dimensions or form that provide dedicated transit access within the ROW, such as an on street bus lane or an expressway bus lane.

Transcription

1 Greenroads Manual v1.5 Access & Equity TRANSIT & HOV ACCESS GOAL Promote use of public transit and carpools in communities by providing new transit and HOV facilities or by upgrading existing facilities in the roadway right of way. CREDIT REQUIREMENTS Achieve Credit AE 3 Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) and describe the need, purpose and appropriateness for planned, new, or upgraded transit and HOV facilities in the submitted document for Credit AE 3. The CSS document must demonstrate that at least one mass transit route and/or HOV facility exists, or is planned to exist within 5 years of the start of construction, that is accessible from the project ROW within 0.25 mile. Table AE 7.1 shows the point criteria for this credit. Table AE 7.1: Available Points for Credit AE 7 Points Requirements Any a. Enhance at least 50% of transit station or stop amenities (lighting, trash 1 bins, benches, pay phones, heating and/or cooling, etc.) b. Improve at least 50% of the transit and HOV facility signage (related to transit & HOV) and vehicular access (beyond basic ADA requirements) c. Provide transit shelters at more than 50% of the corridor stations/stops d. Provide access to new park & ride lots in strategic locations. 2 Implement two or more of the improvements from the list above. 3 Implement physical or constructed changes to the roadway structure, dimensions or form that provide HOV access or minor dedicated transit access within the ROW, such as a carpool lane for HOV vehicle or queue jump lanes for transit vehicles. 4 Implement physical or constructed changes to the roadway structure, dimensions or form that provide dedicated transit access within the ROW, such as an on street bus lane or an expressway bus lane. 5 Implement physical or constructed changes to the roadway structure, dimensions or form that provide exclusive mass transit access within the ROW, such as at grade or grade separated transitways. Details The point criteria for this credit are roughly based on the Federal Transity Authority (FTA) criteria from Characteristics of Bus Rapid Transit for Decision Making (CBRT) and TCRP 90, Bus Rapid Transit by Diaz and Hinebaugh (2009). DOCUMENTATION Copy of the section that focuses on transit & HOV facilities in the Credit AE 3: Context Sensitive Solutions white paper. This section should address: a. Purpose and need for transit & HOV access on the roadway project, including how it fits with existing land uses and/or existing General and Transportation Plans b. Regulatory or jurisdictional standards addressed, if any c. Results of public input on proposed transit & HOV, if any d. Total cost associated with new or improved transit & HOV facilities e. Contract specifications and budget items addressing transit & HOV 1-5 POINTS RELATED CREDITS AE 2 Intelligent Transportation Systems AE 3 Context Sensitive Solutions AE 4 Traffic Emissions Reduction AE 5 Pedestrian Access AE 6 Bicycle Access SUSTAINABILITY COMPONENTS Equity Economy Experience BENEFITS Reduces Fossil Fuel Use Reduces Air Emissions Reduces Greenhouse Gases Improves Access Improves Mobility

