Designing for Transit A Manual for Integrating Public Transportation and Land Development in the San Diego Metropolitan Area February 2018 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK San Diego Metropolitan Transit System Chief Executive Officer Paul C. Jablonski Board of Directors Chair Georgette Gómez, San Diego City Council Board Members David Alvarez, San Diego City Council David Arambula, Lemon Grove City Council Lorie Bragg, Mayor Pro Tem, Imperial Beach Myrtle Cole, San Diego City Council Jim Cunningham, Poway City Council Mike Diaz, Chula Vista City Council Kevin Faulconer, Mayor, City of San Diego Ronn Hall, Santee City Council Bob McClellan, El Cajon City Council Guy McWhirter, La Mesa City Council Mona Rios, (Vice Chair of MTS Board), National City City Council Ron Roberts, Board of Supervisors, County of San Diego Mary Salas, Mayor, City of Chula Vista Bill Sandke, Coronado City Council © 2018 MTS Reproduction of portions of this report for educational purposes is permitted, as long as credit is given to the Metropolitan Transit System. Metropolitan Transit System Designing for Transit | i THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Contents 1 Introduction 1 2 Making Transit Work Better for Your Community 9 3 Ten Ways to Design More Transit-Oriented Communities 23 4 Design Standards for Bus Transit 37 5 Development Around Light Rail Transit 55 Metropolitan Transit System Designing for Transit | iii CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ............................. 1 3 TEN WAYS TO DESIGN MORE TRANSIT-ORIENTED About This Manual ........................................ 3 COMMUNITIES .............................. 23 Public Transportation in San Diego ...................................... 4 Principles .................................................... 24 Historical Background .......................... 4 1. Create a Pedestrian Friendly Making the Land Use Connection ................ 6 Environment..................................... 25 2. Make Pedestrian Facilities a Priority ...... 26 2 MAKING TRANSIT WORK BETTER 3. Design Building Sites to Serve FOR YOUR COMMUNITY ............... 9 Many Users ...................................... 27 4. Encourage a Mixture of Land Uses ........ 28 Transit Priority Measures ............................ 10 5. Provide Appropriate Densities ................ 29 Queue Jumps ..................................... 10 Commercial: Retail ............................. 30 Transit Signal Progression & Industrial ............................................. 30 Active Transit Signal Priority .............11 Bus Bulbs ........................................... 12 6. Interconnect the Street System .............. 31 Complete Streets and 7. Narrow the Neighborhood Street ............ 32 Active Transportation ....................... 13 8. Be Cautious of Major Streets.................. 33 Access to Transit ................................ 13 9. Integrate Transit into the Community...... 34 Station Amenities ................................ 14 Pedestrian Infrastructure .................... 15 10. Consider Transit Linkage in Advance ... 35 Bicycle Infrastructure .......................... 16 Traffic Calming ................................... 16 4 DESIGN STANDARDS FOR Stormwater and Drainage BUS TRANSIT ................................. 37 Requirements Near Transit .............. 17 Community Events, Special Events, and Design Standards for Bus Transit ............... 38 Construction Coordination ............... 18 Community Events ............................. 18 Special Events Coordination .............. 18 Construction Coordination .................. 19 Bicycle and Transit Streets ......................... 20 Future Transit Signal Priority Corridors ...... 21 iv | February 2018 CONTENTS Figure 2-14 Transit Street with 5 DEVELOPMENT AROUND Bike Lanes ............................................ 20 LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT ..................... 55 Figure 2-15 Shared Transit and Bike Develop Around Light Lanes are Not Recommended ............. 20 Rail Transit ....................................... 56 Figure 3-1 Protected Pedestrian Median Refuge ..................................... 26 Transit-Oriented Land Development Figure 3-2 Strategic placement of office Policies ............................................ 57 buildings increases accessibility for Overview ............................................ 57 transit users .......................................... 27 What Local Government Can Do ....... 59 Figure 3-1 Connected networks improve Providing for Public/Private access to transit ................................... 31 Partnerships in Transit ..................... 60 Figure 3-3 Simple improvements General Plan ...................................... 60 enhance the urban environment ......... 