Why the Block Matters for Transit Priority Treatments
Jeremiah LaRose Martin Wachs | Faculty Adviser Fehr & Peers | Client
Research
Problem
What treatments can improve transit speeds, and how are they affected by varying conditions along the route?
Methodology
Traffic slows service down, but even passengers create delay that can be mitigated. Faster service benefits everyone and attracts riders
seconds per 5-20 passenger boarding Basline Bulbs Baseline
2.50
Base+LU Bulbs+LU
2.00
1.50
1.00
1
2
3
Bulb
0.00
Bulb
0.50
Bulb
Travel time through analysis zone
3.00
Microsimulation of a bus route with recently added stop bulbs to test effects of land use and pedestrian flows around each stop on service speeds
Model based on real route and ridership
Transit Priority Treatments decrease delays from traffic and passenger interactions
4
5
6
7
Analysis zones (500’ approach and departure from bus stop)
Tested original and bus bulb stop configurations
8
Each simulation adds factors such as land use-generated traffic and pedestrian flows at stops
Studies aggregating performance of priority treatments at the route or system-level may not do enough to determine the cause of wide variations in effectiveness
Findings Differences in stop layout, location and proximity to traffic signals may have the largest effect on bulbs
Simulation verifies previously observed benefits but further refinement is needed to determine cause of variations
Recommendations
Research on transit treatments should drill down on specific implementations and context rather than surveys of national best-practices
Develop planning-level tool for selecting effective treatments based on block context
Bus Stop Bulbs
7-46% Leverage nearby & related projects to collect better data for validation
decreased delay per stop
Up to
25% decreased
travel time
Transit Signal Priority
Examples & Benefits of Priority Treatments
Off-Board Fare Collection
2.25 seconds per
passenger boarding
Bus Only Lanes
1.1 minutes/ mile