An Overview of Bus Rapid Transit BRT in the United States and Lessons Learned from South America

1
An Overview of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in the
United States and Lessons Learned from South
America

• Alasdair Cain
• Georges Darido
• National Bus Rapid Transit Institute,
  www.nbrti.org
• Center for Urban Transportation Research
• University of South Florida

2
Presentation Outline

• Introduction
• NBRTI and its research activities
• Current tour of South America by US delegation
• US Approach to BRT
• Examples of BRT in the US
• Applicability of TransMilenio to US
• Concluding remarks

3
NBRTI Purpose and Mission

• NBRTI was created in 2001 to offer technical
  assistance and resources to the BRT community
• Facilitate the sharing of BRT knowledge and
  innovation through Workshops, Conferences,
  National and International Tours and Field
  Visits, Publications, and Research Projects
• Functional areas of the NBRTI include
• Clearinghouse (JPT, newsletter, web site)
• Technical assistance and support
• Project and system evaluations
• Research

4
South American BRT Tour Feb. 11-17

• 12 delegates 6 transit agency/MPO
  representatives, 1 APTA, 3 university faculty, 1
  NGO, 2 BRT consultants
• Meetings in Guayaquil, Pereira, Bogotá and UITP
  conference
• Opportunities to maximize capital and operating
  efficiencies with BRT
• Finding to be incorporated into guidance
  documents and presented at APTA Bus Conference
  and Federal Transit Administration (FTA)

5
BRT System Evaluations

• Systematically analyze characteristics, costs and
  performance data
• Completed evaluations
• Miami, FL (South Busway)
• Orlando, FL (Lymmo)
• Pittsburgh, PA (West Busway)
• Las Vegas, NV (MAX)
• Boston, MA (Silver Line)
• Honolulu, HI (Express!)
• Oakland, CA (San Pablo Rapid)
• Ongoing/future evaluations
• Los Angeles Orange Line
• EmX Eugene, Oregon
• Cleveland Euclid Corridor

6
NBRTI Research Agenda

• Developing and updating best practice manuals
  and tools that assist communities planning,
  implementing or operating BRT
• Current BRT research activities include
• FTA BRT Planning Guidance (CBRT Update)
• Land Use/Development
• Image and Perception
• Projects Database and Visual Simulations
• Network Design and Operation Strategy
• Design and Engineering Guidebook

7
In the US, BRT is a broad menu of
high-performance and cost-effective rubber-tire
transit options

• BRT is described as many things, most commonly
  Fast, reliable, convenient, affordable and
  distinct from regular bus services
• BRT as a System of Systems or Elements
• A flexible but integrated package of facilities,
  systems and vehicle options that can be tailored
  and phased to local conditions and constraints
• TCRP Report 90 (Vol. II) BRT Implementation
  Guidelines
• BRT is a flexible, high performance rapid
  transit mode that combines a variety of physical,
  operating and system elements into a permanently
  integrated system with a quality image and unique
  identity

8
There are at least 7 elements to BRT planning,
each with a spectrum of options
RUNNING WAYS
Integration of Elements
STATIONS
AND LAND USE
VEHICLES
SERVICE AND OPERATIONS PLAN
FARE COLLECTION
ITS
MARKETING ANDBRANDING
9
BRT can achieve the performance of more expensive
modes using the flexibility of buses
Heavy Rail
Light Rail
BRT
Level of Investment
Bus
Level of Service/Performance Measure(e.g.
Operating Speed, Capacity, etc.)
10
FTAs primary guidance document is the
Characteristics of BRT for Decision-Making (CBRT)

• Provides information for high-level planning, not
  detailed design
• First published in 2004 to be updated by the
  National BRT Institute in 2007

CBRT
Systems/Sketch Planning
Alternatives Analysis
Alternative
Analysis


Number of Alternatives
Preliminary Engineering
Final Design and Construction
Final Design and
Construction
Level of Detail
11
The CBRT relates the key elements to anticipated
performance improvements and wider benefits
BRT Elements
Benefits
Performance

• Running Ways
• Stations
• Vehicles
• Fare Collection
• Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
• Service and Operations Plan
• Marketing and Branding

Ridership Increase
Travel Time Savings and Reliability
Capital Cost Effectiveness Operating Cost
Efficiency
Identity and Image
Accessibility
Safety and Security
Environmental Quality Transit-Supportive Land
Development
System Capacity
12
CBRT (Ch. 3 System Performance) confirms travel
time savings and improved reliability
13
CBRT (Ch. 4 System Benefits) confirms higher
ridership and transit mode share

