Transit Cooperative Research Program Sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration RESEARCH RESULTS DIGEST October 1997-Number 22

Subject Areas: IA Planning and Administration, Responsible Senior Program Officer: Christopher W Jenks VI Public Transit, VII Rail

International Transit Studies Program Report on 1996 Missions

This TCRP digest summarizes the fourth and fifth missions performed under TCRP Project J-3, "International Transit Studies Program. " The digest includes information on the cities visited, lessons learned, and discussions of policies and practices that could be used in the United States. This digest was prepared by Tracy E. Dunleavy, Eno Transportation Foundation, Inc., the administrator of the project, on the basis of reports filed by the mission participants.

INTERNATIONAL TRANSIT STUDIES international contacts for addressing public PROGRAM transportation problems and issues. The program arranges study missions where About the Program teams of public transportation professionals visit transit operations in other countries. Each study The International Transit Studies Program mission has a central theme that encompasses issues (ITSP) is part of the Transit Cooperative Research of concern in public transportation. Cites and transit Program (TCRP). The ITSP is managed by the Eno systems to be visited are selected on the basis of their Transportation Foundation under contract to the ability to demonstrate new ideas or unique National Academy of Sciences (NAS). The TCRP approaches to handling public transportation was authorized by the Intermodal Surface challenges reflected in the study mission's theme. Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991. In May 1992, Each study team begins with a briefing before a memorandum of agreement outlining TCRP departing on an intensive, 2-week mission. After this operations was signed by the NAS, acting through its stimulating professional interaction, study team Transportation Research Board (TRB); the Transit members return home with ideas for possible Development Corporation, which is the education application in their own communities. Team and research arm of the American Public Transit members are encouraged to share their international Association (APTA); and the Federal Transit experience and findings with peers in the public Administration (FTA). The TCRP is funded annually transportation community throughout the United by a grant from the FTA. States. Study mission experience also helps team The ITSP is designed to assist in the professional members evaluate current and proposed transit development of transit managers, public officials, improvements and identify potential public planners, and others charged with public transportation research topics. transportation responsibilities in the United States. Study missions normally are conducted in the The program accomplishes this objective by spring and fall of each year. Study teams consist of providing opportunities for participants to learn from up to 15 individuals, including a senior official foreign experience while expanding their network of designated as the group's spokesperson. domestic and

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL 2

CONTENTS

International Transit Studies Program, 1 Canadian Urban and Regional Transit Innovations: About the Program, 1 Mission 5, October 14-27, 1996, 20 About the Report, 3 Introduction, 20 Urban and Regional Operations in Smaller , 20 European Cities: Mission 4, May 9-26, 1996, 3 Montreal, 21 Introduction, 3 , 22 Switzerland, 4 , 24 Unique Transit Features, 4 , 24 Zurich, 4 , 25 Schaffhausen, 5 Victoria, 27 Frauenfeld, 5 Lessons Learned, 27 Austria, 6 Dornbirn, 6 APPENDIX A: Mission Participants and Their Titles and , 7 Affiliations at the Time of the Mission, 33 Unique Transit Features, 7 Lindau, 7 APPENDIX B: European Hosts Perspective of "What Radolfzell, 8 They Do Best," 35 Ravensburg, 8 Detmold, 9 Lemgo, 10 Bad Salzuflen, 10 Muenster, 10 Belgium, 11 Liege, 11 Brugge, 12 Netherlands, 13 Unique Transit Features, 13 Breda, 13 Dordrecht, 14 Maastricht, 14 Lessons Learned, 15 Automobile Restriction, 15 Integrated Pricing, 15 Marketing and Customer Information, 15 Planning, 15 Route Design and Operations, 20 Technology, 20 3

Transit properties are contacted directly titles and affiliations at the time of their officials and the general public started and requested to nominate candidates respective missions. to view public transit as a convenience for participation. Nominees are for everyone, not just a necessity for screened by a committee of transit those without automobiles. officials, and the TCRP Project J-3 URBAN AND REGIONAL BUS In general, European cities, both Oversight Panel approves the selection. OPERATIONS IN SMALLER large and small, are very densely Study mission participants are up- EUROPEAN CITIES: MISSION 4, populated in compact areas with and-coming transit management MAY 9-26, 1996 historic (and thereby a downsized) personnel with substantial, sustained urban infrastructure. As automobile knowledge and experience in transit INTRODUCTION traffic increased, outpacing roadway activities. Participants must and parking capacity, the result was demonstrate potential for advancement Like their American counterparts, tremendous congestion. Many cities to higher levels of public transportation transit planners in small western visited by the study team employed responsibilities. Other selection criteria European communities face a number integrated policies and practices to include current responsibilities, career of issues in designing and managing mitigate the increasing congestion. Key objectives, and the probable transit service to meet both market and policy objectives were to reduce private professional development value of the social policy objectives. automobile traffic, without adversely mission for the participant and To learn about the latest advances affecting urban mobility, and to sponsoring employer. expenses in small city transportation, a improve the quality of urban life and for participants are paid through TCRP delegation of U.S. transit officials cities' economic vitality. This report Project J-3 funding. visited several European countries from describes how various European cities In addition to conducting study May 9 through May 26, 1996. The have used specific tools and practices, missions, the ITSP administers an study team visited the following cities: including the following, to implement individual travel assistance program, Zurich, Schaffhausen, and Frauenfeld, their transportation and quality-of-life which provides financial assistance to Switzerland; Dornbirn, Austria; goals: enable individuals engaged in U.S. Lindau, Radolfzell, Ravensburg, public transportation management, Detmold, Lemgo, Bad Salzuflen, and · Signal preemption and intersection operations, planning, and research to Muenster, Germany; Liege and Brugge, priority participate in international conferences Belgium; and Breda, Dordrecht, and · Dedicated preferential lanes for and meetings held outside North Maastricht, Netherlands. , bicycles, and pedestrians America. Applicants must plan to A key purpose of the mission was · Other traffic treatments and participate in the event as a presenter, to demonstrate the dramatic successes strategies discussion leader, panelist, or obtained by smaller communities in · Automobile-free or restricted moderator. altering modal split by introducing or zones for transit and pedestrians Additional information about the enhancing public transit. The mission · Parking supply and pricing study missions or individual travel looked at the policy, funding, · Special "central city" or central awards may be obtained by contacting accessibility, and passenger business district (CBD) strategies the TCRP at 202/334-2886 or the Eno information aspects of several city bus · Passenger information systems Transportation Foundation at systems, along with their traffic · Aggressive image campaigns. 703/7297212. management and retail trade impacts. In the late 1980s, Europeans were The Stadtbus or "City Bus" model About the Report faced with the decision to create more systems in Germany, Switzerland, and roads or reduce automobile traffic. Austria, with some variations in The following report is an They chose to fund and expand public Holland and Belgium, that the study overview of the fourth and fifth study transportation with substantial public team visited were developed to achieve missions, conducted during the spring investment. This has resulted in many objectives, including managing and fall of 1997, respectively. This dramatic shifts in travel modes in favor traffic and relieving congestion (see report reflects the views of the of public transit. Figure 1). The study team identified a contributing participants, who are The success of transit systems common theme among the Stadtbus responsible for the facts and accuracy during the past 5 years appears to be cities, where increasing automobile of the data presented. The report does the result of a fundamental shift in congestion was choking the central not necessarily reflect the views of the views--from the views of transit cities with gridlock. This gridlock was TCRP, TRB, NAS, APTA, FTA, or the systems and government officials to the threatening the quality of life and many Eno Transportation Foundation. views quickly adopted by the general historical urban environments. The City Appendix A lists the names of public. Because of changes in European Bus systems, such as those in Detmold study mission participants and their transportation in the late 1980s, and Bad Salzuflen (Germany), Dornbirn (Austria), Dordrecht 4

