Select Bus Service 1 2 New York City Department of Transportation Contents 3 Overview 6 The SBS Process 7 SBS: Comprehensive Corridor Planning 9 Select Bus Service: The First Five Years 10 SBS Routes in Operation 13 SBS Performance 14 Phase II SBS Corridors 17 Case Studies 2 New York City Department of Transportation Overview Select Bus Service (SBS), New York City’s brand of SBS projects are developed through a community- bus rapid transit, offers fast, frequent, and reliable based planning process that includes extensive public bus service on high-ridership bus routes, forming input and feedback from project inception to post- a citywide bus rapid transit (BRT) network that implementation. SBS projects have won plaudits from supplements and complements the existing subway riders and key stakeholders, who have experienced the network. NYC’s first SBS route was implemented benefits in mobility and accessibility. on Fordham Road and Pelham Parkway in the Bronx in 2008, after several years of planning and Implementation of these seven routes represents the community outreach. The New York City Department most comprehensive BRT program implemented in of Transportation (NYCDOT) in partnership with a similar amount of time in the nation. This has been MTA New York City Transit and MTA Bus will have accomplished through a focus on bus priority elements implemented a total of seven new SBS services by that can be implemented quickly and with currently Spring 2014. available funding. These elements include: Since SBS’s inception in 2008, SBS services have • Off-board fare payment, which reduces saved 3.5 million hours in passenger travel time, and time spent at bus stops have served over 20,000 additional bus passengers daily. Ridership has grown on SBS routes, even during • Low-floor, three-door buses with speed boarding periods that bus ridership citywide declined. • On-street bus lanes which speed bus travel • Transit signal priority which reduces the delay at red lights • Wider stop spacing • Improved passenger information 3 FIGURE 1 SBS Projects implemented June 2008-November 2013 Williamsbridge Inwood Co-Op City Bx41: Webster Av Bx12: Fordham Rd/ The Pelham Pkwy Bronx The Hub M34/M34A: 34 St Manhattan Q70: Woodside-Jackson Heights to LGA* M15:First Av/ Second Av South Ferry Queens Williamsburg Brooklyn B44: Nostrand Ave/ Rogers Ave Bay Ridge Staten Island Staten Island Sheepshead Mall Bay S79: Hylan Blvd N * Not branded as SBS 4 New York City Department of Transportation Overview The initial set of BRT corridors were selected as part This report profiles each of the SBS projects of the NYC Bus Rapid Transit Study, completed in implemented to date, the benefits that SBS has 2006. These Phase I SBS projects were implemented brought to these communities, and plans for Phase II. between June 2008 (Bx12 SBS on Fordham Road) and the introduction of Nostrand Avenue/Rogers The Phase II planning process recognized that SBS Avenue SBS on November 2013. treatments similar to those in the initial corridors would be appropriate on some Phase II corridors, while After the success of Bx12 SBS, DOT and the MTA other corridors would offer opportunities for different sought to identify a longer list of corridors for bus bus priority designs that have not been implemented priority improvements. The resulting Phase II Plan to date. This report surveys additional treatments identified 16 corridors for future BRT development. which can be considered for future SBS corridors, Two Phase II services have been implemented: highlighting where and how these approaches have Webster Avenue in the Bronx, and service to been implemented in other large global cities. LaGuardia Airport from Woodside and Jackson Heights. In addition, an SBS service on 125th Street This survey of SBS accomplishments to date and in Manhattan, also serving LaGuardia airport, will be opportunities for future SBS implementations will implemented in Spring 2014. serve to inform a public dialog over the best way to continue development of a dynamic and effective BRT program in New York City, building on the productive partnership between NYCDOT, the MTA and communities throughout the five boroughs. 5 The SBS Process 1 Identifying community issues Public Workshops Transit and Traffic Community Surveys Observations 2 SouthboundShaping to SBS South Ferry Northbound to East Harlem Manhattan Manhattan East Harlem Upper East Side Murray Hill East Village Chinatown Financial District Financial District Chinatown Murray Hill Upper East Side East Harlem E 126 St E 125 St E 116 St E 106 St E 100 St E 88 St E 79 St E 67/68 St E 57 St E 49/50 St E 42 St E 34 St E 28 St E 23 St E 14 St E Houston St Grand St Catherine St Fulton St Wall St South Ferry South Ferry Wall St Fulton St Catherine St Grand St E 1St E 14 St E 23 St E 29 St E 34 St E 42 St E 50 St E 57 St E 67/68 St E 79 St E 86 St E 96/97 St 106 St E 116 St E 125 St M116 M106 M86 M79 M66 M31, M57 M50 M42 M16, M34 M16, M23 