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From page 30... ... 30 This chapter summarizes the results of the project's case examples. For each completed case example, the following information is provided in narrative form: • Background information about the agency and the context in which it provides or supports BRT • BRT services and facilities operated and/or owned by the agency • Development and evolution of BRT services and facilities • BRT operating strategies (including enforcement) Read the entire page →
From page 31... ... BRT Current State of Practice 31 Case Example 1: Capital Metro Agency/Owner: Capital Metro Location: Austin, TX Name of BRT Service: MetroRapid Number of BRT Routes/Facilities: 2 Years of BRT Experience: 7 Annual System Ridership: 10 million to 100 million Background Capital Metro is the public transit provider for the Austin region in Central Texas. The agency operates fixed-route bus, express bus, BRT, hybrid rail, shuttle, and ride-sharing services as well as a variety of demand-response transit services. Read the entire page →
From page 32... ... Lake Austin La dy B ird Lake TECH RIDGE PARMER CHINATOWN RUNDBERG MASTERSON NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER CRESTVIEW BRENTWOOD NORTH LOOP EAST TRIANGLE HYDE PARK VIC MATHIAS/ AUDITORIUM SHORES SOCO OLTORF ST EDWARD'S ST ELMO LITTLE TEXAS PLEASANT HILL SLAUGHTER SOUTHPARK MEADOWS SOUTH CONGRESS TRANSIT CENTER CAPITOL MUSEUM UT/DEAN KEETON 31ST STREET UT/WEST MALL AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER REPUBLIC SQUARE NB Lavaca at 17th SB Guadalupe at 17th NB Lavaca at 13th SB Guadalupe at 12th NB Lavaca at 8th SB Guadalupe at 8th NB Lavaca at 4th SB Guadalupe at 4th DOMAIN UT RESEARCH CAMPUS CROSSROADS RUTLAND NORTHCROSS JUSTIN ALLANDALE NORTH LOOP ROSEDALE SUNSHINE BARTON SPRINGS LAMAR SQUARE OLTORF WEST BLUEBONNET BRODIE OAKS BROKEN SPOKE WESTGATE SEAHOLM / CENTRAL LIBRARY WEST 38TH OHLEN 35 35 35 35 183 183 183 183290 290 290 1 71 C ongress A ve M oPac M oPac MLK Blvd 12th St 11th St 13th St Koenig Ln Airport Blvd 38th St 24th St Cesar Chavez St Lightsey Rd Stassney Ln William Cannon Dr Slaughter Ln Ben White Blvd Oltorf St Barton Springs Rd Monroe St S 1st St Braker Ln Braker Ln Duval Rd Research Blvd Research Blvd Kramer Ln Parmer Ln Rundberg Ln Esperanza Crossing Masterson Pass Justin Ln Anderson Ln Ohl en R d RIVERSIDE DR M enchaca Rd C O N G R ESS SO U T H SO U TH CO N G RESS N O R T H LA M A R N O R T H LA M A R LA M A R W 49TH SO U TH LA M AR BU RN ET CESAR CHAVEZ The Domain JJ Pickle Research Campus ACC Rio Grande City Hall Seton Hospital Central Market Northcross Shopping Center Downtown Austin Austin Convention Center Auditorium Shores/ Palmer Events Ctr Westgate Mall Southpark Meadows Shopping Center St Edward's University SoCo District Capitol Complex Blanton Museum of Art University of Texas Bullock Texas State History Museum MetroRapid Station MetroRapid 801 North Lamar/South Congress MetroRapid Station and Transfer Point Park & Ride Lot MetroRail Connection MetroRapid 803 Burnet/South Lamar SCHEMATIC MAP NOT TO SCALELEGEND 13 12 0 5 n g x 1 14 shared stations FAIRFIELD G U A D A LU PE BRAKER/STADIUM Q2 Stadium Source: Capital Metro, https://www.capmetro.org/docs/default-source/riders-guide-docs/our-servicesdocs/metrorapid_ 801systemfinal_bothlines_june2021.pdf? sfvrsn=351f624c_2. Read the entire page →
From page 33... ... BRT Current State of Practice 33 e underlying local service in each MetroRapid corridor uses approximately 90% of the same alignment as MetroRapid; the ends of the local routes do not serve the same end points as MetroRapid. Other local routes overlap the MetroRapid routes to a lesser extent. Read the entire page →
From page 34... ... 34 Bus Rapid Transit: Current State of Practice implement TSP in the CBD because of its impacts on coordination of the downtown signal system, so BRT needed to rely on queue jumps and bus lanes instead. Priority treatments had to be figured out on a block-by-block basis, with consideration of access to and from alleys and off-street parking facilities. Read the entire page →
From page 35... ... BRT Current State of Practice 35 MetroRapid service was rst implemented with solid white lines separating the bus lanes from general trac lanes and pavement markings and overhead signs conveying a "Bus Only" message. In 2019, Capital Metro commenced testing red paint on the bus lanes in an eort to help automobile drivers more easily recognize if they are in the bus lane or not, and testing showed immediate deterioration in the paint. Read the entire page →