35 Circulation Element ............................ 61 Specific Plans, Master Plans, Figure 4-1a Bus Vehicle Dimensions ........ 39 and Corridor Plans ........................... 63 Figure 4-1b Bus Vehicle Dimensions ........ 40 Implementing Ordinances .................. 63 Figure 4-2a Bus Turning Template, 40’ Standard Bus ................................. 41 Conclusion .................................................. 64 Figure 4-2b Bus Turning Template, MTS contacts.............................................. 65 45’ Commuter Bus ............................... 42 References ................................................. 65 Figure 4-3 Vertical and Horizontal Local References ............................... 65 Clearances for Buses ........................... 43 National References ........................... 65 Figure 4-4 Pavement Composition Recommendations ............................... 44 Figure 4-5 Bus Passenger Shelter FIGURES Placement ............................................ 45 Figure 1-1 Metropolitan Transit Figure 4-6 Bus Turnarounds ..................... 46 System Map, 2017 ................................. 7 Figure 4-7 Intersection Design Figure 2-1 Queue Jumps .......................... 10 for Bus Turns ........................................ 47 Figure 2-2 Transit Signal Progression ....... 11 Figure 4-8 Intersection Design Figure 2-3 Bus Bulbs ................................. 12 for Bus Turns at Pedestrian Bulbs ...... 48 Figure 2-4 Complete Street Elements ..... 13 Figure 4-9 Bus Stop Dimensions Figure 2-5 MTS RAPID Station ................. 14 with In-Lane Stops ............................... 49 Figure 2-6 Sidewalk Widening .................. 15 Figure 4-10 Bus Pull-Out Stops and Figure 2-7 Parklet ...................................... 15 Dimensions ........................................... 50 Figure 2-8 Curb Extension ........................ 16 Figure 4-11 Off-Street Bus Station ........... 51 Figure 2-9 Bike Share Station .................. 16 Figure 4-12 Bus Passenger Shelters Figure 2-10 Lane width and speed (Non-Advertising) ................................. 52 correlation ............................................ 17 Figure 4-13 Bus Passenger Shelters Figure 2-11 Speed Table ........................... 17 (Advertising) ......................................... 53 Figure 2-12 Speed Cushions .................... 17 Figure 2-13 Curb extension impacting a bus stop ............................................ 17 Metropolitan Transit System Designing for Transit | v THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Introduction 1 The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and supporting federal accessibility regulations must always be accommodated in the design of transit facilities. Modifications to accessibility reg- ulations may supersede the guidance in this document. All applicable regulations should be reviewed prior to the design of any transit-related project. 1 INTRODUCTION ABOUT THIS MANUAL This manual will be updated from time to time. Your ideas and contributions are welcomed. This manual is designed to help planners, Please send them to the MTS Planning De- developers, architects, and engineers un- partment, 1255 Imperial Avenue, Suite 1000, derstand the physical requirements of public San Diego, CA 92101-7490. transportation. It also has important value to elected officials and city administrators as they formulate transit-supportive policies to achieve climate action goals The manual consists of five sections. This in- troduction is the first section, providing back- ground material on transit in the San Diego region and the need for its coordination with land development. The second section pres- ents measures which can improve transit ser- vice and enhance safe access to transit on local streets through Complete Streets design strategies. The third section presents general guidelines on how to design development in a more transit-supportive way. It details how to make residential and commercial areas more conducive to walking and to the use of bus- es and light rail. It is followed by two sections giving specific design standards for public transportation facilities and vehicles, one sec- tion for bus transit and one for light rail transit. Metropolitan Transit System Designing for Transit | 3 1 INTRODUCTION PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION mules, and later by steam and cable power. Under the leadership of the San Diego Electric IN SAN DIEGO Railway Company, these were soon replaced Public transportation is a vital piece of region- by electric streetcar lines, which expand- al infrastructure. Hundreds of thousands of ed throughout the city. Long-distance runs people across the San Diego region depend into the countryside were served by heavier on it every day. This reliance on public trans- interurban electric