• Boston Silver Line 1/4 used other modes before
• Pittsburgh West Busway 1/3 used an automobile
  previously

14
At least 12 American cities are operating BRT and
more than 100 are planning or implementing
operating
planned
15
US examples demonstrate the breadth of BRT
applications in the US but planning approaches
vary

• International approaches to BRT planning
• Europe/Australia/Canada LRT-like, cost
  effectiveness
• Latin America high-capacity metro on wheels
  concept developed out of necessity
• US approach to BRT planning no minimum standard
• (1) Wide array of incremental bus improvements
• Boston Silver Line Marketing and branding of BRT
• Los Angeles Metro Rapid Low-cost, urban arterial
  BRT strategies with measurable impact on
  performance
• (2) Corridor-based project
• Los Angeles Orange Line Full-fledged BRT
  carrying more passengers and at a lower cost than
  LRT
• Eugene, Oregon EmX Context design and community
  participation at a smaller city

16
Boston, MassachusettsSilver Line

• Phase 1 (Washington Street) Travel time reduced
  as much as 25 due to AVL/CAD, fewer stops, and
  low-floor buses
• Silver Line marketed as a rapid transit service
  on network map
• Reported 650M of development occurred along the
  corridor

17
Los Angeles County MTA has implemented a
Mobility Toolbox, prominently including BRT
Commuter Rail
Bus Rapid Transit
Metro Orange Line
Rapid Bus
18
Los Angeles, CaliforniaMetro Rapid

• 15 lines (220 route-miles) currently in operation
• First line started in 2000
• 28 lines (450 route-miles) planned by June 2008
• Reduced passenger travel times as much as 29 in
  some corridors
• More frequent service
• Transit signal priority
• Headway-based schedules
• Simple route layout with less frequent stops
• Increased corridor ridership
• As much as 47 in some corridors
• 1/3 of ridership increase are new riders to
  transit
• Network ridership gt100,000/day

19
Los Angeles, CaliforniaOrange Line

• Opened in 2005 and has already exceeded
  ridership projections for 2020 (22,000
  passengers per day)
• 13-mile, at-grade, two-lane dedicated busway with
  TSP in an old rail ROW
• Rail-like platforms andall-door boarding with
  pre-paid fare collection
• 60 foot articulated CNG vehicles
• Cost 22M per mile (one-third of Gold Line LRT)
  yet carries 15 more passengers/day

20
Eugene, OregonEmX

• 4-mile exclusive busway opened in January 2007
  with distinctive branding, stations, and vehicles
• Extensive public workshops and design process
• Context sensitive design consistent with
  environmental interests

21
Applicability of TransMilenio to the U.S
22
Passenger Capacity
Bicycle way
Sidewalk
5m
7m
10.5m
1-3m
3 - 8m
7m
10.5m
1-3m
3 - 8m
Busway
Busway
Sidewalk
Lateral Sep.
Lateral Sep.
3 general purpose lanes
3 general purpose lanes
Central Separator on-TM Stations
23
Passenger Capacity
TransMilenio
U.S passenger loading
Source TCRP Report 100 Transit Capacity and
Quality of Service Manual
24
Integrated transit infrastructure is also
required to attract choice riders
Bicycle way
Sidewalk
5m
7m
10.5m
1-3m
3 - 8m
7m
10.5m
1-3m
3 - 8m
Busway
Busway
Sidewalk
Lateral Sep.
Lateral Sep.
3 general purpose lanes
3 general purpose lanes
Central Separator on-TM Stations
25
.and thus address congestion management goals
Si estos idiotas solo tomaran el bus, yo ya
estaría en la casa.
26
Capital Cost
27
Capital Cost
28
Business Model
29
Business Model
Operating Efficiency
Bogotá's TransMilenio
Single Public Monopoly (U.S transit industry)
Bogotá's traditional system
Private sector involvement
30
Urban Renewal / Mobility Program
Before
After
31
TransMilenio is now a major city icon!
32
Concluding Remarks
33
Thank you for your attention

• Alasdair Cain
• Senior Research Associate
• cain_at_cutr.usf.edu
• Tel [phone]
• Georges Darido
• Senior Research Associate
• darido_at_cutr.usf.edu
• Tel [phone]
• National Bus Rapid Transit Institute
• www.nbrti.org
• Center for Urban Transportation Research
• www.cutr.usf.edu
• University of South Florida
• Tampa, Florida, USA