subscription vehicles, whether they be coaches or smaller vehicles, collect passengers at predetermined times and locations. Trips are scheduled to best meet the needs of a particular trip’s passengers in terms of the origin, destination and pickup and drop-off times. Subscription services tend to operate from residential environments that have low average densities but have concentrations of residents who have similar work locations. Subscription services often experience farebox recovery ratios much higher than other transit services because the demand for service is known in advance and because such a premium service demands higher fares.

B-7 For the purposes of this document, the discussion of subscription services is limited to commute service, as this is the market upon which most public and public/private partnerships focus. However, it is worth noting that other subscription services exist for markets such as childcare, sporting events, and travel to airports. The most common examples of public subscription services are commuter buses and vanpools. Although some ADA trips are called “subscription” trips, in reference to a standing reservation for a particular trip made by a specific passenger, they are not included in this discussion. Rather these trips are classified as being part of demand-responsive service. Subscription Commute Buses Subscription commute services often originate in lower density suburbs where residents work in proximity to one another, but at a relatively distant location. These workers may live in a new community where public transportation is not yet available or where demand is insufficient for intercity fixed-route transit service or they may simply be isolated from their jobs. A commuter bus offers subscribers the ability to relax or do work while they travel and in congested corridors, passengers often benefit from shorter travel times by taking advantage of HOV facilities. Commuter buses, or commuter clubs as they are sometimes called, offer guaranteed seats and a schedule tailored to the needs of the passengers. Depending on how closely passengers work to one another, they may be delivered to a single location, a transit hub for distribution to disparate destinations, or dropped of at a limited number of points. In order for such a system to work, subscribers’ trips origins and destinations must be proximate and they must have similar schedules. Vanpools Vanpools primary market consists of suburban commuting where residents live and work in locations throughout a region, but may be concentrated in a number of specific locations. Vanpools are often organized through a ride-matching service associated with an employer or a regional agency that promotes transportation demand management strategies. These services identify passengers who live and work in proximity to one another and have similar work schedules. Vanpool costs can be controlled fairly well because: • A vanpool must meet a minimum passenger requirement, • One or more vanpool participants are trained to drive the vehicle, and • Vehicles are leased or provided by the employer. Vanpools offer the advantage of being more flexible than subscription bus service due to fewer passengers whose trips and schedules need to be accommodated. This can make the service faster and of higher quality, while still promising subscribers a guaranteed seat. Areas with limited or expensive parking and HOV lanes offer incentives for the use of vanpools. Constrained parking deters individuals from driving while HOV lanes offer the benefit of reduced travel time.

B-8 INNOVATIVE SUBURBAN TRANSIT SERVICE The following sections discuss two basic approaches to making traditional transit more innovative. One approach is to use technological and infrastructure improvements to give transit more of the qualities of automobiles. The second approach is to modify service design to the same end. The technologies and designs discussed here may or may not be new discoveries or cutting edge science, but when they are successfully applied to traditional transit services they can create innovative solutions that allow transit to adapt to any environment in which it operates, suburban or otherwise. Technology and Infrastructure Improvements Technology plays an extremely important role in allowing public transportation to mimic the quality and characteristics of automobiles. The application of various technologies to existing infrastructure, or even the way infrastructure is utilized have profound impacts on transit’s performance. Real-time information, transit preferential treatment and vehicle modifications represent the array of ways in which changes to the way technology and infrastructure are used can improve transit service. Real-Time Information Real-time information on traffic conditions, transit vehicle location, and passenger origin and destination information allows transit to increase its operating speeds, scheduling and routing flexibility, and overall convenience for passengers. Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) AVL is a global positioning system (GPS) application that relays the real-time location of a vehicle to a central computer. This technology has a variety of applications to improve the quality of suburban transit. The following list describes some of the more common applications of this technology: • Arrival time of next bus(es): can be communicated to passengers via electronic displays (at transit hubs or individual stops), the internet, or personal digital assistants (PDAs). This decreases the uncertainty associated with waiting for a bus and allows potential passengers to make an informed decision about whether or not transit will meet their needs for a particular trip and allows passengers to better manage their time. • Routing: when a transit vehicle has flexibility in its alignment, AVL can be used to generate directions to a passenger’s origin or destination. Directions can be generated automatically and communicated to the driver via an in-vehicle display or a call from central dispatch. Similarly, AVL can be used for dynamic routing to identify the preferred vehicle to pick-up and drop off a passenger. Transit Preferential Treatment In order for transit to compete with cars, advantages must be afforded to transit vehicles that allow them to operate faster than personal vehicles. This will either make transit a faster, preferable alternative or it will help offset the time penalties associated with serving multiple passengers. Transit preferential treatments include technologies and infrastructure modifications.

