x Bus Rapid Transit Accessibility Public Disclosure Authorized Guidelines Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized These guidelines have been developed by Tom Rickert for the World Bank Public Disclosure Authorized thanks to funding provided by the Norwegian and Finnish governments through the TFESSD – Disability Window. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank and its affiliated organizations, or those of the Executive Directors of The World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. 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All other queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to the Office of the Publisher, The World Bank, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA, fax 202-522-2422, e-mail [email protected]. Cover photo credits: Photo on left courtesy of Bus Rapid Transit system of León, México; photos on right by the author, from TransMilenio in Bogotá, Colombia 1 BRT Accessibility Guidelines By Tom Rickert* Consultant to the World Bank January 2007 Introduction In recent years helpful guides have appeared in both English and Spanish to assist planners and officials to construct accessible buildings and pedestrian infrastructure which are usable by seniors, persons with disabilities, and all others who especially benefit from universal design. Less has been written about access to public transport systems. Very little guidance is available concerning specific issues which confront those planning Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems – mass transit systems which incorporate a spectrum of design and operational features on integrated trunk and feeder routes and which were initiated in Latin America and are now spreading throughout the region and beyond. In Colombia, BRT systems are in different stages of planning, implementation, and expansion. Bogota’s well-known TransMilenio is expanding and Pereira’s Megabús BRT system recently opened. Planning and construction are moving forward for Cali’s El MIO, the Metroplús system in Medellín, Metrolínea in Bucaramanga, Transmetro in Barranquilla, and Transcaribe in Cartagena, all scheduled to being operation in 2007 or 2008. Colombia will thus be the Construction of BRT line in first country in the world to provide integrated Cali, Colombia systems of mass transport in most of its major cities. External funding for these systems is provided by the World Bank, with the exception of Cali, where funding is provided by the Inter-American Development Bank. Conscious of their role in promoting “transport for all” around the world, institutions such as the World Bank are working with the national Ministry of Transport and municipal stakeholders to promote the accessible design and operation of BRT systems in Colombia and beyond. The Bank has learned much from the pioneering accessibility features of TransMilenio and from Medellín’s Metro and Metrocable systems, as well as from existing and planned BRT systems throughout Latin America. This experience, combined with what has been learned from other regions, has resulted in the publication of these BRT Accessibility Guidelines. The guidelines focus on the BRT environment and assume that interested parties can take advantage of existing guidelines to clarify general issues of access to public space, buildings, and pedestrian infrastructure. The guidelines generally follow the travel path of a passenger using a full-featured Bus Rapid Transit system. The accessible travel chain begins with sidewalks and pedestrian crossings and continues into a typical mid-island station served by buses with left-side doors (in countries where traffic drives on the right side). Buses pull up to an enclosed station with a ramped platform the height of the bus floor. The guidelines then 2 focus on station features, crossing the gap into the bus, and bus features. Due to the integrated nature of BRT, the guidelines focus equally on both trunk line and feeder line issues while acknowledging that a long-term planning process may be needed to identify funding for improved feeder line infrastructure and vehicles. Costs and benefits are discussed in a separate document, but most of the features discussed in this guide are low cost or even without cost in new features. The accessibility features are usually BRT construction in Pereira examples of universal design that not only assist disabled passengers but also make BRT more attractive to other categories of passengers. The guidelines put special emphasis on BRT features that have proven to be problematic according to findings by planners and passengers. Special “alert” notices are placed to further emphasize these sections. References are provided with further information on the topics in the guide. Information on the references is found in the Resources section at the rear of this report. A Check List to assist task manages to apply the guidelines is added as an appendix. The CD version of this guide provides additional resource materials. Photos not credited are by the author. Appreciation is expressed to those who have commented on the draft version of these guidelines, including but not limited to the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Colombia; representatives of agencies in all seven of the Colombian cities operating or phasing in BRT systems; and persons with disabilities and their NGOs in Bogotá, Cartagena, Cali, Bucaramanga, and Medellín. Special thanks to other individual reviewers, including Arq. Claudia Sánchez (Colombia), Dr. CGB (Kit) Mitchell (United Kingdom), Dr. Christoffel Venter (South Africa), Arq. Silvia Coriat (Argentina), Ing. Gerhard Menckhoff (World Bank), and Lic. María Eugenia Antúnez and Arq. Andrés Balcázar (México). * Information about the author is found on Page 40. Contents Page 1.0 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION . 3 2.0-6.0 ACCESS TO FIXED FACILITIES 2.0 Access to public space . 4 3.0 Fare collection . 11 4.0 Trunk line stations . 12 5.0 The platform-to-bus gap . 17 6.0 Access to feeder line stops . 21 7.0-10.0 BUS ACCESS 7.0 Bus specification process . 23 8.0 Signage and announcements . 24 9.0 Bus entrances and interior design . 25 10.0 Feeder line deployment and wheelchair access . 33 11.0-12.0 PUBLIC INFORMATION AND TRAINING 11.0 Public information . 36 12.0 Training . 37 RESOURCESBRT for accessible Accessibility transport planners .Guidelines . 38 Appendix CHECK LIST for use by task managers 3 1.0 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION BRT planners should use focus groups of users and an advisory committee to review and assess plans for access to BRT systems during the entire planning and implementation process. (For more information, see AEI, Making Access Happen, pp. 3-15, listed under “Resources” at rear.) 1.1 Focus groups composed of 6-12 persons with different types of physical, Focus sensory, and cognitive impairments, including frail seniors, can identify their groups travel barriers and help prioritize access features. For information, go to TRL, Enhancing the mobility of disabled people: Guidelines for practitioners, pp. 32-33 at www.globalride-sf.org 1.2 Transit planners should include individuals with different types of physical and Advisory sensory impairments on an advisory committee which meets periodically to (1) Commit- put inclusive transport on their agenda, tee (2) help officials to remain focused on access through periodic meetings, (3) prioritize actions, (4) avoid costly mistakes, and (5) monitor results by testing access features (or mockups of access features) and reporting back on compliance with design and operating standards. End users of accessible Advocates work together with trans- transport should also participate in any port officials. - Photo courtesy AEI. Accessible Transport Working Group bringing together government ministries and other stakeholders. ALERT (1) Make sure the committee is representative of different disabilities. For example, passengers with hidden disabilities, such as arthritis, need to be heard. Lack of such representation may be one cause of a lack of proper emphasis on the design of bus entrances. (2) Also Public meeting assure that disabled persons from in Cali, neighborhoods served by feeder Colombia routes are on the advisory committee, as well as persons from areas along trunk line corridors, due to the different issues faced by many users of feeder buses. For information, consult TRL or AEI, Making Access Happen. 4 2.0 PEDESTRIAN USE OF PUBLIC SPACE TO ACCESS BRT STATIONS AND FEEDER LINE BUS STOPS For further detail,