Background. Definition of Bus Rapid Transit. Bus Speeds Dropping in NYC 1,600,000,000. Bus Rapid Transit in New York City June 11, 2010

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1 Average Speed (MPH) Bus Rapid Transit in New York City June 11, 2010 Your Friendly Presenters Background MTA New York City Transit: Operator of New York City s public transit system Part of Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York State) Over 5.2 million subway and 2.3 million bus trips per day New York City Department of Transportation: Operator of New York City s streets, free bridges, and Staten Island Ferry Maintains street and traffic signal infrastructure Agency partnership key to project success Definition of Bus Rapid Transit Flexible, integrated, high performance system with a quality image and a strong brand identity Essential elements Speed Reliability Attractiveness Bus Speeds Dropping in NYC 1,600,000,000 Challenges ,200,000, ,000, ,000, Subway Ridership Bus Ridership 1

2 Sources of Bus Delay SBS Features Other Delays 3% Pre-Payment Stop Delays 21% Dwell Time 22% In Motion Time 54% Bus Lanes SBS Bus Signal Priority Passenger Info Branding s SBS Features SBS Features Improved Service Simpler service pattern Signal Priority Transit signal priority between Houston Street and South Ferry Fare Collection Proof-of-payment fare system with fare pre-payment Local Limited Bus Lanes Curbside or offset bus lanes SBS Screening: BRT Benefits BRT Benefits are based on the following metrics: 1. Base BRT Ridership 2. Ability to support Frequent/All-Day Service 3. Potential Travel Time Savings 4. Ridership Trend/Future Growth 5. System Connectivity Screening: BRT Compatibility BRT Compatibility is based on the following metrics: 1. Traffic impacts on corridor 2. Parking regulation changes required 3. Ability to provide full range of station amenities 4. Extent of dedicated running ways on corridors 2

3 Overall Corridor Rankings Phase I BRT Corridors Bx12 Select Bus Service Fordham Road-Pelham Parkway Corridor Ridership Bus Route Weekday Ridership (2009) Bx12 47,793 Bx17 12,431 Bx9 28,900 Bx22 18,312 W60-61 (Westchester Co.) 6,427 TOTAL: 113,863 Expanded/Improved Bus Lanes Expanded/Improved Bus Lanes Expanded: Existing peak period bus lanes expanded to all-day operation Bus lanes extended geographically Improved: High visibility red bus lanes Overhead signage Increased NYPD bus lane enforcement 3

4 Transit Signal Priority Opticom radio/gps signal priority system Installed at 20 of 35 intersections along the route Initially weekday peak periodsexpanded to mid days and weekends Early green/extended green available based on existing signal parameters Signals timings also optimized Leading Bus Interval / Queue Jump Provides 6 second advance green for all buses approaching in the bus lane Bus lane operates at all times to provide free path for bus Currently activated on every signal phase; may be actuated in the future Fordham Road Delivery Window Proof-of-Payment Fare Collection Proof-of-Payment Fare Inspection Branding Fare inspectors on vehicles and at stations (not police/peace officers) On-board cameras to document incidents Anyone without receipt is subject to $100 summons 4

5 Improved Customer Information Launch Elements Customer Ambassadors Enforcement blitz Operator training On-going refinement Bx12 Select Bus Service Bx12 Select Bus Service Bx12 Select Bus Service Bx12 Select Bus Service 5

6 Travel Time: 20% reduction in running time Ridership: 7% increase from June 2008 to June 2009 Customer Satisfaction: 98% satisfied or very satisfied Results - Summary Results Cost ~ $10.5 M for full 9 Mile corridor. $6M in increased annual Operating Costs. This includes additional service, and new staff for maintaining fare equipment, revenue collection and enforcement. Red bus lanes and on-street branding wear out over time replacement cycle TBD Results Fare Collection Both types of machines operating dependably (98% availability) Transaction time for MetroCard machines = 3 sec. Transaction time for Coin machines slower Occasional power issues at stations Fare evasion rate comparable to or better than conditions prior to implementation. 6,149 summonses issued to date. Results Ridership Corridor Ridership is Increasing Corridor Ridership Increased 7% on an annual basis; system-wide ridership essentially flat MetroCard Fare Collector Sales are 31,000 per weekday SBS Cash Fare Collector Sales are 1500 per weekday (7%) Corridor mode share already exceptionally high; fewer than 10% of shoppers on Fordham Road arrive by car Results Customer Response Results Running Time Ridership: 30% increase in Limited to Select Bus ridership 7% overall route increase Overall Bronx bus ridership level Customer Satisfaction: 98% satisfied or very satisfied 89% of customers said that SBS service is better than the limited 68% of customers said that paying on the street was more convenient 6 0, , , , , , Bx12 Daily Ridership 1 6, , , ,7 7 7 Oct ober 2007 Oct ober 2008 Bx12 Local Bx12 SBS/Limit ed 6

