BRT Where are we Lessons learned BRT Primer

• • BRT Where are we? Lessons learned BRT Primer Sam. Zimmerman Sam Volvo BRT Center of Excellence 31 October, 2013

• What is BRT? ? • Lesson learned –The importance of service planning –It takes a village to get it done: Institutions –Communications in all directions, at all levels from beginning of planning, vital –Yes, BRT can make a development difference –Phased, incremental development can work –Trends in BRT’s elements

Why are we still arguing about what BRT is, “gold standard” or otherwise? ?

BRT: Bus Rapid Transit • Permanently integrated, high performance system with a quality image, strong ID • Package of elements appropriate to: – Development and transportation vision, objectives – Markets served – Physical, operating environment • Not just another bus route; more LRT than local bus in form, function and attractiveness

BRT System Elements Vehicles Running Ways Stations & Terminals Systems Service Plan

BRT: Infinite Possibilities, but with Essential Characteristics: • Integrated, branded system that ensures high speed, reliability, convenience – High frequency all day, week – Simple network structure – Majority of service on dedicated running way – Rapid boarding/alighting • Off-board fare collection • Multiple wide door- vehicles • Minimal gap, floor to platform • Accessible to all • Pervasive, unique brand identity • High over-all system quality

• Without all these basic attributes, less comprehensive packages of bus system improvements can have lots of benefits but we may need another name for them, e. g. , Select Bus, Metro. Rapid. Bus, BRT Lite…. . (No pejoratives, please)

In Developing Cities, Institutional Arrangements for BRT a Big Issue • May not be an existing state-owned operator – Where SOE, may lack BRT expertise and see it as just another conventional bus route • Where there is no SOE but is a regulator of private, informal operators, may not have legal authority or BRT technical expertise • May not be private operators capable of operating and managing BRT system • Irrespective of institutional organization, may be inadequate human resources; Only real local transport expertise may be in roadway design and construction

Solutions • Create special purpose (public) agency for BRT set up in way that facilitates evolution into a more complete public transport authority • Hire “project management” contractor” to serve as “shadow” public transport authority staff answerable to government project manager/management unit • Use project manager to obtain necessary skills and build institutions, human resources • Combinations, permutations

Service Planning • Still tendency to start with hardware planning and design, then consider market and service plan; Do the reverse –Consider service plan, market together, iteratively –Match services to market, minimize transferring, etc. - all within physical and operational constraints –Service plan simplicity is a virtue • By-pass lanes around stations are best for expresses and skip-stop routes, but there are other ways to facilitate them where there are right of way constraints

Trunk Service(s) Extend Beyond Transitway Extended/Express HOV Route II Terminal Extended/Express HOV Route I Terminal Trunk Portion of Route Off-Trunk, HOV Portion of Route All three routes 1. Transitway-only local 2. Express routes 11

Service Planning Easier When You Have 4 -Lane Transitways

Importance of Communications, Branding • There is continued confusion about what BRT is, what it can look like and what its potential benefits are • Start as early as possible in rectifying situation • Branding, including name, color schemes, graphics, pavement markings, is important communications device; Cannot overstate value

V i v a

BRT can be a Positive Development Tool • For U. S. , thanks to National BRT Institute, ITDP and others for making solid information available on BRT and TOD in North America – More Development for Your Transit Dollar, Annie Weinstock, Stephanie Lotham, Walter Hook, ITDP, NYC, 2013 – Land Use Impacts of BRT, Victoria Perk, Cheryl Thole, NBRTI, CUTR/USF, Tampa 2009 • Lots of evidence outside U. S, in addition to Curitiba

Warner Center developer proposes 600 apartments on Catalina Yachts property By Gregory J. Wilcox, LA Daily News Staff Writer; Posted: 01/13/13, 9: 00 PM PST | The 615, 000 square foot complex fronting the southwest corner of Victory Boulevard and Variel Avenue will feature nine buildings, ……. said attorney Fred Gaines, who is representing Malibu-based Weintraub Real Estate Group……. "We think it's a fantastic location, " Gaines said. "We think that (apartment) demand is high and the project is right across from the Orange Line so transportation is available to other parts of the Valley and the city