B-9 Automatic Vehicle Detection A series of different technologies are available that can identify when a transit vehicle is approaching an intersection. Within certain parameters, signal timing can be modified to either lengthen a green cycle or shorten a red cycle to expedite a transit vehicle’s passage through an intersection. Some of the more common vehicle detection technologies include video recognition, AVL, and automatic vehicle identification in which each vehicle is outfitted with a transponder that signals its presence to an intersection’s receiver. Queue Jump Lanes At congested or high volume locations the presence of an additional lane for transit vehicles, called a queue jump lane, allows these vehicles to easily re-enter traffic and bypass what may be long lines of waiting cars. Queue jump lanes may be installed in conjunction with an additional signal phase which allows the transit vehicles to start prior to other vehicles traveling in the same direction. This technique is applied to intersections and freeway on-ramps. Exclusive or Limited-Use Roadways Being able to travel in free flowing lanes is another way that transit vehicles can increase their speed relative to those of cars. In some applications, entire lanes are designated for the sole use of transit vehicles; in others they share them with other high-occupancy vehicles. Examples include highway HOV lanes, bus-only lanes (separated or not), and contra-flow lanes where transit vehicles use one or more lanes on a one-way road to travel in the opposite direction. Exclusive use lanes generally offer the highest travel time savings, but in cases where right-of- way is limited or costs are prohibitive, shared-use lanes are beneficial. BRT and express routes regularly make use of exclusive and limited use roads to minimize their travel times. Vehicle Modifications Vehicle modifications can make transit more comfortable, improve operating speeds, and facilitate near door-to-door service. Smaller Vehicles The use of smaller transit vehicles, whether they be cutaways, 10-15 passenger vans, or sedans, permits service expansion to areas that might be inaccessible to full-size coaches or lack the density to support them. By their very nature, small vehicles carry fewer passengers who take less time to load and unload and make fewer stops. These factors allow the service to be more flexible and adaptive to passenger needs without creating burdensome travel times. Passengers are often more comfortable in smaller vehicles and feel safer because they are closer to the driver. Vehicle Design A variety of modifications to bus design are making them more proficient at quickly loading and unloading passengers. One industry trend has been towards low-floor coaches, which facilitate the expeditious boarding and alighting of mobility impaired passengers. Another design modification is to increase the number of doors from which passengers may alight, making the bus function more like a rail vehicle. Increasing the number of doors allows for rapid alighting towards the rear of the vehicle, while the front doors accommodate boarding passengers.

B-10 INNOVATIVE SERVICE DESIGN Service design is another important area in which progress is being made towards providing more innovative, non-traditional transit service. A variety of approaches have been implemented throughout the country that have improved transit’s ability to provide valuable transit services to suburban environments. They include the use of tangential and circumferential routing, seamless transferring, and improved fare collection. This section provides a brief overview of these service designs that allow transit to better adapt to the suburban environment. Tangential and Circumferential Routing Tangential and circumferential routing techniques serve the non-central business district, cross-town travel market that has become increasingly common in suburban service areas. Tangential routes serve the cross-town travel market by providing direct connections between park-and-ride lots or transit centers and suburban employment centers. Houston, TX has a number of tangential routes within its service area, many of which serve the Texas Medical Center which boasts the highest transit mode split in the region at 14%. Circumferential routes provide service along the periphery of a region, often adjacent to a beltway. These routes serve a similar purpose to the tangential routes, but are less common and tend to be more expensive to operate. Having a dedicated bus lane greatly improves the operational efficiency and ridership potential of circumferential routes. Seamless Transferring As travel patterns have become more dispersed in suburban areas, it becomes more challenging to complete a trip via transit without needing to transfer between routes or even between transit systems. As such, many transit systems have made service design improvements to allow for seamless transfer opportunities between routes. Providing a timed transfer reduces the wait time and total travel time for passengers, thereby improving the quality of service particularly for routes with fairly long headways. In addition to coordinating the schedules of different routes to provide timed transfer opportunities, transit systems have often restructured their route network to more of a grid like system where interconnecting routes operate on a pulse schedule to best serve transfer centers throughout the service area. Many suburban transit operators have moved away from the large, centralized transit centers in favor of multiple smaller transit hubs which are often best suited to serve the polycentric travel patterns that are prevalent in most suburban areas. Fare Collection Innovative fare collection techniques have also become more common among many transit systems in recent years. Universal fare media allow passengers to utilize multiple transit services that are operated by different transit systems without having to deal with complex transfer arrangements. Smart cards, which were discussed in the technology section above, also facilitate passengers’ ability to transfer between partnering transit agencies. Overcoming various institutional barriers and getting different transit agencies to cooperate with one another is usually the biggest challenge in the implementation of a universal fare media program. Although not very common in the United States, off-vehicle fare collection can reduce transit travel times by eliminating the delays associated with passengers paying a fare while boarding the bus.

