University of South Florida Scholar Commons CUTR Research Reports CUTR Publications 4-1-1994 Metro-Dade Transit Agency: MDTA Metromover Extensions Transfer Analysis - Final Report CUTR Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cutr_reports Scholar Commons Citation CUTR, "Metro-Dade Transit Agency: MDTA Metromover Extensions Transfer Analysis - Final Report" (1994). CUTR Research Reports. 81. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cutr_reports/81 This Technical Report is brought to you for free and open access by the CUTR Publications at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in CUTR Research Reports by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. METRO-DADE TRANSIT AGENCY MDT A Metro mover Extensions Transfer Analysis FINAL REPORT Prepared for Metro-Dade Transit Agency ... M E T R 0 D A D E T R A :\J -S I T Prepared by Center for Urban Transportation Research College of Engineering University of South Florida Tampa, Florida CUTR APRIL 1994 Metro-Dade Transit Agency c/o Metro-Dade MPO Secretariat Office of County Manager Suite 910 111 N.W. First Street Miami, Florida 33128-1904 (305) 375-4507 Executive Director: Chester E. Colby Project Manager: David Fialkoff Center for Urban Transportation Research University of South Florida 4202 E. Fowler Avenue, ENB 118 Tampa, Florida 33620-5350 (813) 974-3120 Director: Gary L. Brosch Project Managers: Dennis P. Hinebaugh Daniel K. Boyle TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES . 111 LIST OF TABLES . lV PROJECT OBJECTIVE . 1 CHAPTER 1 CURRENT OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS OF METROBUS SERVICE INTO/WITHIN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT . 3 CURRENT CBD METROBUS SERVICE . 3 EXISTING CBD BUS STOP LOCATIONS . 5 CBD METROBUS RIDERSHIP BY ROUTE . 5 BUS TRAVEL TIMES WITHIN THE CBD . 8 EXISTING METROMOVER/METROBUS TRANSFER POLICIES . 8 FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT ASSUMPTIONS . 10 Route Truncation . ; . 10 Fares . 11 DOWNTOWN MIAMI METROBUS USER SURVEY . 11 Fare Type . 11 Mode of Access/Egress . 13 Use of Metromover Extension· . 13 Origin/Destination by T AZ . 13 DOWNTOWN MIAMI METROBUS TRANSFER ANALYSIS . 15 SUMMARY ............................................... 17 CHAPTER 2 FARE POLICY ALTERNATIVES . 19 FARE IMPACTS . 19 Alternative #1 . 22 Inbound . 22 Outbound . 23 Fare Media/Equipment ......................... • . 23 Alternative #2 . 24 Inbound . 24 Outbound . 24 Fare Media/Equipment . 25 Alternative #3 . 25 Alternative #4 . 25 Inbound . 26 Outbound . 26 Fare Media/Equipment . 26 RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE . 26 Implementation of a Monthly Metromover Pass . 28 CHAPTER 3 ANALYSIS OF IMPACTS OF PROPOSED TRANSFERS BETWEEN BUS AND MOVER . 31 STATION CAPACITY . 31 Omni Station . 31 Brickell Station ....................................... : . 36 TRAVEL TIME IMPACTS . 37 Metromover Operating Characteristics . 37 Metrobus and Metromover Travel Times . 38 RECOMMENDATIONS . 43 Truncation of Metrobus Service . 43 APPENDIX A DOWNTOWN MIAMI METROBUS SURVEY RESULTS BY ROUTE ........ A-1 APPENDIX B DOWNTOWN MIAMI METROBUS SURVEY .......................... B-1 APPENDIX C METROMOVER EXTENSIONS STATION TO STATION SIMULATED RUN TIMES C-1 ii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 CBD Bus Stop Locations/TAZs . 6 Figure 2 Downtown Miami Metrobus User Survey . 12 Figure 3 Bus/Mover Transfer Alternatives (Inbound) . 20 Figure 4 Bus/Mover Transfer Alternatives (Outbound) . 21 Figure 5 Recommended Bus/Mover Transfer Alternative . 27 Figure 6 Metromover Alignment/TAZ's . 32 111 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Weekday Bus Route Service Levels . 4 Table 2 Screenline Passenger Counts . 7 Table 3 Weekday Bus Route Travel Times . 9 Table 4 System Origin/Destination by TAZ's . 14 Table 5 Transfers to Metrobus in CBD . 16 Table 6 Transfers to Metrobus in CBD . 18 Table 7 Weekday Bus Route Service Levels .............................. · 33 Table 8 Transfers Between Bus and Mover Extensions . 35 Table 9 Total Travel Times to CBD TAZ's . 39 Table 10 AM Peak Period Through Trip Travel Time Via Bus 41 Table 11 AM Peak Period Through Trip Travel Time Via Metromover . 42 Table 12 AM Peak Period Travel Time Comparisons . 44 Table 13 Prioritization of Route Truncation . 