(Netherlands), and Brugge (Belgium), noise levels, and improved air quality each community and the community's were key elements of an overall city are valid reasons for such national tax base. transportation plan, with policies. The network contains a total of comprehensive strategies for managing Increasing costs and attempts to 2,700 route km. The (S traffic congestion, enhancing urban place a cap on funds allocated to transit Bahn) serves as the main distributor, livability, and stimulating economic from tax revenues have led to the with 27 station stops inside the city vitality. privatization of services in many limits. Neighborhood feeder buses and Although some European systems European cities. The privatization vans bring passengers to the main stop. have developed imaginative service model is credited to Frauenfeld, Transit operators in Zurich are planning and operating practices that Switzerland, where the current Stadtbus very conscious of air and water quality warrant emulation in the United States, has been provided by a private and noise control. The system consists the study team recognized the distinct contractor since its inception in 1984. mostly of electrified and trolley cultural, institutional, and historical The private contractor provides the buses, but much of the bus fleet is differences between the European buses, drivers, and maintenance. The diesel. A recent proposal called for the countries visited and the United States. city manages policy and provides electrification of all bus lines, removing This study mission was the first to street amenities, marketing, and service diesels from the system. Given the very concentrate on urban and regional bus planning. high front-end fixed cost of the service. Earlier missions (1994 to 1995) overhead power grid and the highlighted and hightech Zurich conversion or replacement of buses, the systems, intelligent transportation proposal was determined to be too systems, policy, marketing, and traffic Transit Profile expensive. management innovations. A system objective is to have a At each site visited, the study team Zurich is the largest city in within 300 m of each doorstep. asked city and transit professionals Switzerland, with a population of Throughout the region, there are more what three things they did best or what 341,000 (1991 estimate). The city's than 1,400 bus stops, served by more three things primarily contributed to fastgrowing suburbs have brought the than 600 buses and trolley buses their success. Even though the study population of the metropolitan area to operated by 28 companies that together team came back with strong nearly 1 million. operate more than 30 million km a impressions in areas of technology and The canton of Zurich has been year. public policy, most systems prided served by the Zurcher Verkehrsverbund Another objective of the Zurich S themselves on their passenger (Zurich Association or ZVV) Bahn system is to provide a amenities, customer information, and since 1990. This system is made up of seat for every passenger. Standing is frequency of service. Appendix B lists more than 40 public and private transit considered an exception to be tolerated what city and transit professionals providers, operating a total of 262 only for brief periods. This requirement consider to be the most successful commuter rail, light rail, bus and trolley reflects the desire for comfortable aspects of their systems. bus, mountain rail, and lines travel and an amenable, egalitarian and paddle-wheel lake steamers. transit environment for all passengers. SWITZERLAND Since a popular referendum in There is full-fare integration 1988 authorized an integrated rail throughout the region, which is divided Unique Transit Features network, daily public transit passenger into 45 tariff zones. Zurich uses the totals have increased by more than one- honor system; tickets are purchased off Switzerland established a national third in Zurich and by about 14 percent the vehicle, and fare inspectors policy that limits the use of cars by in the ZVV region to just under 1 randomly check tickets. About 35 restricting traffic patterns in the CBDs million. The modal split among daily million single, multiple, monthly, and of its cities. In addition, and perhaps commuters to Zurich has increased annual tickets are sold each year. equally as important, Switzerland from 50 percent to 59 percent public According to a study conducted by an imposes a gas tax, which contributes to transit. Farebox receipts, which independent research institute, this the high cost of fueling a private car. covering 56 percent of the system's works out to 560 public transit trips per The gas tax is used as a financial base current annual operating costs, amount inhabitant per year, a level far above to support the cost of operating transit to SFr 800 million ($715 million); the that registered by other metropolitan in each of the cities and cantons shortfall is covered equally by the regions in western Europe. (cantons are comparable to U.S. canton and its 171 communities. counties or regional areas). The people Calculation of the local contributions What Could Be Applicable to the in major cities such as Zurich, with its involves a complicated 80/20 formula United States? wellintegrated intermodal system, that takes into account the number of believe that decreased congestion, daily departures from station stops in In Zurich, the same organization is reduced in charge of transit and land use 5 planning. Coordination of these two which typically run at 10-min In European cities that use functions is considered a high priority. headways. Passenger totals and farebox offboard fare collection, it is difficult to Officials are working to increase receipts have risen consistently, even obtain a reliable count of customers at densities at commuter rail stations. In after were raised by 10 percent in the route or stop level. Some systems the long term, they see the need to get 1994. Between 1984 and 1994, annual are experimenting with passenger people closer to transit services, to passenger totals increased from about 9 counters. Schaffhausen uses an optical increase ridership, and to affect the million to 12 million, and during the beam above each of the doors on 5 of economy in a positive manner. past 5 years, annual farebox receipts its 43 buses. This system determines In the canton of Zurich, the cities, rose from about 6 million to 9 million the number of passenger boardings by the canton, and the federal government Swiss francs, the latter of which is stop. Regional and local bus systems make up the difference between fare equivalent to $7.6 million. Operating sell their own tickets. However, within revenues and costs. Fares are fully revenues, including parking and the city, users can ride the regional or integrated. Regional and local fees, cover about 60 percent city bus with either ticket. The operators and the federally operated rail of operating costs. boundaries of the city system coincide systems use the same prepaid fare More than one-third (12,700) of with the zonal boundaries of the within the canton. All revenues Schaffhausen's residents purchase a regional system. collected in Zurich are retained by the monthly or annual pass for the regional Like many cities visited, ZVV, which reimburses transport transit system, which gives them full Schaffhausen is already built out. Most companies for their costs. access to local and intercity bus, of the city's development is infill, Zurich is a pioneer in prioritizing trolley, and commuter rail services. where a high level of transit service intersection signals. The country's Tickets or passes are sold in all post already exists. The presence of and computer system sets traffic signals at offices and at the railway station. access to public transportation have intersections throughout Zurich to Annual pass holders increased more become important criteria for residents optimize transit, automobile, and than 10 percent (to 5,540) last year. in choosing where to live. bicycle flow. The system has special The VBSH is very active in the areas of The cost of delivering new transit signals, giving light rail vehicles passenger information and public schedules annually to homes in (trams) and buses special priority. relations, distributing pocket guides Schaffhausen is covered by a local An innovative program in many of and schedules to all households, department store's ad, which appears on the cities studied is a car-sharing training drivers in customer relations, the schedule (the bus company also arrangement, organized as a issuing name tags to all drivers, and makes some money from the ad). The membership cooperative, which instituting electronic bus stop city also produces a semiannual facilitates short-term car rental. The announcements in the vehicles. The newsletter that is delivered to all homes program in Zurich appears to be the system operates with a total of 131 in the area. most mature. A small fleet of microcars employees of all categories. is based at a rail station. By using an interactive voice-response telephone What Could Be Applicable to the Frauenfeld system, a customer can make a United States? reservation for a car at a certain date Transit Profile and time. A very sophisticated signal To encourage consumer input, priority system and on-board (bus) Frauenfeld, a town of 20,000 in Zurich surveys passengers, nonusers, computer system has improved on-time habitants, is one of the smallest and businesses for their opinions performance significantly and produced communities in the study. regarding routes, headways, and considerable cost savings through The nine-bus system operated for suggestions for improvements. reduced delay. On-board computers Frauenfeld by a private local firm is provide a comparison between overseen by a city employee. Ridership Schaffhausen scheduled and actual times at control grew from 470,000 passengers in 1982, points and control traffic signals with when the City Bus system was Transit Profile bus preemption at most intersections. launched, to more than 1.4 million last The computer gives buses priority over year. Intersection priority, some Schaffhausen, the capital of the automobiles if two or more buses are separate bus lanes, and other design canton of the same name, has a waiting at opposite legs of the changes keep buses moving quickly; population of 34,000. intersection. The computer assigns a three wide entry doors and the honor The nine-line Schaffhausen urban higher priority to a bus that is behind fare system cut dwell time. The clearly public transit network (VBSH) carries schedule or that is carrying a higher marked hub-and-spoke route system 12 million passengers annually with its passenger load. with color coding for each line and bus fleet of 30 buses and 13 trolley buses, 6 stop make the system easy to use and new company would purchase the A relatively low-tech, low-cost understand. shares of the other company, including strategy is used in Dornbirn to reduce Advertisers have paid entirely for the rolling stock. City officials believe bus emissions. Bus engines are shut the comfortable, covered bus stops with that operating a new and expanded down during pulse (of clear and complete schedules and service by a private company is more approximately 3 to 5 min) at the central amenities such as seats, public efficient than using public employees. transfer hub. This action lowers noise telephones, mail boxes, and some bike They also believe that the motivation to and minimizes unnecessary diesel storage stalls. More than 90 percent of receive additional contracts will fumes and emissions in a concentrated the population is served by the six bus provide a good incentive for the area. lines, which leave the main station contractor to keep costs down and Part of the city's fleet of 13 buses together at 15-min intervals and return provide quality service. is owned and maintained by the postal to the station terminal about 15 min One feature of the Frauenfeld system. The city funds bus maintenance later. Transferring between lines and to system that is applicable to the U.S. and operation out of its general budget. other transit modes, such as and transit industry is its approach to bus A private contractor is responsible for regional lines, takes place at the stop shelters. A third of all bus stops in supervising bus operators, ensuring that terminal. Children up to the age of 6, the city have shelters. All stops will be schedules are maintained. blind individuals with their guide dogs, equipped with shelters in the near people in wheelchairs, and on-duty future. military personnel ride free. Although many of the shelters are What Could Be Applicable to the Farebox receipts cover about 60 owned by the city, some are owned by United States? percent of operating costs; the balance private businesses. Under this is subsidized by the town and canton, cooperative agreement, the initial Dornbirn has an aggressive currently at a cost of about 4 percent of investment comes from the private advertising philosophy: "Get into the local tax revenues. Frauenfeld sector, which retains ownership and newspaper every week." The transit promotes the use of annual passes by accepts responsibility for maintaining system uses newspapers to thank deducting monthly charges the shelter in exchange for the right to customers, bus operators, the police, automatically from patrons' bank advertise on it. The shelter contains all and the postal service. The system's accounts. the traditional amenities including a budget, including cost per capita, is The buses are supplemented by telephone, seating, and bicycle racks. published in the newspapers. the regional PubliCar on-demand The transit system places route maps The transit system reports that 60 service. These vans offer a reduced fare and schedule information in the shelter. percent of its passengers use the annual to Frauenfeld subscribers. The service pass, which costs less than $90. operates a nightly service every hour Children under 6 travel free on most of from 7:00 to 11:00, leaving the station AUSTRIA the system. and bringing passengers to their homes. City officials believe that a private The town of Frauenfeld, like Dornbirn contractor arrangement is the best way Schaffhausen and practically all Swiss to manage its new and expanded transit cities, is tied into the larger regional Transit Profile system. The private transit manager has network of multimodal public and a contract that is subject to renewal private transit providers offering Dornbirn, with a population of every year, which the city believes fullfare integration. 42,000, was the only city in Austria provides a strong incentive for the visited. The Dornbirn city bus system, manager to provide good, strong which started in 1991, has been direction and management. What Could Be Applicable to the phenomenally successful. The A customer service center is United States? sevenline system, which operates only located in a major regional shopping 13 buses, grew from 437,000 riders in area near the main transfer point of the The city has contracted transit 1991 to more than 3 million riders in bus lines. The station is located 2 operations to private companies. The 1995. The system operates with a min on foot from the transfer and private company actually purchases timedtransfer pulse system. customer center areas. Although buses for the city and provides bus In timed-transfer systems in most regional service coordination has not operators and maintenance. Passenger cities, all routes are comparable in occurred, regional fare integration has revenue becomes property of the city length and are assigned a single been successful. The customer service when collected by the private company. vehicle. In Dornbirn, however, one of center in Dornbirn and those The city then reimburses the company the routes operates at 15-min headways throughout the entire region effectively for certain expenses. In the event the all day, and the other six routes operate communicate service and fare city chooses a different company for at half-hour intervals. information to riders. transit operations, the 7

