Meeting_Body
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
DECEMBER 3, 2020
Preamble
Motion by:
DIRECTORS BONIN, SOLIS, NAJARIAN, KREKORIAN, AND KEUHL
Buses with Optional Left-Side Boarding
Metro is developing multiple new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines throughout Los Angeles County as part of an unprecedented expansion. These BRT lines will operate in a variety of urban environments, including mixed-flow city streets, curbside dedicated lanes, center-running dedicated lanes, and freeways. In such complicated settings, the ability to board on either the left or right side of the bus can help improve street design and reduce conflicts with other street users by increasing compatibility with amenities such as street trees, landscaped medians, protected bike lanes, and on-street parking.
Metro has previously considered the use of left-side boarding in individual BRT projects, but the benefits of project design flexibility were outweighed by concerns over introducing operational and maintenance complexity into the bus fleet. However, Metro has never before had so many BRT projects in simultaneous project development, which could increase the benefits and reduce the costs of introducing left-side boarding as a design alternative. Once primarily used internationally, left-side boarding is now common in cities throughout the United States, including planned or operating BRT systems in Oakland, San Bernardino, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Houston, Albuquerque, Eugene, and Provo.
Metro is currently undertaking the systemwide modernization and replacement of its entire bus fleet due to the Board-adopted goal of 100% electrification by 2030. While this is already a challenging and complex feat, upcoming bus procurements also present the potential opportunity to introduce new vehicle types into the fleet without substantial extra costs. Metro should therefore reconsider the potential for buses with boarding on both sides in the context of ongoing BRT project development and upcoming bus procure...
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