MTI Report 01-13 Norman Y. Mineta International Institute for Surface Transportation Policy Studies Created by Congress in 1991 Implementation of Zürich’s Transit Priority Program Mineta Transportation Institute San Jos é State University San Jose, CA 95192-0219 MTI Report 01-13 Implementation of Zürich’s Transit Priority Program October 2001 Andrew Butler Nash Ronald Sylvia, Ph.D. a publication of the Mineta Transportation Institute College of Business San José State University San Jose, CA 95192-0129 Created by Congress in 1991 Technical Report Documentation Page 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Catalog No. FHWA/CA/RM-2000/09 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date Implementation of Zürich’s Transit Priority Program October 2001 6. Performing Organization Code 7. Authors 8. Performing Organization Report No. Andrew Btuler Nash, P.E., Prof. Ronald Sylvia 01-13 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. Mineta Transportation Institute College of Business San José State University 11. Contract or Grant No. San Jose, CA 95192-0219 65W136 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 13. Type of Report and Period Covered California Department of Transporta- U.S. Department of Transportation Final Report tion Research and Special Programs Administra- 14. Sponsoring Agency Code tion 400 7th Street, SW 15. Supplementary Notes This research project was financially sponsored by the U.S Department of Transportation’s Research and Special Programs Administration and by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). 16. Abstract Zürich is famous for the quality of its public transit system and it has one of the highest levels of per capita transit ridership in the world. This is because its transit service is fast, frequent, reliable, and inexpensive, due in large part to its transit priority program. The research describes transit priority techniques implemented in Zürich and discusses the relevance of the Zürich experience to other cities interested in developing similar systems, highlighting the unique benefits and challenges of a transit priority system. Transit priority improvements are relatively low-cost ways to make a transit system work better by reducing vehicle delays. Specific improvements fall in the following categories: roadway improvements and traffic regulations, traffic signal preemption, exclusive transit lanes, transit malls, transit system operations, transportation system improvements, major transit facilities, and bus rapid transit. Zürich’s experience offers valuable insight to the process of developing and sustaining a transit priority system. These insights include: the importance of public support, planning land use to support transit use, implementing improvements comprehensively, interdepartment coordination, leveraging institutional change, and adopting appropriate technology. Ultimately, what is important is that Zürich’s transportation system is a major contributor to the city’s high quality of life and livability. Cities interested in implementing transit priority systems can learn much from Zürich’s experience and be encouraged by its success. 17. Key Words 18. Distribution Statement congestion, policy, rapid transit, roadway improvements, traffic, No restrictions. This document is available to the public traffic regulations, transit, transit through the National Technical Information Service, lanes, transportation Springfield, VA 22161 19. Security Classif. (of this report) 20. Security Classif. (of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price Unclassified Unclassified 150 $15.00 Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Copyright 2001 All Rights Reserved Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2001096707 To order this publication, please contact the following: Mineta Transportation Institute College of Business BT-550 San José State University San Jose, CA 95192-0219 Tel (408) 924-7560 Fax (408) 924-7565 E-mail: [email protected] http://transweb.sjsu.edu ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Mineta Transportation Institute Project Team consisted of Andrew Butler Nash, P.E., Principal Investigator, and Professor Ronald Sylvia, who was responsible for the Santa Clara County Official Survey. Student assistant Dan Goodrich contributed to this project. Many people and organizations have made this research project possible. The United States Department of Transportation’s Research and Special Projects Administration and Caltrans funded this project through the Mineta Transportation Institute at San José State University’s College of Business. Mr. Rod Diridon (Executive Director) and Ms. Trixie Johnson (Research Director) as well as other staff members from the institute provided valuable ideas and input into the program. In Zürich, professors and staff from the Eidgenoessische Technische Hochschule (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology or ETH) Institut fur Verkehrsplanung, Transporttechnik, Strassen-and Eisenbahnbau (Institute for Transportation Planning, Transportation Engineering, Street Construction and Railroad Construction or IVT) were extremely helpful and generous with their time. I also wish to thank the ETH IVT for providing me with space and resources while I was in Zürich completing fieldwork for the project. The research would not have been possible without the help of Professor Heinrich Braendli from the ETH IVT. Professor Braendli provided the background information and history needed to write the report as well as the contacts among Zürich’s transportation professionals to interview. In addition to Professor Braendli, four other transportation professionals and members of the academic community served on a steering committee that provided ideas for the research, and assistance at various times during the project. The steering committee included Ms. Carmen Clark, Executive Director of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA); Professor Elizabeth Deakin of the University of California Berkeley’s Institute of Transportation Studies and Department of City and Regional Planning; the Honorable Michael Yaki, Chairman of the SFCTA and a San Francisco County Supervisor; and the Honorable Angelo Quaranta, President of the San Francisco Department of Parking and Traffic. I would also like to thank all the people who have been interviewed for this research. These individuals spent countless hours explaining the details of Zürich’s planning and political processes to me. The interviewees were: Professor Dr. Kay W. Azhausen (ETH IVT), Roman Baur (Zuercher Verkehrsverbund), Daniel Boesch (Schweizerische Bundesbahnen), Stefan Gerber (Electrowatt Engineering), Martin Gross (Schweizerische Bundesbahnen), Jean Gross (Sihital Zürich Uetilberg Bahn), Franz Halbritter (Schweizerische Bundesbahnen), Christian Harb (Umverkehr), Daniel Hurliman (ETH IVT), Willi Husler (Ing. Buro fur Verkehrsplannumg W. Husler AG), Ernst Joos (Industrielle Betriebe der Stadt Zuerich), Donald A. Keller (Regionalplanung Zürich und Umgebung), Major Hanspeter Oehrli (Stadtpolizei Zuerich Abteilung fur Verkehr), Reudi Ott (Tiefbauamt der Stadt Zuerich), Peter Stirnemann (Verkehrsbetrieb Zuerich), Eva Stoffell (CVP Candidate), Beat Schweingruber (Co-writer of People’s Initiative), and Christian Thomas (Fussverkehr Schweiz). I would also like to thank MTI Research Director Trixie Johnson, Research and Publications Assistant Sonya Cardenas and Jeanne Dittman, Graphic Artists Ben Corrales and Shun Nelson, Editors Irene Rush and Christopher Horn, and Student Editorial Assistant Robyn Whitlock. Implementation of Zürich’s Transit Priority Program i TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVESUMMARY.......................... 1 WHYISTRANSITPRIORITYIMPORTANT? ................2 TRANSIT PRIORITY IMPROVEMENTS: A FEASIBLE TRANSITINVESTMENT ..............................2 TYPESOFTRANSITPRIORITYIMPROVEMENTS...........3 IMPLEMENTATION OF TRANSIT PRIORITY TECHNIQUES . 4 DIFFICULTY IN IMPLEMENTING TRANSIT PRIORITY IMPROVEMENTS ....................................5 TRANSITPRIORITYINZÜRICH ..........................6 CommuterRailroadNetwork.............................7 ImplementationLessonsfromZürich ......................8 Lesson #1: Obtain and Maintain Strong Public Support ........9 Lesson #2: Enlist Elected Official Support ..................9 Lesson #3:UseSmartImplementationTechniques...........10 Lesson #4: Organize Government to Effectively Deliver Program.........................................11 Lesson #5: Careful Traffic Engineering and Technology Is Critical..........................................11 Lesson #6: Implement Complementary Programs to Improve theTransitSystem.................................12 Lesson #7: Use Capital Investments to Leverage Institutional Change .........................................13 Lesson#8:ThinkCarefullyattheSystemsLevel............14 CONCLUSION.........................................14 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ...........................15 INTRODUCTION . ............................. 17 RESEARCHOBJECTIVES ...............................17 TRANSITPRIORITY....................................17 TRANSIT PRIORITY ............................. 21 INTRODUCTION.......................................21 TRANSITPRIORITYTECHNIQUES.......................21 RoadwayImprovement—TrafficRegulations ..............21 TrafficSignalPriority .................................23 PassivePriority ...................................23 ActivePriority....................................24 Mineta Transportation Institute ii Implementation of Zürich’s Transit Priority Program UnconditionalPriority..............................25 Zürich’sApproach.................................25