2 Access & Equity Greenroads Manual v1.5 APPROACHES & STRATEGIES Review local plans and existing transit service plans to understand how the roadway will interact with the existing and planned transit system. Because of the strong connections between the pedestrian and bike system and transit, this may overlap with bike and pedestrian planning. See related credits for further details. Include the local transit provider(s) in advisory committees, project development or management teams, or decision making committees as appropriate. Consult with local transit provider(s) to understand how the roadway project can support their operations and future expansion. Consider how a new or redesigned roadway will impact the existing or planned pedestrian networks and integrate design elements with other modal facilities (e.g. bicycle and transit) to mitigate overall impacts. For example, this might mean including a pedestrian crossing on a major arterial that could be a barrier to residents reaching a transit facility. Survey existing routes and ask stakeholders for suggestions on how to improve access to existing transit facilities during the public involvement process. Locate enhancements to transit station/stop amenities at more than 50% of the stations/stops along the corridor based on cost. Amenities could include installing safety lighting, trash receptacles, benches, pay phones, heating and/or cooling and other similar enhancements. This should be reflected somewhere in the project bid list or budget. Install signage and improve access that is exclusively for transit and HOV vehicles only to earn this credit. This distinction is not to discourage a comprehensive signage program; however, signage for pedestrian and bicycles are addressed in Credit AE 5 Pedestrian Access and Credit AE 6 Bicycle Access. A comprehensive approach to signage and access improvements at a transit and HOV facility can ultimately include all modes and be eligible for points in multiple credits. Identify trouble spots for transit and combine transit signal priority with queue jump lanes to create an efficient transit facility at minimal cost. This can also earn points with Credit AE 2 Intelligent Transportation Systems. Consider adding a carpool lane, which encourages multiple passengers in each vehicle and can improve transit travel times and reliability. Improve access beyond basic requirements, such as ADA. Improve signage beyond basic requirements where signage already exists. Types of signage improvements could include providing passenger information amenities (maps, schedules, real time signage) at facilities and signs along the roadway to designate transit stations. Place additional park and ride lots in strategic transit and/or carpool access locations. Provide extra width on sidewalks to accommodate transit shelters. Design the roadway to accommodate an exclusive transit lane. Accommodate any planned fixed guideways by constructing grade separated crossings. Example: Point Calculations 2 points A roadway with several major transit routes is being resurfaced and above ground electrical wires are being buried as a component of the project. Along with the roadway improvements, all (100%) of the major transit stops along the route are being enhanced with real time bus arrival information, lighting, surveillance cameras, area map displays and trash cans. This project would earn 2 points because it includes significant improvements (over 50%) to both (a) amenities and (b) signage. 4 points A bus rapid transit project includes a roadway widening and restriping to add an outside dedicated transit lane with signal priority at intersections. The project also includes station enhancements at all the stations along the corridor with new shelters, grade separated pedestrian access, real time passenger information, bicycle storage lockers and several station amenities. This project would receive 4 points under. The transit signal priority improvements would be eligible for the ITS credit and pedestrian and bicycle improvements would be eligible for the Pedestrian Access and Bicycle Access credits. See Figure AE 7.1.

3 Greenroads Manual v1.5 Access & Equity Figure AE 7.1: An on street bus lane in Vancouver, Canada. 4 points. (Photo by K. Watkins) 5 points See examples of a grade separated transitway in Figure AE 7.2 and an at grade transitway in Figure AE 7.3. Figure AE 7.2: A grade separated transitway in Ottawa, Canada worth. 5 points. (Photo by K. Watkins)

4 Access & Equity Greenroads Manual v1.5 POTENTIAL ISSUES Figure AE 7.3: An at grade transitway in Eugene, Oregon. 5 points. (Photo by K. Watkins) 1. Many transit and HOV facilities (such as park and ride lots and transit centers) will involve improvements that cross multiple modes. In order to award credit here, especially where no drastic physical changes to the roadway structure or form are implemented, improvements and changes should be exclusive to HOV and transit users and distinguishable, via a budget item for example, from other amenities that are for pedestrian and bicyclists. An example would be improvements to bus stops where the sidewalk grades are raised to accommodate bus ramps for disable passengers. Although the integration of transit with bicycles and pedestrians is key to obtaining higher ridership, amenities which are included in the Pedestrian Access credit AE 5 and Bicycle Access credit AE 6 cannot be applied again here. 2. This credit presupposes the integrity of the designer: appropriate signage and safety must be preserved with the higher points available in this credit. This means that a transit or HOV facility such as a dedicated busway or carpool lane is assumed to be signed appropriately and will not be designed to increase safety risk. Additional points are not awarded for signage and access improvements for the higher value credits for this reason. 3. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), transit & HOV often go hand in hand but are explicitly not covered in this credit because they are included in Credit AE 2 Intelligent Transportation Systems. However, many ITS applications, such as traveler information, transit management, and lane management pair nicely with the improvements in this credit.

