October 17, 2005
In which we check the record
The Bikes on Transit database has a new home and plenty new features.
The San Francisco County Transportation Authority will hold another public session on the Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit Corridor tomorrow:
( more after the jumpity jump jump )
Thursday,
October 13, 2005
6:00
PM to 8:00 PM
Transportation
Authority Offices
100
Van Ness Avenue, 25th Floor
Tuesday,
October 18, 2005
6:00
PM to 8:00 PM
Holiday
Inn, Crystal Room
1500
Van Ness Avenue
Retaining
and expanding transit's share of travel in San Francisco is a major strategic
challenge for the city as it grows into the future.
Van
Ness Avenue is a key transit spine in the Muni system, with tens of thousands
of travelers using the routes in this corridor daily.
Despite
this, buses to not operate as reliably as is needed for this important
transit spine.
The
City's 2004 Countywide Transportation Plan helps to implement San Francisco's
Transit First Policy by funding cost-effective Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
treatments on the city's network of Transit Preferential Streets.
BRT means operating rubber-tire vehicles in a way that achieves the speed,
reliability, and comfort of fixed rail.
Typical
BRT improvements include travel lanes for exclusive transit use; wider
sidewalks at bus stops; traffic signal priority for transit vehicles;
full stations with passenger amenities; multi-door boardings at sidewalk-level
platforms; pre-paid boarding areas; and real-time information systems.
The
centerpiece of the 2004 Countywide Transportation Plan is a Network of
Transit Priority corridors, including Bus Rapid Transit service along
Geary Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue.
The
Van Ness Avenue Bus Rapid Transit Study will:
-
Understand transit needs based on travel time, delay, and reliability
studies, safety studies, and community outreach
-
Identify ways to prioritize transit service and raise the level of transit
performance using Bus Rapid Transit treatments
-
Develop a preferred transit treatment and an implementation strategy for
construction in 2008.
The
Authority and City departments have convened an interagency advisory technical
panel, including Caltrans, to oversee and help conduct the study.
Data
collection and analysis conducted as part of this study identified the
following key transit performance concerns on Van Ness:
-
Traveling in mixed traffic causes slow travel times and unreliability
for buses. Transit reliability and speeds will increase if transit is
separated from mixed traffic.
- Reliability and speed problems occur all day. Transit treatments must
be in place all-day to be effective.
- Delays associated with passenger loading and unloading can be reduced,
increasing reliability and reducing the time it takes to make a trip.
- Pedestrian crossing conditions are onerous. A number of basic steps
can be taken to increase pedestrian comfort.
- Much of the transit delay occurs on Van Ness between Mission and Geary.
Treatments should be prioritized in this lower segment.
Improve
Bus Performance Relative to Driving
- Bus travel times are twice as long as auto travel times. Average bus
travel times vary between 18 and 22 minutes, while auto travel times vary
between 10 and 13 minutes.
-
Bus speeds are only 42% to 45% of auto speeds – on average, bus
speeds are less than half of auto speeds. Average auto speeds are between
9 and 12 mph, while average bus speeds are between 5 and 7 mph.
-
Buses spend about half of their time completely stopped. Buses spend an
average of 10 minutes of their travel time in delays, whereas autos only
experience 5 minutes of delay on average.
-
Buses experience twice as many minutes of delay as autos (10 vs. 5 minutes).
Reduce
the Impacts of Mixed Traffic on Buses
- Buses are increasingly off schedule, and increasingly bunched, as they
travel further in mixed traffic.
- Even net of dwell time, buses remain 9 – 35% slower than cars,
reflecting right-lane mixed traffic impacts.
Increase
Reliability and Decrease Travel Time
Travel
time reliability is one of many factors influencing a person's decision
to ride on public transportation, and is the most important factor in
service quality. It refers to how consistent travel times and wait
times are within the corridor.
Travel
by transit on Van Ness is often unreliable due to:
-
Unpredictable wait times for buses. Passengers are just as likely
to wait 2 minutes as they are to wait 10 minutes. 10% of passengers wait
for 12 minutes or longer.
-
Traffic delays
Overall
travel time is greatly affected by transit infrastructure, such as the
type of vehicle and whether buses have signal priority, as well as transit
policy, such as whether proof-of-payment is permitted, allowing passengers
to board through rear doors.
Sources
of travel time delays to transit on Van Ness include:
-
Excess time spent loading and unloading passengers
-
Traffic congestion
Keep
Pedestrians Comfortable
Crossing
Van Ness Avenue is a long and difficult endeavor on foot. BRT alternatives
will be designed to improve comfort and convenience for pedestrians as
well as transit passengers. Crossing Van Ness on foot can be made
easier and more comfortable by installing:
-
Visibly striped crosswalks
-
Pedestrian countdown signals
-
Median refuges
-
Corner bulb-outs to shorten the crossing distance
Provide
Remarkable Urban and Landscape Design
The
study involves an urban and landscape design program to integrate new
transit infrastructure with surrounding workplaces, homes, and businesses.
The corridor includes a number of intersections where key transit
routes intersect, and where high volumes of pedestrians cross. BRT
alternatives will feature quality design treatments and amenities and
these transfer points. Treatments such as pedestrian-scale lighting
can make the street a more comfortable and beautiful place for San Franciscans
and visitors to walk and catch the bus.