From page 36... ... 36 Bus Rapid Transit: Current State of Practice transfers for transferring to MetroRapid, increase in headways on Route 1, and changes to feeder bus routes. Capital Metro eliminated the premium fare in 2017 and saw an immediate increase in ridership (approximately 25%) Read the entire page →
From page 37... ... BRT Current State of Practice 37 requirements of the city's shared-use paths. Capital Metro also wants to use bus stop foundations/pads that are bolted down instead of foundations with massive footings, as the bolteddown pads have less impact on utilities and could be moved if needed. Read the entire page →
From page 38... ... 38 Bus Rapid Transit: Current State of Practice Source: King County Metro, https://kingcounty.gov/~/media/depts/metro/maps/route/03192022/large/m671.jpg? version=2. Read the entire page →
From page 39... ... BRT Current State of Practice 39 The state prefers to have local governments maintain state roadways and gives those local governments a lot of leeway in making traffic control decisions. Accordingly, when King County Metro plans a new RapidRide route, the agency must obtain affected local governments' buy-in for the project. Read the entire page →
From page 40... ... 40 Bus Rapid Transit: Current State of Practice King County has a large TSP system that will be updated to include 350 to 400 traffic signals and transitioned to a decentralized architecture as individual jurisdictions' systems are available for updates over the next 3 to 5 years. Currently, the region is characterized by a mix of different kinds of traffic signal controllers, and King County Metro cannot always obtain TSP where it is wanted. Read the entire page →
From page 41... ... BRT Current State of Practice 41 operations will be more labor intensive, but potential benefits include reducing layover space needs and being able to provide service with a smaller fleet. Although ASM will be implemented first with the A Line and F Line, it will eventually be deployed systemwide. Read the entire page →
From page 42... ... 42 Bus Rapid Transit: Current State of Practice Agency sta advise the following: • Plan and design future BRT routes using what you have learned from BRT routes you have already implemented. As each RapidRide route was planned and designed, agency sta made decisions based on which of the RapidRide routes developed up to that point were most eective with respect to impacts on travel time and ridership. Read the entire page →
From page 43... ... BRT Current State of Practice 43 require special maintenance and the operators of these buses will require additional training, the left-side doors will allow the G Line to operate alongside a median and avoid the negative impacts of outside-lane congestion. The agency determined that the operational and safety benefits of median operation (e.g., a 40%–50% reduction in travel times) Read the entire page →
From page 44... ... 44 Bus Rapid Transit: Current State of Practice Overview of BRT Services/Facilities LTD's existing Emerald Express (EmX) BRT system is depicted in Figure 18. Read the entire page →
From page 45... ... Source: Lane Transit District, www.ltd.org/emx-rider-guide/. Figure 18. Read the entire page →
From page 46... ... 46 Bus Rapid Transit: Current State of Practice a median running way that restricts midblock left turns is not something that local businesses would support. LTD continually makes adaptations to the EmX service. Read the entire page →
From page 47... ... BRT Current State of Practice 47 Franklin Boulevard turns into 11th Avenue in downtown Eugene. Implementing contraflow operation at that location allowed LTD to economize on ROW acquisition. Read the entire page →
From page 48... ... 48 Bus Rapid Transit: Current State of Practice dispatcher working full-time to manage the service in the bidirectional segment of the EmX system, and a small amount of congestion could readily disrupt such frequent operation. If there is snow, EmX buses currently run outside of the busways. Read the entire page →
From page 49... ... BRT Current State of Practice 49 LTD reported that a high level of running way exclusivity is critical to stabilizing travel times. In corridors where LTD buses do not operate with a high level of exclusivity, travel times degrade every year. Read the entire page →