B-11 A fare-related design feature which can improve the convenience and speed of transit service is the incorporation of automated fare collection, including smart card readers, onto transit vehicles. Equipping buses to read electronic fare media expedites the boarding process as passengers do not have to search for exact change or feed money into slow or malfunctioning fare boxes. In addition to reducing delays with passenger boarding, smart cards provide a convenience to passengers by eliminating the need to carry the exact fare and by facilitating transfers among transit providers. When linked to AVL systems, smart cards can provide useful origin-destination information, particularly when passengers must also tag their card when exiting (doing so can offset their time-savings benefits, however). TRANSIT SERVICES AND THE ACTIVITY SPACE The activity surface provides the basis for relating the spatial distribution of travel demand and the optimal arrangement of transit centers, line-haul routes, and other transit services. All transit services can be organized around the topographical features on the activity surface, as shown below: • Peaks are the largest destinations for travel by all modes and are generally served by the highest frequency, highest capacity transit services in a region. They are also generally the best locations for transit hubs because the concentration of routes serves travel demand from all directions and the concentration of trip ends minimizes the need to transfer. • Ridges generally represent the best locations for traditional line-haul transit services, including rail and fixed-route bus services, since they have a relatively high number of trip ends within walking distance and the mix of uses provides a source of relatively high, all-day travel demand. • Points are among the most difficult locations to effectively serve with fixed-route transit. Not only are points geographically dispersed, but their travel demand also tends to be concentrated at certain times of day. As a result, these places tend to be poorly served by transit. Frequently they receive little or no service at non-peak times, are served by dedicated trips or scheduled route deviations that can confuse customers, or require customers to walk a long distance to a mainline bus route. Defining strategies to effectively serve points is one of the major objectives of this research. • Plains are also notoriously difficult to serve with fixed-route transit because of the low density, coarsely grained mix of land uses, and lack of well-connected pedestrian facilities frequently found in suburban residential areas. As with points, identifying strategies to effectively serve plains is one of the major objectives of this research. TYPOLOGY OF TRANSIT SERVICES The activity surface concept also provides the basis for a typology of transit service types. This chapter explores how transit services can be characterized by their relationship to the peaks, ridges, points, and plains on the activity surface. Chapter 3 identified a number of strategies that are providing transit services in the modern polycentric city, including: fixed-route trunk routes, express routes, limited routes, circulators, shuttles, and feeders; deviated route circulators, shuttles, and feeders; demand-response dial-a-ride services, commuter buses, and vanpools. Each of these strategies can be thought of as a response to a set of topographical

B-12 features on the activity surface. Table B-1 illustrates the association between these topographical features and common transit services. Table B-1: Relationships between Activity Surfaces’ Topographical Features and Transit Service Formats Topographical Feature Service Format Peak Circulator Ridge Trunk, Limited Plain Circulator, Dial-A-Ride, Shared Taxi Peak - Peak Trunk, Express, Limited Peak - Point Shuttle Peak - Plain Express, Feeder Point - Point Shuttle Point - Plain Commuter Bus, Vanpool Suburban service formats can be characterized by how they relax the rigidities of traditional urban transit services. Standard urban transit service, such as a bus route operating in a dense urban corridor, operates on a fixed route such that every run is similar, stops every few blocks, runs frequently, and consistently, enough throughout the day that schedules are not really needed, provides capacity for high passenger loads with large buses, and runs primarily on major arterial streets relying on pedestrian access from nearby neighborhoods. Because of the multiple, overlapping travel markets in dense urban corridors, a transit run frequently repeated is able to serve the needs of passengers making many different trips. This ‘one route fits all’ feature of urban transit creates an economy of scale that is often not achievable on suburban services. Table B-2 shows how various suburban transit strategies compare to traditional fixed- route bus service. Service formats are compared across seven parameters, including fixedness of route, closeness of stops, frequency of service, consistency of schedule, length of service span, capacity of vehicles, and hierarchy of street. In addition to describing the physical and operational characteristics of different service formats, these parameters also have relationships to the quality of service perceived by transit passengers. These relationships are described by service measures in the “Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual (TCQSM), 2nd Edition” (TCRP Report 100) and include the following: • Fixedness of route relates to service coverage and how easily potential customers can access service; • Closeness of stops relates both to service coverage (closer stops minimize walking distances to and from transit service) and travel time (closer stops—or, for demand- responsive service, the need to make intermediate stops to serve other passengers— increase overall passenger travel times as vehicles must stop more often);