GERMANY provided through a Nachtbus (night The four-line city bus system was bus) system. A single bus is assigned to inaugurated with a major citywide Unique Transit Features cover two or three routes at diminished festival in October 1994, replacing an frequency. This is similar to the "owl" earlier limited service. Passenger totals The German Stadtwerke service operated in some larger U.S. have increased since then by 500 (municipal public utility) is a unique cities at very late hours. percent to about 6,000 per day. method of operating and funding city A more innovative way of services. The Stadtwerke is a publicly providing night service in many The system consists of 10 held corporation, with 100 percent of communities is through a taxi service lowfloor midibuses custom built by the shares held by the city, region, or that operates solely between bus stops. Neoplan (see Figure 2). Operated by a both. A Stadtwerke is allowed to Customers call the transit system private contractor (RBA Augsburg), the generate profits from their operations, dispatcher, who contacts a taxi service bus network features a high-class which may be used to fund transit and dispatcher. Customers are given a corporate image reflected in other public services. confirmation time and are required to coordinated interior and exterior In many of the German cities the get into the taxi at a bus stop. An designs, colors, logo, tickets, and team visited, the cities are responsible approaching taxi may contain other ticket-vending machines. Instead of for supplying all utilities including customers when the customer is picked commercial advertising, the distinctive natural gas, electricity, and water and up. The fare for this service is usually color-coded buses, with a separate sewer. These services are profitable, as twice the regular route fare, paid to the color for each line, carry a stylized city they are in the United States. Municipal taxi driver. The taxi contractor is paid emblem and have helped foster administration of public transit is the difference between the contract community spirit. frequently located within the price negotiated with the transit The network comprises about 20 Stadtwerke. Despite the fact that the operator and the fare paid by the mi and covers an estimated 90 percent provision of utility services in Germany customer. This system has the of all residential districts, with bus is clearly a municipal public enterprise, beneficial effect of preserving stops within 200 m of the town's public because it is profitable, the German exclusive-ride taxis as a private offices, schools, retailers, shopping government taxes the profits of the (unsubsidized) product, while centers, sport complexes, retirement Stadtwerke. Municipal authorities have providing some level of mobility homes, churches, and industrial funded transit deficits from the profits during low demand times. Further, the facilities. All 110 bus stops are served of the municipal utilities to reduce their transit operator does not subsidize on the hour and half hour from 5:30 federal taxes. exclusive-ride taxi customers through a.m. to 11:30 p.m. The maximum The cross subsidies received as a this system. This service is called point-to-point transit time in the result of activities of the municipal Sammel-taxi (scheduled taxi) in huband-spoke system is 27 min. All public utilities provide a sustained Muenster and Bad Salzuflen. lines connect with a central bay in the source of local funding to operate the CBD, departing every 3 min and city transit system, or as it is frequently Lindau allowing "painless" transfer between referred to, Stadtbus (City Bus). the four lines. Short dwell times and Although, as indicated previously, there Transit Profile high speed are ensured by wide doors, are many practical reasons for signal priority, and bus stop bays administering the transit system as an Lindau is a tourism and retrofitted along the routes. enterprise of the utility system, the convention center on the northwest During the first full year of Stadtwerke model says a lot to citizens shore of Lake Constance, in the operations, approximately 900,000 about the role and importance of public German state of Bavaria. Lindau has a route km were operated and more than transportation in community life. population of 28,000 and is a rail hub 2,000 annual passes were sold to Public utilities, by definition, are on the international trunk lines residents. Farebox receipts cover about essential to the well-being of the connecting Germany, Switzerland, and two-thirds of the operating cost. The community. By including transit France. current DM 3.6 million ($2.5 million) service within the Stadtwerke, transit is Community leaders decided to deficit for the operation is covered with defined as an essential utility service. If dramatically increase local public DM 2.2 million ($1.5 million) from applied in the United States, this model transportation to reduce automobile parking revenue, DM 1 million ($0.7 could do much to elevate the public's traffic and promote a more pedestrian million) from the municipal utility, and perception of transit as a utility-like environment in Lindau. In exchange for DM 0.4 million ($0.3 million) from the essential service. the 80 percent capital funding received In a number of German from Bavaria, Lindau guaranteed that communities, some evening service is its contribution toward providing funding for operation would remain at the start-up level. 8 national government for passengers which directs a fleet of 50 buses and rail station, affording close with disabilities. leases 75 (see Figure 4). The total fleet coordination between the city bus, of 125 vehicles provides services in a regional bus, and commuter railway What Could Be Applicable to the two-county region. lines. United States? The weekday passenger total for Many of the systems studied the entire fleet is approximately 15,000, provide transit and other useful Although many U.S. transit which works out annually to more than information in their next-stop systems contract for operations, it is 5.5 million passengers. The system programs. Radolfzell, for example, unusual for these privatized systems to encompasses 6 million km and has displays electronic next-stop contract for management of the revenues of DM 20 million ($14 information and announces the customer service center. Lindau is million). The urban service consists of information by means of recordings. In probably the exception in the European six bus lines running with a 15-min terms of printed information, community as well. The city's transit during peak periods and at Radolfzell produces a quarterly system has a staffed customer 30min intervals the rest of the day. All newsletter, which it gives only on service/information center adjacent to lines leave from and return to the request. the central transfer facility. One reason railway station. Magnetic-strip The system prides itself on its for this decision is that the dispatch farecards are available in addition to good image and logo; passengers think center and customer service center are onboard, single-journey tickets. in terms of the system as "our bus." one and the same. Activities at this The SBG operates a "disco bus" to multipurpose center include radio get weekend night owls home safely as Ravensburg communications, vehicle dispatching, well as a transborder EuroRegion bus dispersing of smart cards and other fare to link the German border region with Transit Profile media, and providing printed schedule Mulhouse and Colmar in France and information. The facility serves as a Basel in Switzerland. A large county seat and regional "transit store," selling monthly and The SBG regional maintenance shopping center serving an agricultural annual transit passes and other items depot is a state-of-the-art facility that region, Ravensburg has a population of such as tee-shirts. uses recycled rainwater to wash the 45,000. As in Dornbirn, Lindau shuts vehicles. To restore the old city to down bus engines during pulse Fare integration with the pedestrian use, through traffic was layovers at the central transfer hub. cooperation of all public and private banned in 1986 and an underground This reduces noise and minimizes transit providers in the county of garage for 400 cars was excavated unnecessary diesel fumes and Konstanz is now under way. This under the traffic-restrained main square emissions in a concentrated area. integration will include urban, regional, in 1989. By 1990, the entire old town The transit system provides intercity, and commuter rail systems. was designated as a traffic-restrained onboard information by displaying Single-day tickets and discounted zone, paved with cobblestones for "nextstop" information by means of an weekly, monthly, and annual passes pedestrians and concrete blocks to electronic, rotating straight-line recently become available. channel residual traffic flow. At the drawing that details many stops along same time, major renovation projects the route and highlights the next stop What Could Be Applicable to the backed by community groups restored (see Figure 3). United States? the facades and connected groups of In terms of printed information, 15th-century houses to create a city the system not only delivers schedules A key element of the bus system museum documenting life in to homes, but also to visitor centers and in Radolfzell is the integration of transit Ravensburg over the centuries. hiking and backpacking clubs. service with the public and private To retain its position as a regional parking system. The city increased shopping center while reducing the Radolfzell parking fees to encourage greater number of cars in the city, Ravensburg transit use and inhibit automobile travel added private train service to connect Transit Profile in the central city. This successful its nine local bus lines with other cities strategy generated additional revenue in the region. A regional center of 30,000 with a and saved the cost of providing The bus system, operated by the light industry-based economy, additional parking facilities. The city's public utility department, has 33 Radolfzell contains many health spas increased parking revenues and city relatively new buses (average age is 3 and is a railway and lake shipping hub. general funds are used to cover the city years). In 1995, the fleet carried a total The Radolfzell transit system is bus subsidy. of 4.2 million passengers. Farebox operated for the city by the South coverage of operating costs currently Baden Regional Bus Company (SBG), The central rendezvous transfer stands at 77 percent, and the DM 2.2 center for the city bus is at the central million ($1.6 million) annual shortfall is 9 covered by internal cross subsidies the start of the system, monthly cuts and textured brick on sidewalks. from profitable gas, water, heating, and passenger totals have trebled to An audible signal at the intersection parking operations. 180,000. tells the visually impaired individuals The bus system prides itself on The city's traffic plan aims at when it is safe to cross the street. lean management; clean, comfortable substantially reducing private car use Many European systems use sign equipment; and a uniform color during the next 10 years by promoting posts instead of traditional bus stop scheme. an attractive, comfortable, speedy, and signs to communicate information. economical city bus service. Monthly These systems take great care in What Could Be Applicable to the fare cards are available for as little as determining both the location and United States? DM 25 ($17), and a chip card design of the sign posts. The signs are electronic purse is being phased in for always color-coded (see Figure 5), and The transit systems studied are both public transit and parking fee uses. in most communities, with the going to great lengths to encourage The Detmold City Bus network exception of express services, posts are pass use. Single-ride tickets have a and the two other city bus systems are located 200 to 300 ft apart. The design premium charge, especially if linked with the regional often includes a route map and purchased on the bus. Some cities are Verkehrsgemeinschaft Lippe, which schedule (headways) information. experimenting with "chip cards." includes 12 independent service In Detmold, the sign posts depict Ravensburg is exploring a chip card for providers. The public and private both route and schedule information. a range of municipal services, including members of this transit association All four routes are color coded. The downtown garage parking and use of cumulatively control and operate a fleet post is color coordinated with the buses the swimming pool. of several hundred buses. Full-fare and timetables. In addition, the routes Because of the linear nature of the integration is practiced in the region, and schedules are shown in a city and region and its location, with many ticket and pass options. One multiplefold, easy-to-read flyer. Ravensburg has no central hub for all of the most interesting is a monthly Although sign posts cost a little more modes. However, users can take the "job ticket" bought by companies for than traditional signs, they are light rail system from Ravensburg to their employees as a fringe benefit. For aesthetically pleasing to smaller the next regional city, where they can close-by areas, it costs about $16; the communities. More information can be link with the Lake Constance to price goes up the longer the commute. made available to the rider on sign Switzerland. There also are 20 bus posts, which makes them a good connections daily in each direction What Could Be Applicable to the investment for some smaller U.S. linking Ravensburg with the German United States? transit systems. National Railway. Managing parking supply and Traffic has been banned from the Each of Detmold's Neoplan buses pricing is used by some of the cities old city center, making the area a vital is equipped with electronic route maps. visited to reduce automobile traffic and transit- and pedestrian-only place. The These visible, colorful displays, located congestion and to make public transit zone is effective, but there are concerns toward the front of the bus (on the side use an even more attractive alternative. about traffic conflicts between buses behind the driver), depict route In the 1980s and early 1990s, Detmold and pedestrians. information for riders. The display experienced very serious automobile Ravensburg's newsletter is shows the progression of stops, with congestion. During that period, bus delivered to households and is available the upcoming one appearing in a service was poor, and parking was free. on the trains. different color than the rest. The The city's primary objective in display changes automatically once the initiating a new expanded city bus Detmold bus departs each stop. system was to mitigate growing levels Even though other European of automobile traffic and resulting Transit Profile systems also display route information peak-period gridlock. The city on board, this technology offers the integrated the new bus system with a Detmold, a city of 70,000, is the distinct advantage of providing riders parking management policy that administrative center for the state of with continuous route information. included increasing parking fees to help North Rhine Westphalia. Detmold's technology might be fund the transit subsidy (to cover costs Since the fall of 1994, a fleet of 18 explored by U.S. transit systems, that exceed fare revenues). Detmold is midsize Neoplan buses has been particularly systems with longer route experimenting with chip cards that also providing a four-line city bus service lengths and many stops. Transfer points will be used for parking meters. with a 15-min headway during peak could also be depicted on the electronic The system's marketing periods and 30-min intervals the rest of map. philosophy is that it must do something the day. The city operates the bus lines, Special accommodations have to get people to ride the bus. The but fleet maintenance has been been made at bus stops for visually system increased the frequency of contracted to a regional operator. Since impaired riders, such as special curb buses and introduced a reduced fare; it allowed 10 two adults and three children to What Could Be Applicable to the What Could Be Applicable to the weekends with a monthly pass. When United States? United States? the transit system started, it organized a marketing campaign and offered a The transit system in Lemgo set Like many transit systems visited, watch with the system's logo as the first up large-lettered, easy-to-read signs at the Bad Salzuflen system takes great monthly pass (which was good for the bus stops. The signs include the name pride in offering convenient customer first 2 months). It also used historic of the bus stop and when the bus service centers with useful, Detmold money as a monthly pass. leaves. servicerelated information. The system Previous schedules were very In most of the countries visited, offers a model customer service center complicated, large, and cumbersome. A the bus route name and number are in a regional shopping area, with a separate card has been printed for one electronically displayed on the front of central transfer point one block from route, and the operator plans to do this buses and the bus route number is the center. The center provides for all the routes. There is a plan for a displayed on the rear. In Lemgo, the customers with seating and other guaranteed ride home, a subsidized taxi route number is also displayed on the amenities. Trained staff sell passes and ride, for all passengers. side of the bus. The system currently tickets, disseminate schedules, and A passenger survey conducted in operates above its peak-period capacity handle passenger inquiries and Detmold found that passengers wanted during most months. complaints. Regional information is the same upgrades often requested from also provided. passengers in the United States: more Bad Salzuflen The shelters, buses, customer frequent service, affordable fares, fast service center, printed passenger and comfortable buses, easily Transit Profile information, and signage are all color understood schedules, and reliable and coordinated, highly visible, and friendly service. Bad Salzuflen has a population of attractive. Schedules and route 56,000. The four-line Bad Salzuflen information are tastefully depicted on Lemgo City Bus system, introduced in buses, shelters, and customer service September 1994, almost tripled its centers. Transit Profile ridership to nearly 1 million during its first year of operation. A quarter of the Trip cards illustrate schedule and In Lemgo, which has a population new passengers formerly used their detailed route information. A route map of 42,000, bus ridership soared from own cars for trips to and within the listing all bus stops and the number of 40,000 to more than 1.4 million in 1 city. the line (i.e., route number) appears on year after the City Bus was introduced Described as a "quantum leap" one side of the card; a timetable in the fall of 1994. The three Lemgo over the previous public transit appears on the other side. lines, each between 5 and 6 mi in situation, the City Bus system operates The Bad Salzuflen system has length, are operated by a private service with comfortable, lightweight, and achieved regional service coordination provider under contract to the city. The energy-efficient midsize "metroliners," and fare integration and has reduced the lines depart from a central transfer a carbon-fiber vehicle developed by number of cars in the city center by point in the innercity every half hour Neoplan (see Figure 6). one-half by imposing a limited auto until 7:00 p.m. Afterward, a collective Buses traverse the pedestrianized zone. taxi service passengers, at CBD until 7:00 p.m.; collective taxis discounted fares, until after midnight. are used until midnight. Muenster The Lemgo transit system is A local private service provider owned by the city and cross-subsidized operates the system under the Transit Profile with city revenue from other utilities, supervision of the city's public works including electricity, gas, and water department. The system, which is based Located in the center of the services. on the Dornbirn (Austria) model, is Muenster region, this city of 280,000 is In a recent user survey conducted characterized by a central transfer bay one of Germany's most livable and by an independent agency, in the heart of the shopping district, environment-conscious communities. approximately 40 percent of City Bus where all interline transfers take place. The university and its are a passengers said that they formerly used About 70 percent of the city's residents prominent factor in the city, and heir private cars to make shopping trips live within 300 m of one of the new bus bicycle traffic constitutes about in the city. stops. onethird of all vehicle trips. 11