Station Or an ge Lin e Development t Orange Line

“Cleveland Plain Dealer” Feb. 10, 2008 Cleveland 18

Possibility of Phased Development is Big BRT Advantage • May not have enough understanding, public support or funds for full-featured BRT early on but in most developing and fast growing developed cities, something needs to be done ASAP • Start with the doable; add features; extend, build new lines as understanding and success build support for better and more • Lagos, York/Toronto prime examples

York Ontario Viva “Quick Start” BRT Lite Opened in Sept. 2005 • 65 Km, queue jumpers, etc. • +20% PT ridership in corridors • High passenger satisfaction • Beginning development effects First Full-Featured BRT Rapidway Segment Opened 2013 Thanks to York Rapid Transit Corp.

Lagos: BRT ‘LITE’ in Operation: March 2008 • • 22 Km, 65% segregated 150, 000+ daily trips 30% reduction in passenger travel times High initial passenger satisfaction Thanks to LMATA for Material

Success of “ BRT Lite” Enables Migration to ‘full featured’ BRT, Expansion of Coverage • Upgraded infrastructure and facilities • Introduction of fully segregated and by-pass lanes • Semi-low-floor, multiple wide door buses • Introduction of electronic fare payment • Deployment of ITS • bus arrival time • adaptive traffic signals at intersections • Phase 2 - BRT ‘extension’ to large suburban city • Management reform

BRT LITE Phase II

Phase 2 BRT Station Area

Phase II Transitway Construction

BRT Elements: Range of Recent Applications

BRT Service Plans • Seeing more and more multi-route, on/off trunk service plans (e. g. , Guangzhou, Brisbane) • Can be good but exercise care – Major passenger information needs – Moving vehicles into/out of transitway safely difficult – May require large terminal in CBD (Porto Allegre) or wide cross-section, wide and long stations (Guangzhou) – Passenger confusion on platforms – Bus-on-bus congestion issues – Need to brand off-transitway stations, all

Among Other Issues, Too Many Routes Leaving/Entering Busway at Intersections: Extra Long Cycle Lengths Result Times of India

Which Route Do I Take? ?

BRT Running Ways • More and more colored pavement treatments, separated running “pads” or “tracks” for variety of reasons, e. g. , easier enforcement • As costs come down, likely to see more automated operation/guidance

Cambridge, UK Transitways With Guidance Wikepedia Rouen Eugene LV James Gast

Stops, Stations and Terminals • General improvement in size and quality everywhere as more and more places try to use BRT as tool to induce and serve sustainable, walkable TOD

York-Toronto York LV Cleveland

Vehicles: Massive Changes Afoot • Variety of sizes through almost 30 meters • Profusion of ITS applications • More and more hybrids, CNG – Emissions, local and global – Noise • All-electric battery vehicles coming

Contemporary BRT Vehicles in Operation in North America Mexico City Volvo Euro 4 27 Meters Long LV Cleveland NABI, CNG LA Wright , Dsl-Elec. Hybrid Las Vegas New Flyer, Guided, Dsl-Elec. Hybrid 36

State of the Art Barcelona Van Hool Exqui. City Hybrid: ~25 meters Charger Hess-ABB All Electric, Quick - Charge Battery 37

BRT Vehicle Interiors Van Hool Exqui. City Wright Streetcar

Guidance Options • Optical, etc. Iveco • Mechanical

Guidance, Cleveland: < $5, 000/vehicle 40

State of the Practice; Opened, August 2013 Metronit Haifa, Israel

Metronit • 40 Route Km. • 90 Vehicles (6 hybrids) • 77 stations, 143 platforms • ~$400 m total implementation cost • $10 m/Km

Stations

NMT

Vehicles MAN/Merkavim

Running Ways Metronit Website

For General Traffic ITS Applications For BRT e l c i h e V T Signal Priority Facilitates Move from Median to Curb Lane Operation BR

Pax. Info. In Multiple Languages for Multi-Cultural Residents, Tourists Metronit Website

Closing Emphasis Points • BRT coming into its own as rapid transit mode with potential (150+ applications Worldwide) • More attention needs to be paid to “soft side” – Institutions – Communications – Service-planning – Land-use integration as planning objective • Technological advancements will overcome many issues and constraints, e. g. , increasing capacity and safety, lower emissions, noise