5 Greenroads Manual v1.5 Access & Equity 4. Aesthetic improvements to transit and HOV facilities or other public art, while considered amenities, are not included in this credit. See Credit AE 9 Cultural Outreach. It is possible to include all of these things and earn points across multiple credits. 5. Light rail or busway projects can qualify for this credit if they meet the criteria and are completed within the roadway right of way. In general, many of the credits available in Greenroads are broadly applicable and may also be applied to these types of projects, but they may lack the specificity needed to be effective as a metric for such facilities. 6. This credit focuses in two areas, runningways and stations. This is the supporting infrastructure for transit and HOV access, facilities and system services. Corridor enhancements such as service improvements (increased service, new or specialized service, route restructuring), branding, marketing and partnership programs, information systems, fare innovations, and new or enhanced vehicles are encouraged but are outside the scope of the Greenroads Rating System. RESEARCH The societal benefits of public transportation are numerous. Transit provides mobility to those who cannot or chose not to drive, including access to jobs, education and medical services. Transit reduces congestion, gasoline consumption and the nation s carbon footprint (America s Public Transportation Association: APTA, 2008). In 2007, public transportation saved 646 million hours of travel delay and 398 million gallons of fuel in the U.S., resulting in a savings of $13.7 billion in congestion costs (Schrank and Lomax, 2009). Use of public transportation reduced U.S. carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions by 6.9 million metric tons in 2005 (Davis and Hale, 2007). The increased use of transit on a per capita basis is critical to the nation s economy and meeting environmental goals. Improvements to public transportation infrastructure are critical to any plan to improve the sustainability of transportation. In the Urban Land Institute s recently produced Moving Cooler report (Cambridge Systematics, 2009), transit capital investments had the ability to produce cumulative greenhouse gas reductions of 0.4 to 1.1 percent of baseline emissions. The report identifies public transportation improvements as one of nine key categories that can be bundled to reduce emissions. Further, the World Bank (Gwilliam, Kojima, and Johnson, 2004) identifies modal shifts to non SOV modes as a key to reducing transport sector emissions. They point out however, that mixing cars, other vehicles and nonmotorized transport with public transport vehicles reduces the average speed of traffic and makes it difficult to establish an effective bus system. Infrastructure improvements should include means to separate transit vehicles from general purpose traffic to make the mode competitive (Vuchic, 2005; 2007). Without exclusive right of way, transit vehicles are held captive by the congestion caused by low occupancy vehicles and cannot improve the efficiency of the transportation system. For this reason, this credit includes higher point values as the exclusivity of transit right of way improves. Additional Resources Two of the most useful references to understanding the elements for this credit are: The Federal Transit Administration s Characteristics of Bus Rapid Transit for Decision Making (CBRT) guidance document by Diaz and Hinebaugh (2009), which is available at: Transportation Research Board s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) 90, Bus Rapid Transit: Volume 2: Implementation Guidelines, by Levinson et al. (2003). This document is available at: Many additional references are included for consideration of other applicable planning and design guidelines. Although credits are obtained for including elements, proper design is critical to the functionality of the facilities and the References section at the end of this credit should be considered a starting point.

6 Access & Equity Greenroads Manual v1.5 GLOSSARY At grade transitway BRT CBRT Carpool lane Dedicated lane Expressway bus lane FTA Grade separated transitway HOV HOV facility ITS Mass transit On street bus lane Public transit Queue jump lane Single Occupant Vehicle Station Runningway TCRP Transit Transit signal priority Roads for the exclusive use of transit vehicles with access allowed only at designed points, however intersections and other crossings are at grade and subject to signalization Bus rapid transit 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 Characteristics of Bus Rapid Transit for Decision Making, an FTA document describing the major elements of BRT and impact on system performance A roadway lane designated for vehicles with more than one occupant A lane designated for only transit or only HOV use Bus lane on an expressway dedicated to bus use only Federal Transit Administration Roads for the exclusive use of transit vehicles with access allowed only at designed points, include overpasses or other grade separate at crossings to minimize conflicts with other vehicles High Occupancy Vehicle a vehicle with two or more occupants A physical entity, structure or space that provides HOV access or services to or in the ROW, such as a park and ride, carpool lane or transit center Intelligent transportation systems the integration of information and electronics technology into transportation infrastructure to relieve congestion, improve safety and enhance productivity See transit A lane on an arterial or collector street reserved for bus use only See transit A lane used at a bottleneck location (typically intersections) to allow transit vehicles to come to the front of waiting traffic and bypass the queues by receiving an early green signal Vehicles with one occupant of driving age (the driver) Transit passenger pick up and drop off locations that serve as the entry and exit point from the public transportation system The track or roadway on which transit operates Transit Cooperative Research Program a Transportation Research Board research initiative for public transportation A mode of transportation that includes vehicles open to public use such as buses, light rail, subways, ferries and trains Alters signal timing to give priority to transit vehicles by extending green time, giving early green time or providing an exclusive transit phase REFERENCES American Public Transportation Association (2007). Public Transportation: Benefits for the 21 st Century. Available at American Public Transportation Association (2008). Public Transportation Facts at a Glance. Available at American Public Transportation Association (2009). Changing the Way America Moves: Creating a More Robust Economy, a Smaller Carbon Footprint and Energy Independence. Available at