Two remarkable statistics put into often on narrow streets and the high improvements in transit service have perspective the role of the Muenster level of customer boardings tend to taken place. A concept under transit fleet: reduce travel speeds.) In Muenster, a consideration is to close the central area few routes operate city-express service completely to private automobiles. · In 1995, the 20-line system with in which every other bus with In larger cities such as Muenster, its 113 buses, 51 of which are shortheadway (10-min) routes skips a the significant increase in transit articulated, carried more than 30 number of stops. These supplemental service was largely driven by strict million riders over its route length of buses do not operate during the federal laws governing air quality and 334 km (207 mi), almost double the 17 summer. noise as well as traffic and congestion million carried in 1989. The study team viewed examples mitigation. of preferential treatment for The transit system planned and · The modal split shows that 56 nonautomobile transportation modes, developed a number of park-and-ride percent of Muenster residents walk (24 including dedicated lanes for buses, locations on the outskirts of the city. percent) or bike (32 percent) to work or bicycles, and pedestrians. Muenster The areas were designed with a number school. Eleven percent take public contains a very extensive system of of passenger amenities including bus transit. preferential transportation treatments. shelters. What is particularly appealing Muenster's bicycle mode share is 32 about these shelters is the voluminous Students who use the system's percent-much higher than in other information pertaining not just to the unique "semester pass" account for 16 German cities. Its major system of bus transit system and its routes, but also to percent (4.6 million) of the Muenster lanes (which allow taxis), bike paths, the city, events, restaurants, and taxi transit system's bus ridership. Use of and pedestrian trails is integrated with a services. The shelter walls depict an the system by local residents has very sophisticated traffic signal system, array of information for the transit increased steadily in the 1990s. From including priority left traffic lanes for rider, which makes transit even more 1994 to 1995, passenger numbers rose buses. This signal system optimizes the convenient and appealing. from 28.8 to 30.2 million or about 150 continuity of bus lanes by allowing rides per resident per year. This "protected" right turns by buses leaving BELGIUM increase is due in large part to a across adjacent mixed-flow successful public relations and market traffic lanes. Traffic is stopped and the Liege segmentation. Various kinds of flash buses have the ability to move to the far passes for employees, students, seniors, right lane to board and alight Transit Profile and family groups are actively passengers. marketed. An issue Muenster is dealing with Situated on the Meuse River near Farebox coverage of operating is the peaceful coexistence between the rich coal fields of the Meuse costs reached 64 percent in 1994, the buses and bicycles, avoiding traffic Valley, the city of Liege is one of the last year for which an annual report is conflicts where bicycles use bus lanes, chief manufacturing centers in available. The shortfall was covered by and, in one case seen by the study team, Belgium. cross-subsidies from the municipal where buses use a wide bicycle lane. A total of 16 transit providers utility, a widely used German model. New concepts are emerging in form a public-private association, new suburban developments such as known as the TEC Group, which serves What Could Be Applicable to the bus-only streets, which separate bus the city and surrounding region of 84 United States? and automobile traffic to increase communities. Transit systems include transit operating speeds. fixed-route urban and intercity services, In Muenster, a relatively large Scheduled taxi routes operate school buses, and for city, several routes converge along during the day in low-density areas at individuals with disabilities. The TEC certain corridors. Great care is the end of three of the routes. These Group operates 187 bus lines in the exercised in scheduling these routes so operate hourly and pulse at the outer region, using a total of 705 buses, 54 of that buses do not bunch either inbound terminal of the routes they serve. The which are articulated. or outbound. This increases the bus operator may call a taxi on behalf Passenger totals amount to more frequency on the segments of the street of customers so that they can complete than 80 million annually, operating network served by more than one route. their journey. costs are approximately $128 million, Muenster has express and limited Muenster prints schedules that and farebox and other receipts total stop operations. This is important include information for city and about $58 million. This leaves about because local transit travel speeds are regional buses as well as railroads and $70 million in subsidies from the local, typically lower than in the United . provincial, and national governments. States. (Despite longer interstop In the "old town" center, parking The TEC Group is very active in distances, off-board fare collection, and fees have increased and major marketing and promotion and offers decreased traffic congestion, routes are free rides during the "car-free Sunday" 12 campaign. Graffiti and vandalism are Specifically, they are concerned that (1) buses for commuters to Brugge and sizable problems that are being tackled splitting up bus transfer locations other cities in the province. De Lijn, by a variety of initiatives. within the plaza will be less convenient which has successively built a series of to transit users; fringe lots on the outskirts of Brugge, (2) the intermodal connection between has been actively promoting the What Could Be Applicable to the buses and trains will not be convenient parkand-ride concept since 1991. This United States? enough; and (3) expanding parking initiative reportedly has resulted in a 40 capacity in the CBD will increase percent increase in transit use by Transit officials in Liege believe congestion. The project is a result of commuters, with resulting benefits for that there is not enough coordination negotiation and political compromise, the fragile urban environment. The between planning and transit service and it is hoped that it will enhance the national government has contracted design and delivery. The officials quality of life in and economic vitality with De Lijn for pilot projects to deal believe that the central city is losing of Liege. with traffic congestion in CBDs jobs and that markets and housing are This industrial city is dealing with through the use of intelligent spreading into the outskirts, which are much pollution. The transit system transportation system (ITS) difficult to get to by bus. They note that operates a large diesel bus fleet with technologies, including improved more commuter-focused transit service three experimental compressed natural communication, intersection priority, is needed, with more bus lanes and gas (CNG) buses. CNG buses are much and realtime passenger information park-and-ride facilities, all fully more expensive than diesel buses (five systems. integrated into the planning of new CNG buses cost the same as seven or residential and commercial eight diesel buses). Transit officials are developments. seeking to measure the overall What Could Be Applicable to the Liege officials are frustrated that environmental benefit of operating United States? the street network in new residential more diesel buses, which have the areas are labyrinths, very difficult to potential to eliminate more cars, against A 1,600-space park-and-ride serve with transit, but where people operating fewer, cleaner-burning CNG garage was constructed outside the want to live. buses, which will result in fewer bus central core area next to the train/bus A massive project is in progress in service hours because of the buses' high station (a 20min walk or a 5-min bus the city's Central Plaza area, in which a cost. ride to the core). For $3 a day, users new center to link CBD modes of The maintenance facility is open can park their cars, and all occupants of transport at the Central Plaza will be to the public on Sundays for tours. a vehicle (up to 5) can ride free to and established. The project, known as Transit officials believe this allows the from the core area. Place St. Lambert, is designed to (1) public to better understand transit and This facility, coupled with 2-min replace a motorway project; (2) elevate raises the community's awareness of headway transit service to and from the the bus transfer center to street level the system. core area, has made a major dent in and move car traffic below grade; (3) relieving serious automobile congestion add a 2,000-space underground parking in the delicate medieval city center and garage; and (4) construct over Brugge commercial district. This strategy was the adjacent railway station so that complemented with other transit homes, shops, and offices return to the Transit Profile service improvements (10-min area to bring back to the CBD headways on main roads and 20-min everything that makes a city come A city of 118,000, Brugge is headways in the outskirts) and very alive. located on the low coastal plain 55 mi limited automobile access to the core The facility is designed to be northwest of Brussels and 8 mi from area, including no automobile traffic people-friendly and to protect the the North Sea. allowed in the core itself. This heritage and history of the site, which De Lijn, a single regional system dramatically reduced automobile traffic dates back to Roman occupation. The that serves the entire province, and parking in the CBD, leaving city believes that public transit, which including Brugge as its center, is Brugge a vital, attractive, and livable will link pedestrian travel to characterized by total fare integration urban center. automobile parking and tie bus routes among its urban and bus and Headquartered in Brugge, De Lijn, to rail lines, can be a catalyst for rail systems. Ridership has increased one of three regional transit companies, economic development around the substantially since 1990 when the is known for its innovative marketing central city transit center. independent private transit providers strategies and customer information Some observers are concerned that serving the region merged to form a systems. One strategy that proved the project does not fully support public single transit association. successful for this operation was the transportation policy objectives. New services include dial-a-ride in "Info Bus." Info Buses are located in the countryside and high-speed express many places downtown and are staffed 13 with a driver and customer service language they prefer their trip The Netherlands has tied land representative. information: Dutch or English. The development into the quality of transit The bus offers customized trip rider follows a simple set of service. In its land use planning information. The concept was instructions as they appear on the processes, the country has codified a developed by an in-house cross- display (e.g., to enter destination clear priority for approving functional employee team and address and arrival time). If the developments with public transit promoted by mass mailings to departure point is not from the rider's access. The country is divided into individual households in the service current location, he or she can enter a three types of zones: area. Some of the information available different pick-up point. on the Info Bus include a map of the Once the information is entered 1. Zone Category A: Locations with regional transit network, a leaflet with into the computer, the rider will see a excellent public transit service bus stop and personalized trip display depicting all the details for his 2. Zone Category B: Locations with information for districts, and regional or her trip, including the travel mode sufficient public transit services, but transfer information. (train, bus, or ). The rider can that can be reached by automobile accept or reject the trip option 3. Zone Category C: Ten thousand people visited the presented. If accepted, the set of Automobileoriented locations with Info Buses. Although success is not instructions appearing on the screen virtually no transit measured in terms of new ridership, the can be printed for the rider to carry. A regional operator believes that a certain brochure (in English and Dutch) When developers want to build percentage of significant growth in describing this technology is available housing or nonresidential projects (i.e., ridership can be attributed to Info at a number of locations throughout the retail, commercial, and industrial), Buses. The transit company plans to country, including all train stations. A governmental preference in granting extend this marketing strategy to other nominal fee is debited from the rider's approval is given to projects in areas within the region. phone card each time the trip planner is categories A and B. This is part of the The Info Bus concept might be used. Netherlands national policy on beneficial to U.S. systems that are A rider may also call a nationwide integrating land development with restructuring their service, expanding 800 number to obtain trip information public transportation service and service, and/or undertaking target from customer service staff who use de infrastructure development. marketing campaigns to increase reiswizer to provide accurate ridership and revenue. information to riders who are calling Breda The transit system's marketing from home and others who do not have campaign has featured free rides on a direct access to the service. Transit Profile "shopping bus" on weekends in This type of technology offers December and allowing senior citizens incredible convenience to riders. This border city of 102,000, next to ride free for 1 month on Wednesdays Although cost information was not to the Belgian frontier, is known as a and Sundays. The officials' philosophy readily available, any cost-benefit pleasant residential and light industry is to offer special promotions every analysis undertaken would need to area with much cross-border traffic. year to keep ridership growing and consider the cost savings in personnel The publicly owned BBA is make the town center more livable. who would normally process automated responsible for transit in Breda and trip requests and cost savings resulting regional transit in the province of NETHERLANDS from the expediency of customer Brabant, including the midsize city of service personnel in handling calls on Den Bosch. The BBA fleet consists of Unique Transit Features the nationwide 800 number. 460 buses; 130 operate in the city, and The Netherlands has standardized 330 operate in the region. Daily One of the most impressive the national transit fare structure using passenger totals are approximately passenger information systems was the Strippenkaarten (see Figure 7). The 160,000. found in the Netherlands. The country same ticket can be used anywhere in In addition to fixed-route service, has completely integrated train, bus, the country for any given number of a subsidiary of BBA operates the and tram transport systems information zones. Strippenkaart vending machines express "Interliner," a luxurious higher on a national level using a technology are located in train stations, bus rate regional commuter service, as well referred to as "the traveler's friend" or stations, and shopping districts. To as a dial-a-ride service for individuals de reiswizer. The technology is redistribute fare revenue, a national with disabilities. BBA also works with accessible and easy to use. survey is taken periodically to private taxi firms to provide after-hours Riders simply insert a phone card determine the share of revenue a door-to-door service. into a machine and choose in which particularly carrier is to receive. 14