7 Sources of Delay on M15 Limited Other Delays 4% First Avenue / Second Avenue Select Bus Service Stopped During Red Lights 21% Stopped at Bus Stops 22% Bus in Motion 54% About the Corridor 8.5 miles from South Ferry to 125 th Street Currently served by M15 bus route Over 54,000 weekday riders Bus speeds have been declining Ridership has been decreasing Within a ¼ mile: 537,000 residents 78% of households do not own a car 57% of residents commute by transit Project Rationale Slow and unreliable buses 54,000 weekday riders on M15; number has been declining due to speed/reliability issues Inefficient traffic operations Safety Greening opportunities Project Benefits - Projected Bus Service 20% faster travel Improved reliability/reduced bus bunching Efficient Operations Segregation of through and turning traffic More organized street operation Safety Reduced crossing distance for pedestrians (expect 30% reduction in pedestrian injuries) Environmental Greening the corridor with planted pedestrian islands Outreach Community Advisory Committee Composed of: Elected Officials Community Boards Major Institutions Community Organizations Business Representatives Role: To provide opportunities for input as project design and implementation progresses To keep key stakeholders up to date on the project To provide stakeholders with information to pass on to other constituents about project details and outreach efforts To ensure that key issues are not overlooked 7

8 Improve bus service Design Goals Improve pedestrian safety Improve bicycle access on the East Side Maintain traffic flow Allow curb access for deliveries, dropoffs and short-term parking People Traveling vs. Road Space People Traveling Buses 45% Private Vehicles 55% Road Space Used Buses 25% Private Vehicles 75% Offset Bus Lane Curbside Bus Lane Protected Bike Path Buffered Bike Lane 8

9 Project Implementation Bus lanes Houston St to 125 th St on both Avenues Bike lanes Houston St to 34 th St on both Avenues 72 nd St to 125 th St on First Avenue Nostrand Avenue / Rogers Avenue Select Bus Service Sources of Bus Delay B44 Limited Bus in Motion 45% At Red Lights 26% At Bus Stops 24% Other Delays 5% Corridor Description 9.3 miles from Williamsburg Bridge to Sheepshead Bay Currently served by B44 bus route 44,000 weekday riders 5 th busiest bus route in city 2,000 people board in CB1 Buses travel at an average speed of 7-8 mph Within a ¼ mile: 300,000 residents 62% of households do not own a car (69% in CB1) 60% of residents commute by transit (58% in CB1, compared to 21% by car, truck, or van) Project Features B44 Limited will become SBS; B44 Local will continue as before Offset bus lanes for 5 miles, with bus bulbs at stations from DeKalb to Church Aves Transit Signal Priority for 3.8 miles from Flatbush Avenue to Sheepshead Bay For the Entire Route: New low-floor buses Next generation fare collection Branding of stations and buses Local Buses Serve the Full Route at All Times Project Benefits Over the length of the corridor, bus lanes, transit signal priority, and quicker boarding would lead to 25% faster trips. A trip from Taylor St to Fulton St would be about 3 minutes faster, from 16 minutes today to 13 minutes with SBS. More reliable service and less bus bunching. With both local and SBS buses traveling the full route, the area north of Flushing Avenue would have more frequent bus service than today. 9

10 Bus Bulb Design 34th Street Transitway Local Stop SBS Ticket Vending Machine Shelter 60 10

11 Sources of Delay on M34 Project Need Slow Crosstown Bus Service 4.5 miles per hour even with bus lanes 17,000 passengers per day on local buses 16,000 passengers per day on commuter buses Over 500 tourist/charter buses per day (10,000 passengers) Serious Pedestrian Congestion Over 5,000 per hour per block at Herald Square Pedestrians walk in the street Future Development Moynihan, West Side Rail Yards Project Need Project Need Safety Issues ( ) 232 crashes involving pedestrians 1 fatal 709 vehicle-vehicle crashes 1 fatal 955 people injured Worst intersection: 34 th Street/Seventh Avenue 116 crashes Transitway Corridor Project Background Identification of Corridor Need (August 2007) Development of Short and Long Term Improvements (August 2007-March 2008) Implementation of Bus Lanes (Short Term Improvement) Basic Feasibility Analysis for Long Term Improvements (March 2008-September 2009) Begin Detailed Alternatives Analysis Evaluation of Alternatives And Initial Community Input Selection of Transitway as Locally Preferred Alternative (September 2009) (September 2009-Febrary 2010) (March 2010) 11

