Metro - File #: 2018-0305

• File #: 2018-0305
• Type: Informational Report
• Status: Agenda Ready
• File created: 5/14/2018
• In control: Ad Hoc Customer Experience Committee
• On agenda: 6/21/2018
• Title: RECEIVE AND FILE report identifying examples of actions available to mitigate the effects of severe bus congestion.
• Sponsors: Ad Hoc Customer Experience Committee
• Indexes: All Door Boarding, Bus rapid transit, Bus traffic, Curbs, Informational Report, Intersections, Median lanes, Merging traffic, Metro Rail A Line, Mitigation, Peak periods, Queuing, Traffic flow, Traffic signals, Traffic speed, Transit buses, Travel time

Meeting_Body
AD HOC CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
JUNE 21, 2018

Subject
SUBJECT: ACTIONS TO MITIGATE SEVERELY CONGESTED BUS
CORRIDORS

Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE

Heading
RECOMMENDATION

Title
RECEIVE AND FILE report identifying examples of actions available to mitigate the effects of severe bus congestion.

Issue
ISSUE

As part of the NextGen Bus Study, staff has developed a tool that allows us to identify the impacts of traffic congestion on bus speeds. This report identifies the severity of congestion along a sample bus corridor (Vermont Av.) and identifies examples of mitigating actions to reduce the impact on bus speeds.

Discussion
DISCUSSION

Vermont Av. was chosen as an example corridor because it has been studied in detail for upgrade to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and possible future rail operation. The corridor is currently served by a Local bus (Line 204) and a Rapid bus (Line 754). Service is operated over a 12.5 mile segment from Vermont and 120th St. on the southern end to Sunset Bl. at the northern end (Figure 1).

Rapid Line 754 has 24 stops, and Local service on Line 204 serves 68 stops. Rapid service averages about 11.5 mph during peak periods compared with 9.0 mph on Local service. The Rapid is 28% faster than the local requiring an average of 65 minutes to complete a peak period trip while the local takes an average of 84 minutes. The Rapid has about a 32% advantage during off peak periods averaging 56 minutes per trip instead of 73 minutes.

Much of the speed advantage of the Rapid bus can be attributed to serving 44 fewer stops per trip as well as some time savings as a result of signal priority. Only buses equipped with devices that broadcast their presence to the city's traffic signals receive this priority treatment. Starting June 2018, All Door Boarding will be implemented on Line 754, reducing bus stop dwell times by allowing customers with valid TAP cards to board at any door.

Figure 1: Vermont Ave. Studied BRT Proposal...