Issue Brief RETHINKING THE BUS: FIVE ESSENTIAL STEPS FOR IMPROVING MOBILITY IN THE CAPITAL REGION SEPTEMBER 2018 Acknowledgement: This Greater Washington Partnership appreciates the thoughtful insights and strong commitment from our partners in development of this brief, and we stand together in working with regional transit agencies and others to execute its recommendations: Greater Baltimore Committee, Central Maryland Transportation Alliance, Greater Washington Board of Trade, Coalition for Smarter Growth, DC Sustainable Transportation, ChamberRVA, and RVA Rapid Transit. The team has benefited from the expert guidance of Jacob Mason of the Institute for Transportation Development Policy and Kirk Hovenkotter of TransitCenter in developing this brief. The Partnership thanks Sarah Kline of SK Solutions for her research, counsel, and management of this issue brief. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In the Capital Region of Baltimore, Washington, and Richmond, more than ten million people rely on the region’s FIGURE 1. PERCENT CHANGE IN POPULATION transportation system every day. But traffic congestion & BUS RIDERSHIP BY METRO AREA, 2010-2017 is increasing, commutes are becoming longer and more frustrating, and many people still struggle to access jobs and 15% opportunity reliably and affordably. To address these issues, 10% multiple elements of the transportation network require 5% attention, from improving the performance of key highways1 to seamlessly connecting our mobility options.2 Though long 0% overlooked, buses are also a key part of the solution to the -5% region’s mobility challenges. -10% While there have been notable improvements to bus -15% service in recent years, the region can do more to allow -20% buses to reach their full potential as a mobility solution. -25% All transportation stakeholders—from local and state governments to transit agencies to the private sector—have a -30% BALTIMORE WASHINGTON RICHMOND role to play in rethinking the bus. Buses have natural advantages over other types of POPULATION BUS RIDERSHIP transportation: they come in many sizes, are affordable and Source: U.S. Census and TransitCenter’s NTD Transit Ridership Analysis, 2002- accessible to nearly everyone, and can serve all types of 2017. areas. Buses can provide long-distance commuter service or short trips around a city, and they run on existing roads without requiring expensive new infrastructure. In short, FIGURE 2. CHANGE IN BUS RIDERSHIP, 2010-2017 buses can be a cost-effective, efficient solution for moving people, particularly in heavily-populated areas. METRO AREA CHANGE However, many parts of the United States, including the Baltimore -23.52% Capital Region, have not fully valued or maximized the power Washington -7.68% of the bus. Local and state governments, which own the roads on which buses travel, typically require buses to use Richmond -24.66% the same congested lanes and wait at the same red lights as cars, despite their ability to carry many times more people 20 largest U.S. bus systems -11.85% and offer a viable alternative to single occupancy vehicles. Note: 20 largest bus systems based on 2017 ridership. Bus service has been limited by competing funding priorities. Source: TransitCenter’s NTD Transit Ridership Analysis, 2002-2017. 3 Credit: GRTC Transit System Other modes—bikeshare, rail, ride-sharing—have captured It’s time for the Capital Region to rethink the bus. The region the spotlight, engendering regional conversations about needs buses that are fast, reliable, and frequent. Riding the strategies and solutions that rarely include buses. bus should be easy and convenient and the experience should be comfortable, safe, and modern. Capital Region consumers As a result, buses are often the slowest vehicles on the road, should be able to count on buses to take them where they and the ride of last resort for many people. It is no wonder need to go, not leave them waiting at the stop. Buses should that bus ridership has been declining in the Capital Region, be treated as a valued part of the transportation system and mirroring a national trend. (See Figures 1 and 2.) empowered to effectively serve the needs of consumers in the region. Slow buses and declining ridership limit the region’s economic potential. Poor service does little to combat There are some promising changes already in place, and traffic congestion, which costs people both time and money. other efforts are underway. The Greater Richmond Transit Unreliable public transportation makes it harder for workers Company (GRTC) recently launched the Pulse, the longest to find jobs and for the region’s employers to recruit talent. bus rapid transit (BRT) line in the Capital Region and This in turn undermines the region’s ability to attract