Characteristics of Bus Rapid Transit for Decision-Making February 2009
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United States Federal Transit Administration Department of Transportation Office of Research, Demonstration and Innovation Characteristics of BUS RAPID TRANSIT for Decision-Making Project No. FTA-FL-26-7109.2009.1 February 2009 Photo courtesy of Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Characteristics of BUS RAPID TRANSIT for Decision-Making funded by the Federal Transit Administration FTA Project Manager: Helen M. Tann Transportation Program Specialist Federal Transit Administration Office of Research, Demonstration and Innovation 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE Washington, DC 20590 Principal Investigator: Dennis Hinebaugh Director, National BRT Institute Center for Urban Transportation Research University of South Florida (USF) 4202 E. Fowler Ave, CUT100 Tampa, FL 33620 © February 2009 Federal Transit Administration U.S. Department of Transportation NOTICE This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the United States Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the objective of this report. REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188), Washington, DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND February 2009 DATES COVERED 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5. FUNDING Characteristics of Bus Rapid Transit for Decision-Making (CBRT) NUMBERS 6. AUTHOR(S) Roderick B. Diaz (editor) Dennis Hinebaugh, National Bus Rapid Transit Institute (Director) FL-26-7109 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION National Bus Rapid Transit Institute REPORT NUMBER Center for Urban Transportation Research University of South Florida FL-26-7109-05 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, CUT100 Tampa, FL 33620 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/ U.S. Department of Transportation MONITORING Federal Transit Administration AGENCY REPORT Office of Research, Demonstration and Innovation (TRI) NUMBER 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 FTA-FL-26-7109.2009.1 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 12a. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION Available From: National Bus Rapid Transit Institute, Center for Urban Transportation Research, CODE University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, CUT100, Tampa, FL 33620 Also available through NBRTI web site: https://www.nbrti.org 13. ABSTRACT The Characteristics of Bus Rapid Transit for Decision-Making (CBRT) report was prepared to provide transportation planners and decision makers with basic information and data to support the development and evaluation of bus rapid transit concepts as one of many options during alternatives analyses and subsequent project planning. This report provides information on BRT systems in a single, easy to use reference tool for transportation planners in selecting from the large array of BRT elements and integrating them into comprehensive systems. The CBRT report explores BRT through a progression of three different perspectives. First, seven major elements of BRT are presented along with their respective features and attributes. Second, the BRT elements are related to attributes of system performance. Finally, the benefits of BRT systems are discussed. This order of the discussion suggests the relationship between BRT elements, system performance and system benefits. BRT systems are constructed by choosing and integrating among BRT elements. The integration of elements improves system performance and improves the experience for customers. Improvements to system performance (in combination with features of BRT elements) generate benefits to transit agencies and communities. 15. NUMBER OF 14. SUBJECT TERMS PAGES 410 Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, Transit, Public Transportation, Characteristics 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 20. LIMITATION OF REPORT OF THIS PAGE OF ABSTRACT OF ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) III AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This information document was updated and revised for the United States De- Joseph Calabrese, Greater Cleveland (Ohio) Regional Transit Authority partment of Transportation’s (U.S. DOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Rex Gephart, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority by a consortium of organizations led by the National Bus Rapid Transit Institute (NBRTI) at the Center for Urban Transportation Research, University of South Alan Danaher, Parsons Brinckerhoff Florida. The consortium includes Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., STV Incorporated, TranSystems, Washington Group International, and Weststart-CALSTART. Cliff Henke, Parsons Brinckerhoff Roderick Diaz was the principal editor of this document, with editorial contribu- Peter Koonce, ITS Consultant tions from Lisa Callaghan Jerram, Georges Darido, and Paul Schimek. Contribut- Herb Levinson, Private Consultant ing authors include Jennifer Flynn, Cheryl Thole, Alasdair Cain, and Victoria Perk of the National Bus Rapid Transit Institute; Richard Laver and Travis Dunn of Ted Orosz, New York City Transit Booz Allen Hamilton; Pilar Rodriguez and Rosemary Gerty of TranSystems; Paul Lurae Stuart, APTA Schimek of Washington Group International; and Greg Moscoe and Lawrence Wnuk of Weststart-CALSTART. Additional data on international BRT systems Stefano Viggiano, Lane Transit District, Eugene, Oregon was collected by Graham Currie of Monash University and Daniel Haufschild of MRC McLean Hazel. Other contributors include Wendy Teague, report de- Bill Vincent, Breakthrough Technologies sign; Patricia Ball, copy editing; and Pamella Clark and Lisa Ravenscroft, process David Wohlwill, Port Authority of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania coordinators. FTA Project Manager was Helen Tann, Transportation Program Specialist. Nigel Wilson, MIT We are grateful to Renee Haider of the National Transit Institute and to the Sam Zimmerman, World Bank NBRTI Advisory Board for external review and feedback: V TABLE of CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...............................................................................................................E-1 CHAPTER 4: BRT SYSTEM BENEFITS ................................................................................ 4-1 Higher Ridership ...........................................................................................................................4-2 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION—NEED AND PURPOSE ........................................1-1 Capital Cost Effectiveness ......................................................................................................4-20 What is BRT? ....................................................................................................................................1-1 Operating Cost Efficiency ......................................................................................................4-26 BRT in the Transportation Planning Process ..................................................................1-2 Transit-Supportive Land Development ........................................................................ 4-30 Intended Use of the CBRT Report ...................................................................................... 1-3 Environmental Quality .......................................................................................................... 4-36 Structure and Content of CBRT ...........................................................................................1-4 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS AND SUMMARY .......................................................... 5-1 CHAPTER 2: MAJOR ELEMENTS OF BRT ........................................................................2-1 Summary of BRT Experience .................................................................................................. 5-1 Running Way .................................................................................................................................. 2-3 Sustaining the CBRT Report ...................................................................................................5-6 Stations ............................................................................................................................................2-19 Closing Remarks ............................................................................................................................ 5-7 Vehicles ...........................................................................................................................................2-42 Fare Collection ............................................................................................................................2-61