Downtown Boulder Station Feasibility Study Existing Capacity Assessment City of Boulder
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Downtown Boulder Station Feasibility Study Existing Capacity Assessment City of Boulder December 14 2017 (Revised) Downtown Boulder Station Feasibility Study_ Revised, December 14, 2017 Existing Capacity Assessment Table of contents Chapter Pages 1. Study purpose and background 2 1.1. Related studies 3 1.2. Data sources 6 1.3. Study area 6 2. Station layout and characteristics 7 2.1. Station site plan 7 2.2. Station characteristics 7 2.3. Safety considerations 8 2.4. Multimodal accessibility 8 3. Existing capacity assessment 10 3.1. Station platforms and layover 10 3.2. Bus routes utilizing Downtown Boulder Station 11 3.3. Vehicle circulation and traffic 14 3.4. Frequency of Service 19 4. Summary 28 Tables Table 3-1 Routes accessing Downtown Boulder Station ..................................................................... 13 Table 3-2 Bus vehicle types ................................................................................................................. 13 Table 3-3 Bus trip timeliness daily average ......................................................................................... 22 Table 3-4 Gate utilization and scheduled dwell time ........................................................................... 24 Table 3-5 Curb space utilization .......................................................................................................... 25 Table 3-6 Daily weekday boarding and alighting ................................................................................. 26 Table 4-1 Existing conditions summary table ...................................................................................... 28 Figures Figure 1-1 Downtown Boulder Station .................................................................................................... 2 Figure 1-2 Selected options of the FasTracks Local Optimization Study (2007) .................................... 4 Figure 2-1 Existing station layout ............................................................................................................ 7 Figure 3-1 Bus routes accessing Downtown Boulder Station ............................................................... 14 Figure 3-2 Average daily trips (RTD, 2016) .......................................................................................... 21 Figure 3-3 Daily trips by hour (RTD, 2016) ........................................................................................... 21 Figure 3-4 Fare payment by route type (RTD, 2015) ............................................................................ 23 Figure 3-5 Daily weekday boarding and alighting by route type (RTD, 2015) ...................................... 27 Figure 3-6 Typical weekday maximum load by bus route (RTD, 2016) ................................................ 27 1 Downtown Boulder Station Feasibility Study_ Revised, December 14, 2017 Existing Capacity Assessment 1. Study purpose and background The Downtown Boulder Station exists as a major bus transit hub for downtown Boulder, serving high passenger demand related to downtown employment, daily activities such as shopping and civic area uses, Boulder High School, and a direct connection to Downtown Denver and the Denver International Airport. Historically, the land near to the Downtown Boulder Station has served a transit purpose. The Union Pacific Depot (built in 1890) had a passenger and freight rail terminal called Boulder Junction located at 14th Street and Canyon Boulevard, roughly the site of the current station. Today, the Downtown Boulder Station is second only to Union Station in Downtown Denver in terms of daily bus trips and passenger demand; serves nearly the same total number of bus routes; yet, it occupies less than one-eighth of the space and has half the gate capacity of Union Station. It is anticipated that in the future, additional bus routes, including two new potential high-frequency bus-rapid-transit (BRT) lines, new and longer vehicles, and more passengers will be using the station. The purpose of this document is to study and identify the current capacity of the Downtown Boulder Station and nearby transit amenities. Additional capacity needs and design recommendations based on future needs will be identified in future documents. The location of the Downtown Boulder Station is shown in Figure 1-1. Figure 1-1 Downtown Boulder Station The station property and a majority of the bus operations at the station are managed by the Regional Transportation District (RTD). RTD owns and operates bus and rail transit and paratransit service throughout the Denver Metropolitan Area. Other transit operators with bus service accessing the station include 2 Downtown Boulder Station Feasibility Study_ Revised, December 14, 2017 Existing Capacity Assessment TransFort, which operates the FLEX bus line between Boulder and Fort Collins, and Via, which operates the local HOP line as well as Call-n-Ride service throughout the Front Range. 1.1. Related studies There are several plans that are related to the site and transit operations occurring at the Downtown Boulder Station. A description of these plans is included below. FasTracks Local Optimization Study (2007) In 2007, the City of Boulder in cooperation with RTD, Boulder County, and the University of Colorado, completed a study to identify critical bus facility needs to address changes in the transit network. This study documents bus operations at the Downtown Boulder Station in 2006 and is useful to the current Downtown Boulder Station Feasibility Study in that it can be used as a historic baseline for comparisons. The FasTracks Local Optimization study identified preliminary ideas for possible future expansion at the Downtown Boulder Station. Key objectives for the study are as follows: • To provide efficient bus operations while maintaining acceptable and safe traffic flow; • To provide enough space and appropriate amenities for the numbers of buses and passengers using the stops; • To assure attractive and safe access to the stops for passengers who may be walking, riding a bike, or being dropped off; and • To maintain and enhance the functions and value of adjacent land uses. The findings of the study show that based on transit activity in 2006, capacity of the station had been reached causing “crowding during the peak hours for buses, passengers, and parking facility users”. The study offered three possible options for increasing bus capacity at the station including options that expanded the station to a location south of Canyon Boulevard between 14th and 15th Streets. Of the three options identified, shown in Figure 1-2, “Option 1 - On Street” appears to be the most closely related to the existing station design, except nearly two thirds of the identified future loading positions (31 total positions identified for the station) do not exist. Other selected options include Option 3B, a replacement facility located on the south side of Canyon Boulevard and Option 2A, a combination that eliminates on-street stops. 3 Downtown Boulder Station Feasibility Study_ Revised, December 14, 2017 Existing Capacity Assessment Figure 1-2 Selected options of the FasTracks Local Optimization Study (2007) 4 Downtown Boulder Station Feasibility Study_ Revised, December 14, 2017 Existing Capacity Assessment Transportation Master Plan (2014) The City of Boulder’s 2014 Transportation Master Plan (TMP) outlines the City’s goals and objectives for future travel demand. This document calls for the reduction in single-occupancy vehicle trips; increases in walking, bicycling, and transit use; and improved safety for all travelers. The five focus areas, as laid out in the master plan, are Complete Streets, Regional Travel, Transportation Demand Management, Funding, and Integration with Sustainability Initiatives. The TMP calls for a Renewed Vision for Transit. The City envisions increases to both local and regional transit service to include more routes serving a larger area, as well as increased frequency of service for those routes. Northwest Area Mobility Study (2014) In 2014, RTD released the final report of the Northwest Area Mobility Study (NAMS). This document studied future transportation options for the area between the City and County of Denver, Interstate 25 (I-25), the City of Longmont, and the City of Boulder. Included in this plan was the identification of BRT to travel to and from Downtown Boulder Station. Identified BRT routes for future use of the Downtown Boulder Station include the SH 119, South Boulder Road, and SH7/East Arapahoe transit improvements, each proposing 15- minute peak period headways at the current station location. The study does not identify specific station improvements to address additional service. Civic Area Master Plan (2015) The Civic Area Master Plan created a new vision for the area south of, and including, Canyon Boulevard. Stretching from 9th Street to 14th Street, this land is envisioned as an active public space with a variety of civic buildings, natural environments, and displays of art interconnected by a modern downtown park. Canyon Boulevard is expected to play a major part in this vision. As the northern edge of the Civic Area, the Master Plan calls for a new, continuous promenade along Canyon Boulevard between 9th and 14th streets. 5 Downtown Boulder Station Feasibility Study_ Revised, December 14, 2017 Existing Capacity Assessment While 14th Street is currently transit-only north of Canyon Boulevard and could remain unchanged through the Civic Area Master Plan states