From page 50... ... 50 Bus Rapid Transit: Current State of Practice improving safety for pedestrians and bicyclists (NYCDOT and MTA 2013) Read the entire page →
From page 51... ... BRT Current State of Practice 51 Source: MTA, "Manhattan Bus Service Guide," https://new.mta.info/ document/8331. Figure 21. Read the entire page →
From page 52... ... 52 Bus Rapid Transit: Current State of Practice Source: MTA, "Manhattan Bus Service Guide," https://new.mta.info/ document/8331. Figure 23. Read the entire page →
From page 53... ... BRT Current State of Practice 53 Dispatchers and service monitors are depot based rather than SBS focused, but because SBS routes are high-ridership and high-volume routes, SBS routes get a lot of attention. At this time, all SBS corridors have some degree of bus lanes; they are usually only placed where they are most needed. Read the entire page →
From page 54... ... 54 Bus Rapid Transit: Current State of Practice enforcement is that, as automated enforcement, it is more effective and neutral. NYCDOT's cameras are mounted over bus lanes and on traffic signal infrastructure. Read the entire page →
From page 55... ... BRT Current State of Practice 55 Off-board fare collection was new to many riders, and there was initial agitation from the community about having to pay the bus fare in advance. To help address this, whenever SBS routes were implemented, MTA sent "ambassadors" to every SBS stop to show riders how to use SBS. Read the entire page →
From page 56... ... 56 Bus Rapid Transit: Current State of Practice Overview of BRT Services/Facilities Omaha Metro launched Omaha Rapid Bus Transit (ORBT) service in 2020 to serve the high volume of existing ridership in the Dodge Street corridor (the main corridor in Omaha Metro's transit network) Read the entire page →
From page 57... ... BRT Current State of Practice 57 • Level boarding • Off-board fare collection (except for ticket vending machines, which are anticipated to be installed in the fall of 2021 after a pandemic-caused delivery delay) When it was implemented, ORBT replaced the local bus service that was operating in the Dodge Street corridor. Read the entire page →
From page 58... ... 58 Bus Rapid Transit: Current State of Practice Maintenance Strategies ORBT station platforms have electric snowmelt systems to assist with snow removal. Trash receptacles are available at all stations, and trash and debris are picked up daily. Read the entire page →
From page 59... ... BRT Current State of Practice 59 design was completed, serving as "ambassadors" who helped educate the community about a type of transit service that was new to the area. Stakeholders were also influential during the design phase of the project. Read the entire page →
From page 60... ... 60 Bus Rapid Transit: Current State of Practice Source: Pace, https://www.pacebus.com/pulse. Figure 27. Read the entire page →
From page 61... ... BRT Current State of Practice 61 previously had similar headways as the Pulse route but operated over a shorter span. The underlying local service now runs at hourly headways. Read the entire page →
From page 62... ... 62 Bus Rapid Transit: Current State of Practice medians, and narrow on-street parking lanes. As part of a landscaping and pedestrian project on Milwaukee Avenue, however, the city implemented curb extensions in some locations to support Pulse stations. Read the entire page →
From page 63... ... BRT Current State of Practice 63 Pace began establishing protocols for station designs several years ago. Pulse Milwaukee shares a station with CTA; this on-line station was designed to be long enough to accommodate multiple buses simultaneously. Read the entire page →
From page 64... ... 64 Bus Rapid Transit: Current State of Practice • Ridership on the BRT route was beginning to surpass that of the previous local service when the COVID-19 pandemic began. The BRT route has not lost as much ridership as other Pace routes during the pandemic. Read the entire page →

From page 30...

... 30 This chapter summarizes the results of the project's case examples. For each completed case example, the following information is provided in narrative form: • Background information about the agency and the context in which it provides or supports BRT • BRT services and facilities operated and/or owned by the agency • Development and evolution of BRT services and facilities • BRT operating strategies (including enforcement)