7 Greenroads Manual v1.5 Access & Equity Cambridge Systematics (2009). Moving Cooler: An Analysis of Transportation Strategies for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Urban Land Institute. Accessed January 5, Available at Cleghorn, D.; Clavelle, A.; Boone, J.; Masliah, M. & Levinson, H. (2009). Improving Pedestrian and Motorist Safety Along Light Rail Alignments. Transit Cooperative Research Program Report 137. Transportation Research Board. Available at Davis, T. & Hale, M. (2007). Public Transportation s Contribution to U.S. Greenhouse Gas Reduction. Science Applications International Corporation. Accessed January 5, Available at Diaz, R. & Hinebaugh, D. (2009). Characteristics of Bus Rapid Transit for Decision Making. Federal Transit Administration. Accessed January 5, Available at Federal Transit Administration (2009). Transit Green Building Action Plan. Accessed January 5, Available at Gray, G.; Kelley, N. & Larwin, T (2006). Bus Rapid Transit: A Handbook for Partners. Mineta Transportation Institute. Accessed January 5, Available at Gwilliam, K.; Kojima, M. & Johnson, T. (2004). Reducing Air Pollution from Urban Transport. The World Bank. Accessed January 5, Available at _resource_1.pdf Hecker, J. (2003). Federal Transit Administration: Bus Rapid Transit Offers Communities a Flexible Mass Transit Option. United States General Accounting Office. Accessed January 5, Available at Hodges, T. (2009). Public Transportation s Role in Responding to Climate Change. Federal Transit Administration. Accessed January 5, Available at Kittelson & Associates; Herbert Levinson Transportation Consultants and DMJM+Harris (2007). Bus Rapid Transit Practioner s Guide. Transit Cooperative Research Program Report 118. Transportation Research Board. Accessed January 5, Available at Kittleson & Associates; KFH Group; Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas and Hunter Zaworski, K. (2003). Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual, 2 nd Edition. Transit Cooperative Research Program Report 100. Transportation Research Board. Accessed January 5, Available at Korve, H.; Farran, J.; Mansel, D.; Levinson, H.; Chira Chavala, T.; & Ragland, D. (1996). Integration of Light Rail Transit into City Streets. Transit Cooperative Research Program Report 17. Transportation Research Board. Accessed January 5, Available at a.pdf Levinson, H.; Zimmerman, S.; Clinger, J.; Gast, J.; Rutherford, S. & Bruhn, E. (2003). Bus Rapid Transit: Volume 2: Implementation Guidelines. Transit Cooperative Research Program Report 90. Transportation Research Board. Accessed January 5, Available at Nelson & Nygaard (2006). Toolkit for the Assessment of Bus Stop Accessibility and Safety. Easter Seals Project Action. Accessed January 5, Available at

8 Access & Equity Greenroads Manual v1.5 Pucher, J. & Buehler, R. (2009). Integrating Bicycling and Public Transport in North America. Journal of Public Transportation, Volume 12, No Pucher.pdf Schneider, R. (2005). Integration of Bicycles and Transit: A Synthesis of Transit Practice. Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Synthesis 62, Transportation Research Board. Schrank, D. & Lomax, T. (2009). Urban Mobility Report. Texas Transportation Institute. Accessed January 5, Available at St. Jacques, K. & Levinson, H. (1997). Operational Analysis of Bus Lanes on Arterials. Transit Cooperative Research Program Report 26. Transportation Research Board. Accessed January 5, Available at a.pdf Texas Transportation Institute (1996). Guidelines for the Location and Design of Bus Stops. Transit Cooperative Research Program Report 19. Transportation Research Board. Accessed January 5, Available at a.pdf TranSystems; Planners Collaborative and Tom Crikelair Associates (2007). Elements Needed to Create High Ridership Transit Systems. Transit Cooperative Research Program Report 111. Transportation Research Board. Accessed January 5, Available at United States Department of Transportation (USDOT). (2010). Report to Congress: Transportation s Role in Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Volume 1: Synthesis Report and Volume 2: Technical Report. Washington, DC: USDOT. 605pp. Available at _April_2010_ _Volume_1_and_2.pdf United States General Accounting Office (2001). Mass Transit: Bus Rapid Transit Shows Promise. Accessed January 5, Available at Vuchic, V. (2005). Urban Transit Operations, Planning and Economics. John Wiley & Sons. Vuchic, V. (2007). Urban Transit Systems and Technology. John Wiley & Sons. Wright, L. & Hook, W. (2007). Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide. Institute for Transportation & Development Policy. Accessed January 5, Available at