12 Project Benefits Project Schedule Faster Crosstown Transit 20-35% planned reduction in travel time Very reliable travel times Improved Pedestrian Safety and Mobility Crosswalk refuge islands at every station Neckdowns for full length of corridor Simpler traffic patterns Sidewalk widenings to accommodate pedestrian flow Loading/Deliveries on at least one side of street (currently prohibited 7am-7pm) Traffic Analysis Transitway Rendering With Three level traffic analysis: Regional analysis (including mode shifts) Citywide analysis looking at diversions from George Washington Bridge to Verrazano Narrows Bridge Local detailed simulation of 34th Street and nearby street network Extensive new traffic data collected for project area Truck study for through/local truck routing Full traffic analysis expected by late 2010/early 2011 Transitway Preliminary Concepts Transitway Preliminary Concepts Outbound Traffic without Plaza: General Traffic: One-Way Eastbound only east of Fifth Avenue One-Way Westbound only west of Fifth Avenue Transit: Two-Way Bus Lanes Pedestrians: Curb Extensions, Median Refuges Single Direction Traffic (Eastbound): General Traffic: One-Way Eastbound only for full corridor Transit: Two-Way Bus Lanes Pedestrians: Curb Extensions, Median Refuges 12

13 Corridor Identification Criteria Underserved Neighborhoods: areas beyond easy walking distance from the subway (more than 400M) BRT Phase II Difficult Trips: common transit trips that are very slow or require multiple transfers Subway Crowding: parts of the subway system that are extremely crowded Growth Areas: neighborhoods that are growing but are beyond walking distance from the subway Congested Express Bus Corridors: congested streets/highways that carry a large number of express buses BRT Opportunities: Areas Underserved by the Subway BRT Opportunities: Difficult Trips BRT Opportunities: Growth Areas BRT Opportunities: Long and Slow Trips 13

14 Interactive Workshop Structure Broad Participation Over 300 Attendees Workshop Goals: Feedback on City/MTA service needs Identify other needs Feedback on BRT features Feedback on bus lanes and busways Educate public on BRT and its benefits Generate interest in BRT Phase II Workshop Format Background on BRT Service needs: map exercise BRT features: game board BRT running ways exercise: photo renderings Feedback Questionnaires Note takers Marked-up maps and game boards Representatives in Attendance Number Community Boards 12 City Council Members 5 Borough Presidents 4 State Assembly Members 7 State Senators 7 Community Groups 25 BIDs 4 Government Agencies 5 Labor Unions 2 Four to seven days per week 48% Frequency of Bus Use by Participants No response 10% Less than once per week 15% One to three days per week 27% Feedback: Speed and Reliability Features Key Points All features received mostly positive feedback Frequent Service most popular Excluding Running Ways, Off-Board Fare Payment raised the most concerns Feedback: Comfort and Convenience Features Key Points Real-time bus arrival information was by far the most popular feature BRT vehicles were also popular Enhanced stations were a distant third Feature Feedback Comments Frequent service Overwhelmingly supported We like it Feature Ranking Feedback Subway-style station spacing Transit Signal Priority Generally supported Generally supported Support hinged on preservation of local service Need to ensure traffic and pedestrian safety Real time bus arrival information BRT vehicles First Second Overwhelmingly most popular feature Broad support for low-floor vehicles Off-board fare payment Bus lanes and busways Generally supported Generally supported Concerns over fare evasion, safety, and machine reliability Concerns over traffic, parking, safety, and effectiveness Enhanced stations Third Less important, low on list of participant priorities Final Thoughts Solutions must flow from clearly-identified problems Partnerships are key Leadership at the top is critical Public outreach isn t always fun, but it is necessary Keep the discussion going Patience is helpful Ted Orosz Director, Long Range Bus Planning MTA New York City Transit 2 Broadway A New York, NY theodore.orosz@nyct.com Joseph Barr Director, Transit Development New York City Department of Transportation 55 Water Street, 9 th Floor New York, NY jbarr@dot.nyc.gov 14