B-13 • Frequency of service reflects how often passengers may travel and is measured directly by the TCQSM’s frequency measure for fixed-route service and by response time for demand-responsive service; the longer wait times associated with lower frequencies are also an element of fixed-route passengers’ overall travel time; • Consistency of schedule and length of service span illustrate when passengers may travel; these parameters are combined into the TCQSM’s hours of service measure for fixed-route service and service span measure for demand-responsive-service; • Vehicle capacity relates to passenger loading (e.g., the ability to get a seat) and, for demand-responsive service, trips not served, where a lack of space on a vehicle or an insufficient number of vehicles to meet demand results in trip denials; and • Hierarchy of street relates to service coverage, as service on lower-order streets decreases walking distances at the home end of trips and often provides for a safer street- crossing environment (e.g., due to lower traffic volumes and narrower streets); however, service on lower-order streets may also result in longer in-vehicle travel times due to lower travel speeds, a more circuitous street network, and other factors. Table B-2: Characteristics of Various Transit Service Formats Service Format Fixedness of Route Closeness of Stops Frequency of Service Consistency of Schedule Length of Service Span Capacity of Vehicles Hierarchy of Street ideal characteristics of traditional urban bus route all runs are alike stops all along the route short waiting times runs all day without gaps runs morning to night uses large buses runs on major streets Traditional Urban Bus Route high high high high high high high Suburban Fixed Bus Route varies varies varies varies varies varies varies Fixed-Route Circulators high high high varies varies medium low Route-Deviation Circulators medium medium high varies varies medium low Demand-Response Circulators low low varies varies varies low low Special Purpose Shuttles high low high varies varies varies varies Fixed-Route Feeders high high varies varies varies varies low Route-Deviation Feeders medium medium varies varies varies varies low Demand-Response Feeders low low varies varies varies low low Subscription Bus Routes high low high low low varies high Vanpools high low high low low low high Notes: Fixedness of Route: high denotes that all runs deliver passenger to same destination(s), low denotes significant variation in points served Closeness of Stops: high denotes boarding or alighting ability all along the route, low denotes significant express or unserved segments Frequency of Service: high denotes short headways or promised arrival times for dial-a-ride, low denotes long headways requiring a schedule Consistency of Schedule: high denotes even headways throughout the day, low denotes significant gaps in service Length of Service Span: high denotes service availability during off-peak hours, low denotes peak-only or other limited service period Capacity of Vehicles: high denotes use of 40-foot or larger buses, low denotes use of smaller buses or vans Hierarchy of Streets: high denotes significant use of major arterials, low denotes service on neighborhood streets

B-14 While much of the variation between service parameters that responds to specific local conditions is lost in the generalized comparison provided by Table 2-2, it is apparent how suburban services adapt to their environments by building in flexibility that is not always necessary or desirable in urban settings. Within each general transit service format there is room for considerable variation based on the demand for service and characteristics of the service area. This research will produce guidelines that relate service area characteristics to appropriate service design parameters for suburban transit services. A main objective of this research is thus to determine which rigidities (e.g. route alignment, stop spacing, vehicle size) associated with traditional urban transit should be relaxed, and to what extent, given the attributes of a suburban service area. Table 2-3 presents an initial set of relationships that will guide the development of a methodology. As an example, the frequency of transit service depends largely on the density within the service area – with less service in lower density environments and more service in higher density environments. Table B-3: Relationships between Service Area Characteristics and Service Parameters Service Design Parameter Density Diversity Design Fixedness of Route 9 9 Closeness of Stops 9 Frequency of Service 9 Consistency of Schedule 9 Length of Service Span 9 Capacity of Vehicles 9 Hierarchy of Street 9 9 Service Area Characteristic