45 lV PROJECT OBJECTIVE The Omni and Brickell extensions of the Metromover are scheduled to open in late May 1994. The original plans for the Metromover extensions recommended that all Central Business District (CBD) oriented bus routes that operate in proximity to the Omni and Brickell Metromover stations be truncated at those locations. As a result, a major bus transfer facility has been constructed at the Omni station, and bus bays were included in the construction of the Brickell Metrorail and Metromover stations. According to the original plans, the Metromover would become the major collector/distributor for Metrobus routes serving the CBD, as it currently functions for the Metrorail service. The potential benefits of this service would be: • consistency in travel time for passengers no longer caught in downtown traffic; • reduction of bus routes from the Omni and Brickell Corridors into Downtown Miami; • corresponding reduction in bus miles and hours operated in CBD.. These miles might be reinvested in the truncated routes to improve the frequencies outside the CBD. Unlike Metrorail to Metromover transfers, the current MDT A fare policy does not address a bus to mover or mover to bus transfer. This creates an inconsistency in that bus passengers transferring to the mover would pay a $0.25 transfer whereas rail passengers transfer to the mover for free at the Government Center Station. The purpose of this project will be to (1) present the current operating characteristics of Metrobus service to and within the Miami CBD, (2) recommend an equitable fare transfer policy, (3) analyze the impacts on existing bus riders for both travel time and cost introduced by the transfers from bus to mover upon the opening of the new extensions, and ( 4) prioritize routes for potential truncation. Chapter 1 summarizes the operating characteristics of current Metrobus service into and within the Miami CBD. Included in this chapter are an inventory of existing bus stops, bus routings, route level ridership by time of day, existing fare policies, transfer analysis, and the results of a survey of Metrobus riders within the Omni and Brickell corridors into the CBD. Chapter 2 analyzes the financial impacts of the proposed transfers between Metrobus and the new legs of 1 the Metromover. Alternate bus/mover fare transfer policies will be developed and assessed. Chapter 3 analyzes the impacts of the proposed transfers between Metrobus and the new Metromover extensions. Impacts on passengers' walk distance from mover stations versus current bus stops and station capacity will also be examined. A prioritization process for route truncation is also developed. 2 CHAPTER 1 CURRENT OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS OF METROBUS SERVICE INTO/WITHIN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT CURRENT CBD METROBUS SERVICE There are currently 21 Metrobus routes serving the Miami CBD. For the purposes of this study, the CBD is defined as the area within 1/4 mile of the existing Metromover and the Omni and Brickell extensions. Ten of the 21 routes (3, 9, 10, 16, 93X, C, K, M, S, T) fall within the Omni extension corridor, four routes (8, 24, 48, B) are withi~ the Brickell extension corridor, and five routes (2, 7, 11, 21, and 77) enter the CBD from the west. The 48 serves both the Omni and Brickell areas via a loop up along Biscayne Boulevard. The 95X has multiple branches and enters the CBD from each of the three CBD entry corridors. Route 6 serves both the Omni and Brickell corridors. Currently all Brickell corridor routes enter the CBD along Miami Avenue due to the reconstruction of the Brickell Avenue bridge. Routes 6, 8, and B directly serve the Brickell Metrorail and Metromover station area. Routes 6 and 8 enter the CBD along Miami Avenue, while route B travelled along Brickell Avenue previous to the bridge construction. Route 24 travels along SW 13th Street within one block of the Brickell Metromover station, and then (previous to the bridge construction) entered the CBD along Brickell Avenue. The remaining Brickell corridor routes (48, 95X) formerly travelled along and entered the CBD from Brickell Avenue, and have been rerouted east along SE 7th Street to Miami Avenue and then into the CBD. The Omni routes enter the CBD from either Biscayne Boulevard (3, 16, 48, 95, C, M, S), or NE 2nd Avenue (9, 10, K, T). The Biscayne Boulevard routes stop at locations within one block of the Omni Metromover Station. Routes 9 and 10 stop two blocks from the Metromover on NE 2nd Avenue and NE 14th Street. Routes K and T also have stops adjacent to the Omni Metromover Station. Table 1 presents the current weekday bus route service levels, including hours of operation, and bus trips by time period for the routes serving the Omni and Brickell corridors. As presented in this table, the span of service in the CBD begins as early as 4:39am on route 3 ) TABLE 1 WEEKDAY BUS ROUTE SERVICE LEVELS Omni and Brickell Corridor Routes Weckdav Bus Trios SPAN OF AM MIDDAY PM ROUTE SERVICE (6-lOam) (10am-3om) (3-7om) 3 4:45am - 1:17am inbound 12 15 12 outbound 12 15 12 6 8:37am - 5:35pm inbound 1 5 3 outbound 1 5 2 9 4:41am - 11:58pm inbound 14 1 14 outbound 14 7 14 0 10 5:09am - 12:27am M inbound 6 9 6 N outbound 7 8 6 I 16 5:08am - 11:15pm C inbound 12 15 12 0 outbound 12 15 12 R R C 4:52am - 12:51am I inbound 12 15 12 D outbound 12 15 12 0 R K 5:08am - 11:25pm inbound 12 15 13 outbound 12 15 12 M 5:39am - 11:24pm inbound 8 10 8 outbound 8 10 8 S (1) 4:51am - 2:14am inbound 30 40 32 outbound 30 40 32 T 4:52am - 10:08pm inbound 11 10 12 outbound 11 10 12 93 6:00am - 7:08pm inbound 11 1 16 13 outbound , .