What Could Be Applicable to the Perpetrators are fined and forced habit" right away--before they United States? to perform community service by developed the "automobile habit." cleaning buses. If the individual is a The bicycle and pedestrian culture In Breda, the BBA bus system is a minor, the parents can also be fined. of the European communities visited leader in operating liquified petroleum Second offenses are considered was very evident. Biking and walking gas (LPG) buses. LPG is common in criminal in nature. Local lawmakers are major modes of transportation. Holland. All new BBA buses are LPG were very cooperative by passing Some creative solutions in Dordrecht to powered; by the year 2000, all BBA legislation. Graffiti declined by 60 further reduce private automobile travel city buses will burn LPG. Regional percent in the first year. This include factories that provide bicycles buses will still burn diesel fuel. BBA aggressive strategy has also improved to employees if they live within 3 km officials report that LPG buses are the image of the transit system in the of the work site. quieter, cleaner burning, and better community. smelling and provide improved Maastricht acceleration. Concern for the Dordrecht environment is part of the BBA Transit Profile mission; however, the LPG focus is Transit Profile also driven by the desire to maintain an Maastricht, the capital of the edge in the very competitive public Situated along the Maas River, Netherlands province of Limburg, has a transportation business environment in Dordrecht has a population of 100,000. population of 85,000. the Netherlands. The City Transit Company, which The Maastricht City Bus service, Breda transit officials face a is tied into the regional network, which was privatized in January 1994, dilemma. From an outside perspective, operates a fleet of 45 midsize low-floor is unique in that it offers transborder parking prices are high, but still too low buses with a staff of 207. Midsize buses service between Maastricht in the relative to transit fares. From a local were selected to improve Netherlands and Hasselt in Belgium. business perspective, if parking rates maneuverability around the narrow The fleet comprises 63 buses; staff are too high, people will do business in streets of the old town area. Fixed-route members total 225. towns that compete with Breda. services are offered in the urban area, City Bus offers a variety of The transit system runs a "Phone and the city promotes park-and-ride services, including paratransit and dial- Bus" service, which is operated by taxis fringe lots outside the historic center to a-ride vans, which used to be offered under contract with the bus company. ease traffic congestion. Reduced fares only to persons with disabilities, but The system, which is initiated by riders and free transfers among bus lines are recently have been made available to who call, uses vans to transport riders offered to drivers who park in the all residents willing to pay a premium who do not live on regular bus routes. fringe lots. fare for door-to-door service. These vans are less expensive to Dordrecht also operates a The goal of the City Bus system is operate than fixed-route buses in low complementary commuter and rural to fully integrate bus and collective taxi ridership areas. The system also district service with low-floor buses services, which are operated by the provides a village bus using volunteer that have room for passengers' hand same private company. Company drivers in small villages. This bus is luggage. The stops in the officials state that since privatization, less expensive to operate than the countryside on demand anywhere along cost savings of more than 40 percent Phone Bus in even lower ridership the route, not only at designated stops. have been attained. areas. The village bus does not operate Among the Stadtbus marketing in the same areas as the Phone Bus. What Could Be Applicable to the initiatives partly responsible for The system sells advertising on its United States? improving financial performance are buses for revenue, uses propane in (1)the weekend "2-for-1" pass, (2) a some buses, and provides visual and Although the Netherlands has promotion offered in conjunction with audio stop announcements on the strong transit laws and policies, many local department stores, (3) job tickets buses. officials agree that the country needs to marketed to employers, (4) a tie-in with The transit system has undertaken establish more examples of proactive the cultural center to offer combined an aggressive campaign to eliminate public transit that is integrated with tickets and bus passes for each graffiti on buses. A specialist was hired land use planning and development performance, and (5) night taxis for to investigate each incident of graffiti. design. An example of this is a new carnival revelers. Photographs are taken each time new residential development outside City Bus also operates a luxury, graffiti is identified. Because vandals Dordrecht in a semirural area. New bus high-speed, limited-stop express repeatedly use most of the graffiti lanes were built and transit service has service for commuters. Because the symbols, the specialist can ride the bus been provided into the city since the express bus benefits from intersection and catch the individuals in the act. development opened. The idea was to priority, the get new residents into the "transit 15

bus gets commuters to their systems can consider the following · Communicate with representatives destinations more quickly than a actions. from other modes to identify schedule private car does. and route adjustments that would Automobile Restriction enhance service to mutual customers. What Could Be Applicable to the · Mail transit schedules to all United States? · Use pedestrian zones or residents on a frequent basis. automobile-restricted areas in · Communicate on an ongoing basis In 1994, Stadtbus Maastricht, a congested areas. with representatives from all modes to public operator for 75 years, was · Enact more stringent local and optimize system integration; identify established as a public corporation, regional policies that restrict structural changes in routes and with 100 percent of its shares held by automobile use and increase public schedules that will improve customer the city of Maastricht. Some had transit services, which would make a convenience and make a complete trip anticipated that Stadtbus Maastricht bus trip more competitive regionwide. more competitive with automobile and the regional operator, also a public · Establish automobile-free or travel. corporation whose shares are held by automobile-limited zones, particularly the region, would be the only in local areas with very poor air quality, Planning participants in the demonstration in conjunction with highfrequency project-the competitive offering of the transit service to and from park-and- · Establish close working regional bus service. However, a new ride lots. relationships among public transit firm, Vancom Netherlands, was providers; city, county, and regional awarded the contract for service. Integrated Pricing planning departments; and local Vancom began providing service in developers and architects. This will June 1995 as a joint venture with · Increase parking rates facilitate opportunities to learn about Stadtbus Maastricht. incrementally in the short term, but land use planning and development Characteristics of the privatesector work toward "market-rate" levels in the design attributes that complement and contractors include the following: long term. support public transit and other critical · Improve transit service levels in services. Collectively identify potential · Lower labor costs and greater conjunction with raising parking rates, changes in laws and ordinances that flexibility in labor practices (i.e., initiating some cross-subsidy funding. would help public transportation meet mechanics who drive during peak-hour · Establish a system in which the broader urban and regional objectives. runs and bus operators who get only city's "customers" or "clients" pay · Routinely review plans and one relief period in a full shift); and reduced short-term parking rates and designs for new residential, retail, and people who work in the city and others commercial developments. Provide · Generation of necessary capital who park for significant lengths of time comments regarding the project's and streamlined purchasing procedures. pay full market rates. compatibility with the delivery of public transportation services. Transit European Union directives will open providers can get involved in competition among providers Marketing and Customer comprehensive land use and Europewide. Municipal and regional Information transportation planning on the city, governments are becoming more the county, and regional levels and provide procurers of services and less the · Use automated transit pass input as early (and often) in the process providers of services. dispensers and chip, prepaid, and zone as possible. In Maastricht many routes cards to simplify the purchase of · Build a long-term constituency converge on a segment of the main monthly transit passes. (based on the initial efforts described street between the rail station and · Market transit passes to local previously) to engage planning downtown. Schedules are coordinated universities as part of general departments, developers, and architects so that frequencies along the "main fees. In return, the university can in integrating the vital links among axis" are comparable to subways-- advertise on the fare cards. public transportation service delivery, every 2 to 3 min. · Direct customer service land use planning, and development representatives at transit systems to design. This will go a long way toward provide the schedules and telephone achieving the larger community goals LESSONS LEARNED numbers of other transportation modes of economic vitality, quality of life, and (e.g., Greyhound and other intercity bus long-term sustainability. Engage and To decrease automobile lines, , , and involve elected officials and planning congestion, American cities and transit taxis). commissioners in this long-term 16

Figure 1.Stadtbus bus stop sign on an automobile-free street in Frauenfeld, Switzerland, emphasizes community pride.

Figure 2. Low-floor "midibus "passing through the narrow streets of Lindau, Germany 17

Figure 3. Onboard electronic next-stop information display.

Figure 4. Operator compartment, with onboard electronics, on bus in Radolfzell, Germany. 18

Figure 5. (Top and Bottom) Color-coded bus stop sign posts in Dornbirn, Austria. 19

Figure 6. Mid-size low-floor bus in Bad Salzuflen, Germany.