M14 M21 M22 M5, M20 M5, M20 M22 M21 M14 M16, M23 M16, M34 M42 M50 M31, M57 M66 M79 M86 M96 M106 M116 Bx15, M60, L F -R1 M15 -R1 F L M35, M100 327_10_C BusTalk www.mta.info ¯˘¿ Community Advisory Traffic Analysis Service Planning Committee meetings 3 Implementing SBS Public Open Houses On-Street Customer Implementation Ambassadors 4 Post- Implementation Community Advisory Project Monitoring Committee meetings 6 New York City Department of Transportation SBS: Comprehensive Corridor Planning NYCDOT and NYCT aim to improve conditions for all Some of the non-transit benefits that have resulted street users. SBS projects create an opportunity for a from SBS projects include: comprehensive look at traffic congestion, pedestrian safety and parking and delivery needs. • Pedestrian Safety Islands • Bicycle Paths and Lanes • Delivery Windows • Increased Metered Parking • Additional Sidewalk Space • Roadway Resurfacing • Traffic Signal Optimization • Real-time Traffic Information PEDESTRIAN REFUGE ISLANDS BIKE LANES PEDESTRIAN AMENITIES REAL-TIME TRAFFIC INFORMATION ROADWAY RESURFACING MORE EFFECIENT CURB REGULATIONS 7 Select Bus Service on First Avenue, Manhattan 8 New York City Department of Transportation Select Bus Service: The First Five Years Key elements of SBS development and implementation are: • Six new SBS services were implemented since 2008 (along with M60 SBS coming in Spring Since June 2008: 2014), bringing project benefits to riders as quickly as possible. 100 million SBS trips citywide • The chief goal of the SBS program is to make the 8 million person-hours saved buses faster, more reliable and easily identified as a premium service. 38+ miles of SBS bus lanes • SBS serves all five boroughs of the city, focusing on high-ridership bus routes. • SBS routes are complementary to the city’s extensive subway system; duplicating subway service would be inefficient and ineffective. • Each SBS project has included an extensive public engagement process involving community boards, business improvement districts, merchant associations, civic groups as well as state and local elected officials. • Dedicated bus lanes, off-board fare payment, transit signal priority and branding are the key elements. • NYCDOT and NYCT have focused on fast implementation to bring benefits quickly and show results quickly within constrained rights-of-way and without lengthy capital construction. This has been crucial to program sucess; New Yorkers could see what SBS is, see how it worked, and evaluate suitability for the next corridor being planned. • These projects have led to up to 20% faster bus service, and 10-20% increases in corridor ridership in the first year of service. 9 SBS Routes in Operation SBS Routes in Operation Bx12 PROJECT ELEMENTS/COSTS FORDHAM • Curbside bus lanes ($4M) ROAD/PELHAM • Transit Signal Priority ($2M) PARKWAY • Off-Board Fare Payment ($4M) • New Bus Shelters ($0M)* IMPLEMENTED JUNE 2008 TRAVEL TIME SAVINGS OVERALL 20% IN FIRST YEAR PROJECT COST RIDERSHIP GROWTH ~$10 MILLION Bx12 SBS provides a key crosstown 10% IN FIRST YEAR transit connection in the Bronx. * New bus shelters are installed under franchise agreement. M15 PROJECT ELEMENTS/COSTS FIRST AVENUE/ • Offset and curbside bus lanes ($5M) SECOND • Transit Signal Priority ($1M) AVENUE • Off-Board Fare Payment ($4M) • Bus bulbs ($7.5M) IMPLEMENTED OCTOBER 2010 TRAVEL TIME SAVINGS OVERALL 18% IN FIRST YEAR PROJECT COST RIDERSHIP GROWTH ~$17.5 MILLION M15 SBS is the highest ridership bus 10% IN FIRST YEAR route in NYC. M34/34A PROJECT ELEMENTS/COSTS 34TH STREET • Offset and curbside bus lanes ($4M) • Off-Board Fare Payment ($4M) IMPLEMENTED • Bus bulbs ($15M) NOVEMBER 2011 TRAVEL TIME SAVINGS OVERALL 23% IN FIRST YEAR PROJECT COST ~$27 MILLION RIDERSHIP GROWTH Ridership on M34 SBS has grown 12% SINCE 2011 even as ridership on other Manhattan crosstown routes has declined. 10 New York City Department of Transportation SBS Routes in Operation SBS Routes in Operation S79 PROJECT ELEMENTS/COSTS HYLAN • Curbside bus lanes ($3M) BOULEVARD • Transit Signal Priority ($2M) • Real-time travel information IMPLEMENTED for drivers ($0.5M) SEPTEMBER 2012 • Simplified route path OVERALL TRAVEL TIME SAVINGS PROJECT COST 13-19% SIX MONTHS AFTER LAUNCH ~$7 MILLION Bus lanes serve a large number of express and local bus routes in addition RIDERSHIP GROWTH to S79 SBS. 5-10% Bx41 PROJECT ELEMENTS WEBSTER • Offset and curbside bus lanes ($4M) AVENUE • Transit Signal Priority ($1M) • Off-Board Fare Payment ($2M) IMPLEMENTED • Bus bulbs (in development) JUNE 2013 OVERALL TRAVEL TIME SAVINGS* PROJECT COST More than 15% since launch ~$9 MILLION Bx41 SBS was planned and implemented more quickly than any *Preliminary results other SBS project to date. B44 PROJECT ELEMENTS NOSTRAND (SINGLE CAPITAL PROJECT) AVENUE/ • Offset and curbside bus lanes ROGERS AVENUE • Transit Signal Priority • Off-Board Fare Payment IMPLEMENTED: • Bus bulbs NOVEMBER 2013 Results will be available in 2014.