Wichita Travels Wichita Regional Transit Plan Easy-to-use routes Connections to other communities Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on Douglas Ave May 2010 Prepared For Wichita Transit By The University of Kansas Urban Planning Department Graduate Transportation Planning Implementation Class (BRT, HNTB Corp.) ii iii Table of Contents Contents Chapter I: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 1 A. Purpose and Need ............................................................................................................... 1 B. Goals and Objectives ........................................................................................................... 1 C. Study Area ........................................................................................................................... 2 D. Comparison to Peer Cities ................................................................................................... 4 E. Public Perception ................................................................................................................. 5 F. Study Team and Process ....................................................................................................... 8 Chapter II: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................................................................. 11 Chapter III: EXISTING CONDITIONS ........................................................................................... 15 A. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 15 B. Demographics ................................................................................................................... 15 1. Urbanized Area .......................................................................................................... 15 2. Surrounding Area ....................................................................................................... 15 C. Public Transit Services - Urbanized Area ............................................................................. 16 1. Service provider ............................................................................................................. 16 2. General Purpose Route System ...................................................................................... 16 3. Airport Services ............................................................................................................. 18 4. University Service .......................................................................................................... 22 5. Services for People with Disabilities ............................................................................... 24 6. Ridership ....................................................................................................................... 25 D. Area Economic Characteristics ......................................................................................... 26 E. Development Patterns ....................................................................................................... 26 1. Transit Oriented Development (TOD) ......................................................................... 26 2. Area wide density ...................................................................................................... 27 F. Commuter Express Service ................................................................................................. 28 1. Trip Length ................................................................................................................. 28 2. Existing Carpools ........................................................................................................ 28 3. Commuter Travel Patterns .......................................................................................... 29 4. Total Population: Residential and Employment ........................................................... 30 iv 5. Travel Speed............................................................................................................... 31 6. Parking Availability ..................................................................................................... 31 7. Roadway Selection ..................................................................................................... 31 G. Facilities ............................................................................................................................ 31 1. Operations ..................................................................................................................... 31 2. System Operations – Use of Information Technology Systems ITS .................................. 33 H. Customer Service .............................................................................................................. 34 1. Information ................................................................................................................ 34 2. Physical amenities: stops, signs and shelters .............................................................. 34 G. Costs and Revenues .......................................................................................................... 35 Revenue ............................................................................................................................ 35 Costs ................................................................................................................................. 36 CHAPTER IV: INVENTORY OF POTENTIAL SERVICE COMPONENTS ............................................... 38 A. Urbanized area .................................................................................................................. 38 1. Fixed route transit (Bus, Bus Rapid Transit and Light Rail) ............................................... 38 2. Dial a ride ...................................................................................................................... 41 3. Circulator ....................................................................................................................... 41 B. Commuter Express Service ................................................................................................ 42 Chapter V: STANDARD AND CRITERIA ........................................................................................ 43 A. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 43 B. Urbanized Area – Standards for Improved Accessibility ...................................................... 43 1. Provide a grid transit system ......................................................................................... 43 2. Provide Services within Walking Distance ....................................................................... 43 3. Base service on land use characteristics ......................................................................... 44 4. Provide adequate service span and frequency ............................................................... 44 5. Base service on population and employment density ..................................................... 44 6. Implement Bus Rapid Transit based on standards........................................................... 44 7. Light Rail Transit (LRT) - not warranted ........................................................................... 45 8. BRT and LRT Rail – Transit Supportive Development Standards....................................... 46 9. Demand Response service standards ............................................................................. 47 10. Serve Mobility Limited Populations and Human Services Agencies ............................... 48 11. Connect Employment Destinations ............................................................................. 49 v 12. Provide airport service ............................................................................................... 49 13. Serve Downtown travel and development needs ......................................................... 49 14: Serve Major Universities ............................................................................................. 49 C. Commuter Express to Surrounding Communities .............................................................. 49 1. Provide commuter express services ............................................................................... 49 2. Provide adequate service span and frequency ............................................................... 50 3. Use Car pool and van pool services as appropriate in lower use corridors. ..................... 50 D. Deliver Efficient, Effective and Sustainable Transportation to Wichita ............................... 50 1. Provide a high level of customer service ........................................................................ 50 Chapter VI: VISION ................................................................................................................... 52 A. OVERVIEW OF VISION ...................................................................................................... 52 B. Components ...................................................................................................................... 53 The City of Wichita ...........................................................................................................