Figure 7. Strippenkaarten vending machine in th Netherlands. 20 process, working toward changes in with computerized digital panels and QUEBEC attitudes, laws, and practices. moveable steering columns, and · Consider inclusion of bus and overnight battery-operated heating Transit Profile HOV lanes and bicycle paths in all new systems. roadway and roadway expansion · Use signal preemption technology Quebec, the capital of the projects. for bus priority. Canadian province of Quebec, has a · Develop a constituency for population of 168,000; the metropolitan automobile-free zones that are for area has 646,000 residents. transit and pedestrian use only. Educate CANADIAN URBAN AND Transit service in the city and citizens and the business community on REGIONAL TRANSIT most of its surrounding region is the benefits of these zones to the INNOVATIONS: MISSION 5, provided by the Societe de transport de community and commerce. OCTOBER 14-27, 1996 la communaute urbaine de Quebec · Link complementary modes when (STCUQ), which serves a population of siting and designing new or expanded 448,000 in a service area of 478 sq km. transportation facilities. INTRODUCTION In 1994, 322 million passengers were carried by STCUQ's fleet of 488 buses. Route Design and Operations The system features two Metrobus Canadian transit historically has routes, which provide frequent and · For small transit systems, draw had a well-deserved reputation for rapid service along two major corridors from the central terminal concept efficiency and effectiveness. Some through the city. Metrobus routes are where all trips originate and end. transit factors are unique to Canadian on regular streets, often in reserved, · Establish signal preemption society and governance, but many ideas segregated bus lanes, and Metrobuses systems, providing intersection priority can be used in the United States. Many make only limited stops. to buses at critical bottlenecks. Start lessons learned from the Canadian STCUQ features the largest single small and build on successes, transit system experience appear to be transit depot of its kind in North expanding the system in the long term useful for enhancing the quality of the America. The depot includes bus to include more intersections and U.S. environment and U.S. transit storage and maintenance facilities for integration with transit-only HOV services. Canadian agencies are the entire fleet as well as administration lanes. proactive to development, view and management offices. Quebec City · Where rights-of-way exist, development associated with transit has many transit priority measures in establish bicycle lanes on major investments in the long term, and have place, including reserved lanes and arterials, providing bicycle-friendly kept their transit systems simple. intersection signal priority for STCUQ amenities such as racks, lockers, and While many transit strategies were buses. showers in close proximity to major familiar, it was the commitment to destinations. make strategies work, the pursuit of What Could Be Applicable to the · Develop high-frequency transit several strategies concurrently, and the United States? corridors, linked with a system of overall community desire to meet the peripheral park-and-ride lots serving area's transportation needs principally areas of high congestion; coordinate through transit that seem to make The structure of STCUQ is similar pricing with "market" pricing of public Canadian transit efforts very effective. to that of many regional transit parking; and expand cross-subsidy The fifth study mission under the authorities in the United States. The between parking revenues and transit ITSP focused on model Canadian various municipalities within the service costs. metropolitan and commuter rail, urban service area are represented, and a · Shut down bus engines for bus, infrastructure, and transit/land use developments. The team visited major portion of property tax revenues are layovers longer than 5 min. operations, production, and dedicated to transit. maintenance facilities throughout Although provincial policy Technology and brought back service decisions have an important bearing on improvement and productivity ideas local transit service, STCUQ staff · Purchase products and vehicles relevant to U.S. public transit. indicate that the province has little that feature European-style technology Transit systems in Quebec, influence on projects and does not and vehicle design. Pertinent European Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, attach requirements to funding. But the styles include perfected low-floor Vancouver, and Victoria and two fact that funding is discretionary rather buses, convenient vehicle-door production facilities were visited during than formula based indicates that locations, automatic passenger counting this 2-week, coast-to-coast study. STCUQ has a significant influence on systems, improved bus operator driving areas 21 project selection and design. The dissension, the lanes were created MONTREAL substantial capital support for the during a holiday period so that traffic reserved bus lanes and bus procurement would not be severely affected Transit Profile debt service signifies a provincial immediately. interest in the accomplishment of Quebec implemented limited use Sometimes called the "Paris of the certain local and regional objectives. of transit signal preemption. New World," Montreal is a In addition to funding reserved Preemption is provided only at a few cosmopolitan city with just over 1 bus lanes, granting approval to strategic intersections where buses million inhabitants in the city proper establish and promote these lanes is an must move from a curb lane to a left- and 3 million in the region. It is the important step taken by the province. turn lane; a separate signal phase is second largest metropolitan area in Removing existing lanes from general provided for the bus to permit the turn. Canada, one of the world's largest use for restricted HOV or bus use is At transit centers, entrances are gated. inland seaports, a leading financial and extremely difficult in the United States; The entrances open after buses are manufacturing center, and one of this is sometimes difficult even when detected through a height-reading Canada's oldest cities. new traffic lanes are being constructed. detector near the gate. The Montreal metropolitan region The STCUQ concept behind the Although all systems visited in is served by three independent carriers successful campaign to reserve these Canada offer extensive conventional coordinated by a new regional agency, lanes was that one-third of the traffic fixed-route bus services, a number of the Agence metropolitaine de transport was being moved by buses; therefore, them provide innovative transit services (AMT). The Societe de transport de la one-third of road capacity should be that address the needs of the lower communaute urbaine de Montreal dedicated to buses. density markets in their service areas. (STCUM) is the largest of the three Keys to the success of the Quebec STCUQ operates a Taxibus operation carriers. The two others are the Societe system appear to be the ancillary along several routes on the periphery of de transport de la Rive-sud de Montreal mechanisms established to enhance its service area. This service is operated (STRSM), serving the South Shore, and transit services. In the case of reserved under contract by private operators, the Societe de transport de la Ville de traffic lanes, the implementation of which run reservation-based fixed Laval (STL), which serves the city of transit priority signalization provides a routes with . These routes Laval, just north of Montreal. clear and distinct advantage for transit extend further into low-density areas STCUM operates 1,626 buses and over general traffic. Further, the and feed to the terminus stops of the 759 Metrorail (subway) cars, serving a province requires that general traffic regularly scheduled conventional population of 1.8 million. In 1994, the yield to buses exiting pull-out bays. fixedroute bus operations. system carried almost 340 million Many U.S. transit systems are hesitant STCUQ is working with small passengers. Features include the to build or use pull-out bays because of stores, shopping centers, and churches Metrorail, patterned after the Metro in the difficulty operators can have in to establish small park-and-ride lots Paris, and a number of priority reentering the traffic flow. throughout its service area. The agency measures for buses, including the "R The STCUQ vision of its core enters into a cooperative agreement Bus" routes that use either reserved or purpose is evident in how it deals with with property owners to allow parking counterflow (or contraflow) lanes (see financial cuts. Services that retain the for transit users at no cost to the transit Figure 8). STCUM is the first Canadian highest priority for funding are those agency. About 45 park-and-ride lots operator whose fleet consists entirely of that focus on high ridership, a high have been established. In general, the low-floor buses. revenue-cost ratio, and peak-hour cooperating business owners and STRSM operates 335 buses along work-trip services, thus resulting in churches see the benefit of bringing the urbanized South Shore of the St. higher levels of financial efficiency for potential customers and churchgoers, Lawrence River. The service area the system. respectively, to their parking lots. The includes 346,500 people. In 1995, the The restructuring of service in transit agency benefits by providing a system carried more than 26 million Quebec reflects selective applications means for potential riders to access the passengers. Highlights include a major of priority corridor treatments and bus transit system. This is particularly downtown Montreal commuter priority technology to build important in some of the outlying areas terminal and the use of European highfrequency transit routes, where local circulator routes have been articulated buses. resembling those on a light rail line. eliminated in favor of more frequent STL operates 220 buses in an area Transit priority (diamond lanes) were express buses on major corridors using centered around the city of Laval. The implemented primarily through taking reserved bus lanes (the Metrobus system serves about 330,000 people an existing traffic lane. To minimize system). and carried 16.3 million passengers in 1994. 22

Its major transfer terminal is located at internal committee that reviews all distribute information. A demographic the Henri Bourassa on the complaints and responses. profile of the users of each subway extreme north of Montreal. One service that could have great station has been developed for this Commuter rail links in the region application in U.S. suburban transit program. With 65 stations and more are coordinated by ATM and operated systems is Montreal's Between Two than 700,000 daily subway riders, by CN Rail and CP Rail on a Stops Program. After 9:00 p.m., STCUM has received substantial contractual basis. The Deux-Montagnes passengers concerned about safety can interest in this program and hopes to electric service, which operates from request to be let off anywhere along the find a commercial partner for each of the Central Station, has been fully regular route instead of at designated its stations, the largest of which serve rebuilt and equipped with new stops only. more than 1 million users each month. Bombardier rolling stock. Another element of this customer service orientation is the new OTTAWA What Could Be Applicable to the moneyback guarantee policy proposed United States? for implementation in the fall of 1997. Transit Profile The policy states, "We will be on time, STCUM operates a full array of guaranteed. If we are late, you don't Ottawa, Canada's capital, ranks bus services throughout its service area pay." Other examples of innovations fourth among the metropolitan areas in and Metrorail service in the more and efficiencies include the designation the country with a population of more densely developed areas. The two of exclusive bus lanes, which results in than 900,000. The city itself has about principal suburban transit operators, a quality service advantage as well as 340,000 inhabitants. STRSM and STL, maintain extensive operational cost savings. STCUM There are two major transit suburban bus systems. These operators recently renegotiated labor contracts, systems in the national capital region. coordinate their activities with STCUM resulting in no salary increases for 2 The Ottawa-Carleton Regional Transit by operating major commuter transfer years. It appears that both management Commission, operating as OC Transpo, terminals in Montreal. and labor recognize the gravity of the is the larger of the two, with 820 buses STCUM's focus is on retaining current funding situation. serving a population of 626,000. OC existing ridership levels. With limited STCUM has been most aggressive Transpo is the public transit operating revenue, little population growth, and in the area of public-private arm of the regional municipality increasing suburban sprawl, the agency partnerships to raise revenue. STCUM responsible for planning and operating is using innovation, service is trying to significantly expand the transit services throughout the region. efficiencies, and customer service to portion of its budget generated by The second system is the Societe maintain its levels of service and rental income and advertising. Besides de transport de l'Outaouais (STO), ridership. Surveys conducted by the the usual bus wraps, bus and train which serves the Quebec portion of the agency indicate that there is 12 percent advertising panels, and subway station region. STO operates 186 buses, loss of existing riders and a advertisements, STCUM has used hub serving seven municipalities and corresponding 12 percent gain of new cap ads, bus handstraps shaped like soft 228,500 people. Its commuter lines riders each year. drink bottles, and even wrapped reach . In Montreal, transit is of great subway trains. Two ad campaigns using The OC Transpo fleet moves more value to the public. STCUM is very entire trains have been created to date, passengers to their destinations than aware of the public's perception and as each generating more than $1.5 million any other comparable system in North a whole is moving forward. They per year for the transit agency. America. In 1994, ridership totaled especially took great care of their STCUM is exploring the 73.4 million. The system is best known subway cars and stations. Montreal feasibility of commercializing entire for its exclusive and extensive exhibits a true passion for customer subway stations. Transit officials have (or Busway)--a network of service. It has changed from a been meeting with representatives of bus-only arterials that provide frequent projectoriented to a customer-oriented the top 25 companies in Montreal to and rapid service. During peak hours, agency. One creative approach to determine the level of interest in the 200 buses carry 10,000 passengers getting close to the customer is an concept. Subway train wraps are along the Transitway in each direction automated survey of people who have considered a communication device (see Figure 9). This is a considerably called STCUM for information. that signals the coming of the station larger number of commuters than the STCUM receives 700 to 880 inquiries commercialization program. The number who use the Queensway, the daily. concept would be to turn an entire region's major freeway, to get to their STCUM further focuses on station over to a company, which could destinations. OC Transpo's concern for customers by making listening a high then paint the entire station in its the environment has been demonstrated priority management skill. Listening to company colors and logo, add stores, by green-space improvements customer complaints and ensuring demonstrate new products, and appropriate staff response has been emphasized through creation of an 23 along all sections of the Transitway. An significant issue. Even during peak system if it is convenient, affordable, extensive tree and shrub planting hours in downtown areas of Ottawa, and makes more sense than driving. program is underway. Previous long traffic delays are rare. There is a strong regional focus in eyesores, such as abandoned railway By observing Ottawa, U.S. cities Ottawa. When the regional lines and trash dumps, have been can learn that there are several common municipality was created, functions transformed into linear parks. fallacies in the transportation industry. common to all member municipalities Transecure, an innovative One is that a large population, were transferred from local to regional neighborhood watch program on incredibly high densities, and a control. These functions include wheels operated by OC Transpo transitcaptive workforce are needed to planning, debt financing, sewage drivers, summons emergency help for generate significant transit usage. The treatment, traffic control, public people in trouble or calls the police population of the Ottawa metropolitan transportation, and social services. This when suspicious or illegal activities are area is only 900,000, and the downtown consolidation provides greater observed along their routes. Launched workforce numbers 280,000. coordination of public services. in 1989, Transecure is successful in Approximately 88,000 of these workers Another factor that aids Ottawa in its assisting people in obvious distress, are employed by the federal regional approach is that the transit summoning medical help, stopping government; these workers are commission is elected from the burglars in the act, and allowing people normally associated with white-collar, regional council, not directly from the to use buses as shelters and safe havens "choice" ridership. Parking downtown municipalities. until help arrives on the scene. Drivers is $7 per day, and traffic congestion is The Communibus program is are instructed to allow passengers to not severe. Yet the system carries 74 example of partnership at the alight between regular stops after 9:00 million passengers yearly. Another community level. In response to p.m. if this brings them closer to their fallacy is that severe congestion and funding reductions, OC Transpo destinations and they feel nervous heavy fare subsidies are needed to evaluated routes in its service area and about their safety. influence modal choice. The one-way identified several poor-performing With its 148 articulated buses, OC fare on OC Transpo is $1.85 ($2.90 for routes for elimination to help balance Transpo has become Canada's largest express service), with monthly passes the budget. For some routes, the user of articulated buses. OC Transpo costing $72.50 (including express Communibus program provided an also operates a number of service); therefore, clearly there are no opportunity for a community to save its communityoriented bus routes in the huge fare subsidies. route. "Use it or lose it" type notices city's urban neighborhoods. The Another frequently cited were placed in local newspapers to farebox coverage of the system was 58 impediment to transit usage is the need notify the community that the route was percent in 1994 and the total number of for trip chaining. Trips are rarely in jeopardy. A time limit was given for full-time personnel was 2,143, all but exclusively to work and back home. the route to be brought up to acceptable 159 of whom were drivers and More often, they involve trips to shops performance standards. In several mechanics. and other services. The Transitway instances, the community organized addresses these trip-chaining support though coordinated efforts of requirements in several ways. First, local merchants, service organizations, What Could Be Applicable to the stations along the facility are well and community leaders, which boosted United States? integrated with existing and new ridership. development, including several major The growth and development of shopping centers. Second, frequencies OC Transpo's regional focus also Ottawa demonstrate a strong are such that passengers can get off the is evident in its Transecure program, commitment by the community to bus at a station and then catch another which has a number of quality-of-life issues. Examples include bus without incurring substantial delay. communityoriented features. protecting the expansive green way, Approximately 70 percent of Employees serve this community watch preserving historic structures, and passengers on the system use monthly program on wheels by using two-way operating an annual municipal program passes, allowing them to get off and on radios in vehicles to summon help and to maintain the Rideau River as the the system without having to pay to provide information on emergencies world's longest skating rink. additional fares. and other incidents. As mentioned Another example of this Finally, many in the United States previously, the program offers transit commitment is the official "transitfirst" believe that choice riders will choose vehicles as a safe haven for people in policy regarding Ottawa's rail but will avoid buses at all cost. OC distress. Similar to the Between Two transportation planning. Many Transpo demonstrates that it is not Stops Program in Montreal, the resources available for transportation necessarily the technology that attracts Transecure Night Stop service allows purposes are invested in public riders, it is whether the system works passengers traveling after 9:00 p.m. to transportation, even though highway for the customer. People will use the be let off at a location closer to their congestion does not appear to be a destination instead of at a regular stop. 24