new the Richmond metro area’s first BRT service, as well as a and expanded businesses. While a significant investment has complete redesign of routes within the city. The Maryland already been made in buses (the region’s bus fleet totals more Transit Administration (MTA) implemented a major redesign than 3,800 vehicles3), as a whole, the region has not fully of Baltimore’s bus routes to increase frequency on major leveraged the potential of this important asset to help solve corridors and improve reliability. Residents and visitors mounting transportation challenges. in Washington are enjoying faster service on the region’s 4 limited-stop MetroExtra and Metroway bus routes, and the The Capital Region’s bus systems are already working hard, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) providing more than 900,000 trips each weekday.8 But the is moving forward on implementation of its Priority region has been slow to adopt best practices for bus service Corridor Network and also launching study, with regional across the entire system. The entire Capital Region has just stakeholders, to better define the role of bus in the region. 12.5 miles of dedicated bus lanes. There are just over 300 intersections enabled with transit signal priority (TSP) out of Still, there is more that can be done, as other regions have the thousands of intersections used by buses in the region. shown. Seattle has used a combination of dedicated bus Richmond’s new Pulse BRT is the only bus service in the lanes, priority movement for buses at key intersections, region that allows off-board fare payment to speed boarding. higher frequency on its most popular routes, and faster fare payment to make its buses faster, more reliable, more Creating a high-performing bus network is a shared accessible, and easier to use. Seattle’s bus ridership has responsibility. Transit agencies, local and state officials, continued to grow—up 16 percent since 20104—while most employers and employees, and the community must work other bus systems are shedding riders. together to fully leverage the region’s bus systems and lay the groundwork for future success. That strategy must address Houston recently completed a comprehensive set of route five key actions, which can be undertaken immediately and at changes to provide high-frequency bus service to thousands a far lower cost than most major road or rail projects: more residents, with limited impact on its annual budget. Since the change took effect, Houston’s bus ridership has • Optimize routes been steady while other Texas cities have lost riders.5 • Make space for the bus • Make boarding faster Over a decade ago, Seoul’s leaders responded to increasing • Make buses easy to use traffic congestion and declining bus ridership with a series • Measure and report on performance of reforms, including route redesigns, fare payment changes, and bus priority treatments. Bus speeds during peak periods This brief offers recommendations specific to each metro increased 30 percent following the reforms, and ridership area, to help them build upon the progress that has already increased by more than 10 percent.6 Seoul’s bus system is been made while encouraging the region to continue to now recognized as one of the fastest, most convenient, and rethink the bus. most reliable in the world.7 While the three regional transit providers—MTA, WMATA, and GRTC—are the focus of this report, at least thirty different agencies provide some form of public transportation in the Capital CAPITAL Region. Some of these are significant bus systems in their own right; Montgomery County and REGION Fairfax County each have bus fleets comparable in size to regions such as Orlando and Buffalo. Many of these transit providers—such as the RTA which serves Howard, Anne Arundel, and other TRANSIT locations in Central Maryland, and FRED, which serves the Fredericksburg area—find themselves PROVIDERS with a dual mission: to address mobility needs within their borders while also helping their residents connect with opportunities in the rest of the region. The Partnership encourages all transit providers in the region to adopt the best practices called out in this brief. 5 NEXT MOVES TO RETHINK THE CAPITAL REGION’S BUSES METRO AREA PRIORITY ACTIONS LEAD ACTOR Improve bus speed and reliability with dedicated lanes and signal Baltimore City and county DOTs and MTA priority on high ridership, congested corridors Transform North Avenue with continuous bus lanes and bike and Baltimore City DOT and MTA pedestrian infrastructure Connect more people and jobs by adding frequency and service hours to key routes, including routes serving low-income areas MTA, Baltimore Mayor, and County Executives with high non-vehicle ownership rates BALTIMORE Deliver a bold transit vision