Project No: FTA-VA-26-7222-2004.1 Federal United States Transit Department of August 2004 Administration Transportation CharacteristicsCharacteristics ofof BusBus RapidRapid TransitTransit forfor Decision-MakingDecision-Making Office of Research, Demonstration and Innovation NOTICE This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the United States Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the objective of this report. Form Approved REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188), Washington, DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES August 2004 COVERED BRT Demonstration Initiative Reference Document 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5. FUNDING NUMBERS Characteristics of Bus Rapid Transit for Decision-Making 6. AUTHOR(S) Roderick B. Diaz (editor), Mark Chang, Georges Darido, Mark Chang, Eugene Kim, Donald Schneck, Booz Allen Hamilton Matthew Hardy, James Bunch, Mitretek Systems Michael Baltes, Dennis Hinebaugh, National Bus Rapid Transit Institute Lawrence Wnuk, Fred Silver, Weststart - CALSTART Sam Zimmerman, DMJM + Harris 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. ORGANIZATION REPORT 8283 Greensboro Drive NUMBER McLean, Virginia 22102 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/ Federal Transit Administration MONITORING U.S. Department of Transportation AGENCY REPORT NUMBER Washington, DC 20590 FTA-VA-26-7222-2004.1 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 12a. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Available From: National Technical Information Service/NTIS, Springfield, Virginia, 22161. Phone (703) 605-6000, Fax (703) 605-6900, Email [[email protected]] 13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words) This reference was prepared for the Office of Research, Demonstration and Innovation of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The report is intended to support evaluation of bus rapid transit concepts as one of many options during the initial project planning and development. This report presents a comprehensive summary of applications of BRT elements in the United States and in selected sites around the world. Information on the first wave of BRT projects to be implemented in the United States is presented to show the broad range of applications of key elements of BRT – running ways, stations, vehicles, fare collection, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), and service and operating plans. This report also presents performance of BRT systems and discusses how combinations of BRT elements contribute to transit system performance, including reducing travel times, improving reliability, providing identity and a quality image, improving safety and security, and increasing capacity. Some important benefits of integrated BRT systems are presented, including transportation system benefits (increasing ridership, and improving capital cost effectiveness and operating efficiency) and community benefits (transit-supportive development and environmental quality). 14. SUBJECT TERMS 15. NUMBER OF PAGES Bus Rapid Transit, Performance Measurement, Benefits 217 (Body of Report) 289 (including appendices) 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY 18. SECURITY 19. SECURITY 20. LIMITATION OF CLASSIFICATION CLASSIFICATION CLASSIFICATION ABSTRACT OF REPORT OF THIS PAGE OF ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18298-102 AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This information document was developed for the Federal Transit Administration by a consortium of organizations led by Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., including DMJM + Harris; Mitretek Systems; the National Bus Rapid Transit Institute (NBRTI) at the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR), University of South Florida; and Weststart - CALSTART. Booz Allen Hamilton was the primary contractor for this report. The work by the other organizations was conducted under separate contracts with the FTA. Roderick Diaz, Booz Allen Hamilton was the principal editor of this document. The other contributing authors of this report include Mark Chang, Georges Darido, Eugene Kim, and Donald Schneck, Booz Allen Hamilton; Matthew Hardy and James Bunch, Mitretek Systems; Michael Baltes and Dennis Hinebaugh, National Bus Rapid Transit Institute; Lawrence Wnuk and Fred Silver, Weststart - CALSTART; and Sam Zimmerman of DMJM + Harris. Contributions are acknowledged from Alan Danaher, Kittleson and Associates, Inc., and Herbert Levinson. Jully Chung and Michael Quant, Booz Allen Hamilton provided formatting and report layout assistance. The FTA project manager was Bert Arrillaga, Chief of the Service Innovation Division. Mr. Arrillaga led a coordinating team composed of the principal and contributing authors of the document and Department of Transportation staff, including Ronald Fisher, James Ryan, Carlos Garay, Richard Steinmann, Paul Marx, Stewart McKeown, Helen Tann, Charlene Wilder, Karen Facen, FTA; and Yehuda Gross, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Special thanks are due to Barbara Sisson, Associate Administrator for Research Demonstration and Innovation; Leslie Rogers, Regional Administrator, Region IX; and Walter Kulyk, Director, Office of Mobility Innovations who provided broad guidance and leadership and coordinated an industry review panel. The feedback provided by the industry review panel is also gratefully acknowledged: Greg Hull, Anthony Kouneski, Lurae American Public Transportation Authority Stuart Ronald Barnes formerly with Central Ohio Transit Authority Joyce Olson, Matt Sheldon Community Transit, Everett, WA Kim Green GFI Genfare Brian McLeod, Joe Policarpio Gillig Corporation Joseph Calabrese Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Cheryl Soon Honolulu Department of Transportation Services Mark Pangborn, Ken Hamm Lane Transit District, Eugene, OR Rex Gephart Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Mona Brown Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transportation Authority James Gaspard, John Reynolds Neoplan USA Corp. Rick Brandenburg, Amy Miller, Bill New Flyer Industries Stanton Millard Seay New York City Transit Cliff Henke, Ron Ingraham, Rich North American Bus Industries Himes Conal Deedy Nova Bus Diane Hawkins, Michael J. Optima Bus Corporation Monteferrante Mark Brager, Sheri Calme , Mel Orion Bus Industries Doherty, Bob Sonia David Wohlwill Port Authority of Allegheny County Alberto Parjus Public Transportation Management, Miami, FL Jacob Snow, June Devoll, Curtis Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada Myles, Sandraneta Smith-Hall Gwen Chisholm-Smith Transit Cooperative Research Program, Transportation Research Board SOURCES OF INFORMATION This report draws from a variety of sources of information. Reports and research documents are cited in footnotes and in the bibliography (Appendix A). In addition to sources cited, staff members at agencies provided valuable up-to-date system information on experience with elements, performance, and benefits at their respective systems and photographs. Jon Twichell, Jamie Levin Alameda - Contra Costa Transit District Amy Malick, Joseph Iacobucci, Chicago Transit Authority Rex Gephart, David Mieger, Martha Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Butler, Thomas Carmichael, Michael Richmai Sean Skehan Los Angeles Department of Transportation David Carney, Maureen Trainor, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Dave Barker David Wohlwill, Richard Feder Port Authority of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA Alberto Parjus Public Transportation Management, Miami, FL Reed Caldwell Regional Public Transportation Authority, Phoenix, AZ June DeVoll, John Fischer, Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Sandraneta Smith-Hall Nevada, Las Vegas, NV Additional Photographs and illustrations contained within the report were provided by a variety of sources including the photograph libraries of all document team members, including Booz Allen Hamilton, DMJM + Harris; Mitretek Systems; the National Bus Rapid Transit Institute (NBRTI) at the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR), University of South Florida; and Weststart - CALSTART. Additional photographs were provided by North American Bus Industries (Cliff Henke), Neoplan USA, New Flyer Industries, and the ISE Corporation. Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................... ES-1 1.0 INTRODUCTION: The Need for and Purpose of Characteristics of Bus Rapid Transit for Decision-Making ...................................................................... 1-1 1.1