TORONTO bus component includes 184 buses on GO Transit is a significant mover suburban feeder routes, transporting of people. Canadian officials have Transit Profile 29,000 passengers daily. In 1994, GO invested substantial financial resources Transit's ridership totaled 34.5 million. in the country's commuter rail. They Toronto, the capital of the have also opted not to build freeways province of , is the most where commuter rail lines operate. This populated metropolitan area in Canada, What Could Be Applicable to the fact is probably the single most with a population of 1 million. United States? important lesson learned. Transit The ridership of the Toronto authorities in Canada have a real voice Transit Commission (TTC), which is Toronto is a textbook example of in what is built in their jurisdictions. operated by the metropolitan coordinating land use policies with Metropolitan planning decisions to government, is second only to New transit system development. At the implement commuter rail have saved York City in North America. This regional level, the Municipality of the cost of more than five results in part from the residential Metropolitan Toronto (Metro) has freeway facilities. density of the city proper, which is provided a long-range plan for greater GO Transit is not considered as nearly 20,000 persons per square mile. Toronto, with a strong emphasis on commuter rail but as transportation for Highways and commuter trains and integrating transit and land use. The commuters. Service delivery affords buses augment the transit system. plan focused on developing compact other opportunities for creativity. For Although Toronto's streets are corridors along Toronto's subway instance, during periods of light congested with traffic, the city has system, with high-density office, demand, GO Transit stops train service resisted building major expressways. commercial, and residential but operates buses along its commuter More than a dozen transit systems serve development directed around subway rail alignment. This brings costs in line the Greater Toronto Area. The largest stations. As growth continued, with ridership without eliminating of these is operated by TTC, which development was channeled into service. In addition, local buses which provides service in the Toronto corridors extending along streets pulse at the GO Transit commuter rail metropolitan area (about 400 sq mi), perpendicular to the subway lines and station, operate flexible routes rather serving 2.3 million people. The system served by surface streetcar lines or than fixed routes. In the evening, when operates 1,539 buses (including 90 highlevel bus services. demand lessens, the service area in artics), 295 light rail vehicles, and 622 In addition to the compact corridor Oakville (a suburb of Toronto with a subway cars. In 1994, the system, development strategy, two other land commuter rail stop) is divided into four known for its high degree of integration use planning approaches have been quadrants, with one bus operating between and surface successfully used in Toronto. One is within each quadrant. Still later in the routes, carried more than 388 million the development of urban centers, a evening, Oakville bus service quadrants riders. Much urban development has concept also being implemented in are consolidated into two zones. This taken place around many of the subway Vancouver and Calgary. This approach reduces the total expense of operation, stations. is designed to promote better balance while providing customers total area The Scarborough suburban rail between the location of employment coverage that is more like a door-to- line, also operated by TTC, uses linear and residential areas and to encourage door cab service. induction technology (the same that is reverse commuting by focusing new The TTC provides a designated used by the SkyTrain in Vancouver). development into "mini-downtown" or waiting area on all subway platforms to TTC is building a new surface light rail "satellite downtown" areas-to balance ensure customer safety and security. line, which is partially in operation peak demands on the transit and road These areas have brighter lights, an along the waterfront. systems. intercom, a closed-circuit television The other major regional The other approach is the camera, and a public telephone. transportation provider, Government of development of the underground Path Ontario Transit (GO Transit) is system. During the past 25 years, a CALGARY operated by an agency of the provincial network of 21 km (nearly 13 mi) of government. GO Transit serves an area tunnels and bridges has been developed Transit Profile of 3,000 sq mi and sets the current to connect downtown subway stations North American standard for commuter to adjacent shopping centers and office Calgary, with a population of rail with its fleet of 331 bilevel buildings. The concept, which was 738,000, is the largest city in the passenger cars and 49 locomotives. The incorporated into the area's land use province of Alberta. Transit is provided system runs 139 trains and provides plans in the late 1960s, has been by a city-run system whose ridership in 1,000 bus trips daily, carrying 120,000 incrementally developed primarily 1994 was 52.6 million. passengers on an average weekday (see though private-sector initiatives. operates 550 vehicles, 51 of which are Figure 10). The 25 articulated and 85 of which are light areas might find Calgary's model door-to-door service, which is more rail. relevant to examine. expensive per passenger trip than The system is known for its "C Calgary provides the most fixedroute transit. Calgary obtains Train" light rail service, which operates impressive examples of progressive private donations for the purchase of on two lines and serves the central, urban policy development. It has the paratransit fleet. Individual vehicles northwestern, northeastern, and created a new government corporation are marked to honor people who make southern parts of the city. The C Train that is responsible for administering a donations. One staff position is operates on transit-only streets in the broad range of public services, dedicated to obtaining private funding, central city and on reserved rights-of including water, sewer, transit, and which in turn frees up more dollars for way outside the core area. Altogether planning. With declining resources for service delivery. there are five light rail transit (LRT) roads and other public services, there is Calgary has also developed a lines in the city, with a total length of a greater focus on moving people and partnership with local providers of 18.2 mi and which are boarded on a goods in a coordinated manner. To service. Calgary Transit weekday average (1995) by 112,700 ensure that the corporation makes good schedules school bus service and passengers. More than 90 of the investments, an annual census is taken, provides field supervision. The school system's buses are of low-floor design. and every 3 to 5 years, a system continues to purchase, operate, By percentage, this represents one of comprehensive origin/destination study and maintain vehicles, but has been the largest fleets of low-floor buses in is completed. Information from the able to eliminate supervisory staff. The the country. Employees total 1,585, 113 census and the study helps the planning public benefits through this of whom are employed in management staff make proper projections, thereby arrangement, which eliminates and administration. Farebox coverage aiding in the final decisions affecting duplicated functions between two in 1994 was 51 percent. delivery of public services. publicly financed institutions. Calgary's "Go" plan is an impressive example of a partnership VANCOUVER What Could Be Applicable to the between citizens, staff, and elected United States? officials. The plan grew out of the Transit Profile concerns expressed by citizens in 1991 Using Calgary as an example, about what Calgary would look like as Located just north of the newly developing urban areas, similar a result of its growth. These concerns U.S.Canada border, Vancouver is the to those in the Sunbelt and western prompted the city council to reconsider industrial, commercial, and financial United States, can grow in a manner its existing transportation plan. The center of . Greater that is conducive to high levels of issues of community and environmental Vancouver is Canada's third largest transit use and service. Investment in quality, along with mobility and costs, metropolitan area, after Toronto and the transportation infrastructure in guided the overall approach in Montreal. Vancouver is 140 mi north of Calgary is the result of a great deal of designing the new transportation plan. Seattle, Washington. Extending over an public outreach and involvement, and These four concerns surfaced as a result area of 44 sq mi, metropolitan the investment decisions reflect of significant discussion and broad- Vancouver, with more than 1.6 million community priorities. Both highway based public input. The vision of how people, contains almost half of British and transit systems are planned to Calgary will look in 30 years achieved Columbia's population; the city proper complement each other, where wide acceptance as citizens became has a little over 470,000 inhabitants. appropriate, and to satisfy existing or more involved and informed. The The city is characterized by a planned growth as dictated by the Calgary planning model is an excellent strong downtown, surrounded by adopted land use plans. example of creating public ownership highdensity neighborhoods, which Transit accommodation exists in in the process, vision, and outcome. encourage walking and high transit the form of an extensive network of Financial restrictions led to the usage. Although suburban areas have a facilities: a light rail line, extensive development of business-based lower density, many regional park-and-ride lot system, major planning approaches for introducing subcenters have begun to develop as a highfrequency transit corridors, bus- and assessing bus routes. Both Ottawa result of regional planning and rapid only lanes, major cross-town high- and Calgary make service decisions transit investment. The city itself frequency bus routes, and express based on the potential ridership benefits remains one of the few in North service to employment areas. per unit of service cost. This clearly America without a freeway. Services are provided where they reflects an underlying value: Serve Vancouver is one of the fastest are most in demand. Transit is viewed more people for less money. growing metropolitan regions in North not as a social service, but as an Calgary also responded with a America, with a net annual population integral component of the unique approach to funding paratransit gain of more than 40,000. transportation system. Many U.S. cities BC Transit is a Crown (public) in high-growth corporation of the province of British 26

Columbia. Its 17-member board of electric trolley buses, passenger with suburban directors, appointed by the responsible (SeaBus), automated light rail transit and Surrey, serving minister, is made up of elected and (SkyTrain), and commuter rail (West 20 stations along its 28-km (17.4-mi) appointed officials from the Coast Express) (see Figure 11). route (see Figure 12). Opened 10 years communities served by the system. The Covering an area of 1,125 sq mi, VRTS ago, SkyTrain uses state-of-the-art board is responsible for transit policy represents the largest urban transit linear induction and moving block making and coordination, including the service area in Canada. With more than technology. Most of the route is planning and funding of transit systems 115 million revenue passengers per elevated, but in downtown Vancouver, in the province. All transit assets, year (215 million unlinked trips), the line operates underground. Office including fleet, facilities, and VRTS ranks third in overall ridership, and commercial developments built guideways, are owned by the after Toronto and Montreal. Although a within walking distance of SkyTrain corporation. downturn was experienced during the stations are currently valued at more The chair of BC Transit is recession in the mid-1980s, system than C $5 billion (approximately $3.8 appointed by the provincial cabinet. growth has been very strong during the billion). The line now carries The day-to-day business of the past 5 years. Since 1987, transit service approximately 115,000 passengers each corporation is conducted by a president has expanded by 37 percent, ridership workday, and passenger totals have and chief executive officer, assisted by by 28 percent, and the fleet by 74 more than doubled since the line first six corporate support units: finance, percent. opened. SkyTrain is operated by technical services, corporate services, The main components of the BCRT, the wholly owned BC Transit security, human resources, and strategic system are urban buses and trolley subsidiary. planning. Customer services are buses, SeaBus, SkyTrain, and the West delivered through four business units: Coast Express. Vancouver Bus, BC Rapid Transit Company (BCRT), West Coast Express Urban Buses and Trolley Buses A new 40-mi commuter line (WCE), and Victoria/Municipal connecting some of the eastern suburbs Systems (VMS). The fleet consists of 675 diesel with downtown Vancouver, West Coast Transit oversight services in and 25 CNG buses, plus 244 electric Express (WCE) commenced service in British Columbia are provided in trolley buses, for a total of 944 November 1995 and operates bilevel partnership with local governments and vehicles. Buses come in a variety of cars similar to those used by GO regional transit commissions. In the sizes. All bus services in the Transit in Toronto (see Figure 13). The Vancouver region, a commission metropolitan region are operated by BC service also features "cappuccino cars" represents the 17 municipalities, the Transit, except for in West Vancouver, for its commuter clientele. Currently it electoral districts, and three villages where the municipal authorities run bus consists of five trains westbound in the constituting the Vancouver Regional services under contract to BC Transit. morning and five eastbound during Transit System (VRTS). Commission Wheelchair lifts and low floors are used evening rush hours. The WCE fleet members are the local mayors, city throughout. consists of 5 locomotives and 28 councilors, and electoral district bilevel cars; ridership is increasing and representatives, some of whom also sit now stands at 5,500 per day. on the board of directors. SeaBus Representation is geographically based, What Could Be Applicable to the with one commissioner representing a This service consists of two United States? specific group of municipalities. double-ended catamaran ferries with a Under the province's BC Transit capacity of 400 passengers each. Though geographically separated Act, regional transit commissions are Opened in 1977, SeaBus 1.75 by the Strait of Georgia, both the cities responsible for the following: nautical miles across Burrard Inlet of Vancouver and Victoria provide between downtown Vancouver and transit services through BC Transit. · Determining routes, service levels, in North Vancouver. BC Transit operates a full array of and performance standards; The Burrard Beaver and the Burrard transit services throughout its service · Reviewing and recommending Otter depart every 15 min and carry area, including conventional fixed- annual operating and capital budgets to about 11,000 passengers daily. SeaBus route bus, trolley bus on heavier fixed the BC Transit board; and is operated by Vancouver Bus. routes, the SkyTrain system, the unique · Raising the local share of the SeaBus, and the WCE commuter rail transit deficit through local taxation. service. BC Transit is planning to SkyTrain expand its family of services in the VRTS serves a population of 1.7 lower density and suburban sections of million with an integrated network of A completely automated, its service area. -based services including diesel, CNG and driverless system, SkyTrain connects 27 operation of regional center circulators, people in wheelchairs. The system focus. Its marketing focus has been on community-oriented feeder services, provides attractive levels of service on specific age groups, where the and suburban demand-responsive basic major corridors, focusing on network's increase in ridership has mobility services as well as shared-ride downtown. In the important commuter been. taxi services are actively being devised. market, the percentage of transit to Strong concern for the A key to Vancouver's success in downtown approaches 15 percent of all environment is evidenced by the planning for and implementing its travel on a 24-hr basis. A recent survey Victoria region's Task Group on extensive network of transit facilities revealed that more than 60 percent of Atmospheric Change, which and services is its general policy of the region's residents boarded a transit encourages increased public transit, and constrained roadway building. No new bus in the past year. the provincial Greenhouse Gas Action expressways or freeways are being By concentrating recent expansion Plan, which recommends reducing built; in fact, none exist in the in the peak hours, the transit system is vehicle trips through mass transit, metropolitan area. There is emphasis on developing a strong regional commuter carpooling, and other measures. the use of public transportation as the focus, with 15-min frequencies during Victoria's Busline project is a means to serve intraurban mobility peak hours from the outer reaches of prototype, computerized telephone needs and to accomplish land use and the transit service area about 20 mi information system. The system city-shaping objectives. The funding of from the central business district to provides customers with the following transit projects, therefore, is not seen as downtown. Total operating revenue information: (1) bus departure times a diversion from traditional highway covers roughly 50 percent of the total and when the next bus will arrive; (2) funding sources, but simply the result direct operating expense; municipal and instructions on how to get the bus; (3) of a conscious decision on the part of provincial subsidies cover the balance. general transit information; and (4) the community to address mobility During the past decade, Victoria's connections to other modes. Before this needs. transit system has consistently project, about 29 operator hours were maintained one of the lowest accident available to answer 770 calls for Following are some outstanding rates in North America, for which it has information per day, with 36 percent of features of transit service in received numerous awards. VMS has a the callers experiencing busy signals Vancouver: total workforce of 480 employees, 67 and 18 percent put on hold. The project of whom are employed in management increased calls to 940 and improved · Coordination among various and administration. service, without adding additional transit modes, which is evident through operators. The project cost $590,860, nearly seamless transfer connections; On-Street Management System and projected savings over 10 years is · Strong linkage between land use estimated at $1.5 million, for a net planning and development; and A notable, recent VMS innovation value of $447,000. · SkyTrain, which is viewed as a has been its on-street management Transit service is an important tool to shape urban growth. system, which eliminates central component of the public service in control and combines new radio and Victoria, and the Victoria Regional VICTORIA computer technology with a simplified Transit System has obtained a strong organizational structure. The system commitment to public transit with high Transit Profile enhances service reliability, improves levels of service and use. The safety, and decreases costs. Direct radio successful image of a high-quality, safe One of the oldest communities in links with police, fire, and ambulance and dependable service played an the province of British Columbia and services also provide spin-off benefits important role for entry into several the provincial capital, Victoria has a to the community. partnerships. Partnerships have been population of 72,000 and a Victoria's on-street management established with 45 municipalities to metropolitan area population estimated program allows the transit service to be improve the traffic flow. at 317,000. managed from the road supervisor's The university has raised tuition Victoria/Municipal Systems vans, eliminating the need for central cost to help subsidize the student bus (VMS), an integral component of BC control and saving C $328,000 pass program. This program benefits Transit, currently operates a fleet of ($252,000). the community because it reduces 190 buses in Victoria and carries 17 heavy automobile traffic. million passengers annually. The What Could Be Applicable to the paratransit system has 31 vehicles that United States? LESSONS LEARNED carry 190,000 passengers annually. Accessible conventional transit service Like many of the other cities Several conclusions can be drawn was introduced 5 years ago using low- studied, Victoria's transit system is from the transit experiences in floor buses that offer easier characterized by a strong customer Canadian cities in terms of applying for all passengers and full accessibility for 28 successful transit service techniques to As a result, existing transit Operating transit services is tricky, U.S. cities. But first, a caution is systems in the United States with many impediments to success. necessary. In almost every case deteriorated because of lack of Although there are definite differences examined in this study, transit has been adequate public funding, while in society, form of governance, a major component of the Canadian transit continued to grow and provision of public services, labor transportation system for a long time. play a major role in urban development relations, and community outlook For example, the tremendous and sustainability. The view that the between Canada and the United States, ridership levels in Ottawa are not the public will continue to rely on public a number of lessons learned from this result of implementing the innovative transportation in Canadian cities review of Canadian transit experience Transitway. These levels existed before continues to affect land use planning appear to be relevant for possible U.S. the Transitway was developed. The and long-term development of application. Transitway made transit service more metropolitan areas. As a result, transit efficient and effective, but was not is servicing existing developments, and · Being proactive rather than necessary to induce people to choose new developments are planned to reactive is important to transit transit. Similarly, high transit ridership support existing transit facilities. development. in the larger cities of Montreal and Some might conclude that transit · It is important to understand the Toronto is a continuation of is popular in Canada simply because it cyclical nature of the transit business longestablished patterns. Transit can be is part of the culture and Canadians are and to view transit investments and the extremely successful and relevant. But used to using it. But what makes transit development that will follow in the in the United States, it is likely that effective, as demonstrated in every site long term. potential customers will first have to be visited during this mission study, is · Numerous markets require convinced to leave their cars at home. transit's competitiveness with other customized and innovative, not What makes transit in Canada such an modes of travel in terms of time. In necessarily large-scale, services. important and relied on component of every city, most peak-hour trips to the · Passengers are customers, and city infrastructure? Unlike the United downtown area are faster and less customers need a range of services and States, why is "transit first" common expensive than comparable trips by well-presented information to ensure policy in Canadian metropolitan areas? automobile. Extremely high service that they remain consumers. Rather than dismantle existing transit frequencies during peak hours, · Transit systems should be kept systems in the early part of this century, combined with exclusive transit simple. Canadian cities chose to invest and facilities in each city, make transit · Transit operators have to go develop them. At the same time, U.S. more appealing. Whether these beyond their usual role of operating cities were heavily investing in exclusive facilities are light rail, buses and trains efficiently and must highway development. dedicated transit lanes on existing become involved in infrastructure highways, or exclusive transit ways, activities to ensure that the operating each operates independent of the flow environment is transit-friendly. of traffic. 29

Figure 8. Contraflow bus in Montreal.

Figure 9. Busway in Ottawa. 30

Figure 10. GO Transit bilevel commuter rail wrap in Toronto generates $10, 000 per carper month in revenue.

Figure 11. Sign in Vancouver at the intermodal Waterfront Station displaying directions to SkyTrain, West Coast Express commuter rail, and SeaBus. 31

Figure 12. The driverless SkyTrain in Vancouver is accessible to high-rise development.

Figure 13. Cappuccino car on West Coast Express commuter rail in Vancouver. This page left intentionally blank. 33

APPENDIX A

MISSION PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR TITLES AND AFFILIATIONS AT THE TIME OF THE MISSION

Mission 4--May 9-26, 1996: Urban and Regional Bus Operations in Smaller European Cities (Zurich, Schaffhausen, and Frauenfeld, Switzerland; Dornbirn, Austria; Lindau, Radolfzell, Ravensburg,Detmold, Lemgo, Bad Salzuflen, and Muenster, Germany; Antwerp, Liege, and Brugge, Belgium; Breda, Dordrecht, Maastricht, and Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Participants

Mr. Dick Ruddell (Team Leader) Mr. John A. Kern General Manager Transit Manager Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority Capital Transit Toledo, OH City and Borough of Juneau Juneau, AK Mr. Roosevelt Bradley Assistant Director for Bus Operations and Mr. Ryan J. Larsen Maintenance Transit Service Manager Metro-Dade Transit Agency Madison Metro Transit System Miami, FL Madison, WI

Ms. Rosie Broadus Mr. Martin C. Minkoff Director of Transportation General Manager Baldwin Rural Area Transportation System Whatcom Robertsdale, AL Bellingham, WA

Mr. Roger K. Chapin Ms. Mary Jo Morandini Executive Director Assistant Executive Director Foothill Transit Beaver County Transit Authority West Covina, CA Rochester, PA

Mr. Van J. Chesnut Mr. Mark Pritchard Executive Director General Manager Advance Transit, Inc. Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority Wilder, VT Tulsa, OK

Ms. Sarah deDoes Dr. Jack M. Reilly Chief Executive Officer Director of Planning and Development Metro Capital District Transportation Authority Portland, ME Albany, NY

Mr. Paul A. Hamilton Ms. Tracy Dunleavy (Project Manager) Transportation Manager Programs Director Shoshone and Arapahoe Nations Transportation Eno Transportation Foundation Authority Lansdowne, VA Ethete, WY Coordinator Ms. Gayle P. Holliday Deputy General Manager Dr. George G. Wynne Kansas City Area Transportation Authority Director, International Center Kansas City, MO Academy for State & Local Government Washington, DC 34

Mission 5--October 14-27, 1996: Canadian Urban and Regional Transit Innovations (Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, and Victoria)

Participants

Mr. Bob Lingwood (Team Leader) Mr. John Quinn General Manager, Victoria and the Municipal System Planner II Systems Dallas Area Regional Transit BC Transit Dallas, TX Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Mr. Craig H. Scott Mr. Jeffrey C. Arndt Manager of Transportation Finance Assistant General Manager, Transit Operations San Diego Association of Governments Metropolitan Transit Authority San Diego, CA Houston, TX Mr. James H. Slakey Mr. John W. Clauson Director, Public Transportation and Rail Division Service Development Director Washington State Department of Transportation Olympia, WA Bremerton, WA Mr. Jeffery D. Webster Mr. Edward R.Coven General Manager Manager, Transit Office Fresno County Rural Transit Agency Florida Department of Transportation Fresno, CA Tallahassee, FL Mr. Hannie L. Woodson, Jr. Mr. Roger Henze General Superintendent Transportation Planner Metro-Dade Transit Cobb County Department of Transportation Miami, FL Marietta, GA Project Manager Ms. Nancy Hsu Assistant General Manager for Rail Services Ms. Tracy Dunleavy Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Programs Director Washington, DC Eno Transportation Foundation Lansdowne, VA Mr. Robert Kniefel Public Transportation Director Municipality of Anchorage Public Transportation Department Anchorage, AK

Mr. Joseph Kott Transportation Planning Manager Greater Portland Council of Governments Portland, ME

Ms. Minietta E. Nelson Director of Operations Gary Public Transportation Corp. Gary, IN

Mr. Charles Lee Pettus, Sr. President and Business Agent Amalgamated Transit Union , MD 35

APPENDIX B

European Hosts Perspectives of "What They Do Best"