ITEM INFORMATION
GM MemoNo. 04'030
AC TRANSITDISTRICT Board of Directors Summary Executive
MeetingDate.January21,2004
Gommittees: PlanningCommittee Committee ExternalAffairs StudentPassProgramCommittee Corporation Financing
tr il il il
Board of Directors
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Committee n Paratransit OperationsCommittee tr FinanceCommittee n
$UBJECT: Six Month Reporton the San Pablo Rapid Bus ACTIO : RECOMMENDED tr InformationOnly
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tr Briefing ltem
E RecommendedMotion
Fiscal lmpact; Noneat thistime,grantfunded : BackEround/Discuseion for six months.All aspectsof the project The San Pablo72 Rapidhasnowbeenoperating have been completedand are operational,with the exceptionof lingeringissueswith PacificGas & Electricpoweringup of bus shelters,whichin turn has limitedthe numberof signs. activeNextBusbusarrivalinformation BOARDACTION:
Approved as Recommended fxl Approvedwith Modification(s) t I
Other
t I
to receivereport(6-0-0-1). MOTION:PIRAS/PEEPLES Ayes: Noes: Abstain: Absent.
Kaplan,President Jaquez,Bischofberger, Directors Piras,Peeples,
Wallace- 6 None - 0 None- 0 Vice PresidentHarper- 1
Theaboveorderwas passedandadoptedon 4,2004. February RoseMartinez,DistrictSecretary By
GM MemoNo.04-030 $ubject:Six MonthReporton the SanPabloRapidBus Date:January21,2004 Page2ol 3 to the ridingpublicon the Rapio Van Hoolbuseswereintroduced The recenlypurchased and transitpriorityat line,and hive beenvery well received.Trafficsignalinterconnect signalsare workingweli; AC Transitstaffwill reviewand evaluatethese aspectsof the pr"oiectduring thJ first six months of 2004, and will report the results and any for changesor improvements. recommendations both insideOaklandand along the rest of the route is essentially Shelterinstallation comptete,with the last two sheltersdue to be installedin Albanywithinthe next several alongBroadwayin Oaklandhave weeks. previouslyinstalledsignalcycleimprovements along trafficsignalequipment work upgrading significanlyreducbotraveltime. Additional withthe duringthe firstsix monthsof 2004,in cooperation Bfoadwaywill be accomplished Agency' Management andtheAlamedaCountyCongestion Cityof Olt
GM MemoNo.04-030 Subject:$ix MonthReporton the SanPabloRapidBus Date:January21,2004 Page3 of 3 has offeredto fund a reviewof Rapid bus pole and flag design,with an eye towards thatdesign. improving AC Transit's TZ San pablo Rapid is receiving regional and national attention. of AustinTransit,SacramentoCountyand !q1 Franciscohave visited Representatives recenlyto discussthe Rapid,whichwas alsofeaturedin the Fall,2003,issueof the BRT at the NationalTRB BRT euarteity. The Rapidwiil be the subjectof a presentation in May,in Denver,as well. Conference
Prior RelevantBoardActions/Policies: of Service RapidBusProject,lmplementation GM Memo03-192 RegularUpdateon SanPabloRapid
Attaehmenls: Fall2003 BRTQuarterly,
I
by; Approved
GeneralManager RickFernandez, KathleenKelly,DeputyGeneralManager,serviceDevelopment
Preparedby:
JonTwichell,ManagerCapitalProjectslmplementation
Date Prepared:
January9, 2004
0[$etUeil ltenchBRI$y$tcms Ingli$n, N a t i o n a l B u s R a p i dT r a n s i t I n s t i t u t e l e d a Th" I tour of BRTsystemsin Englandand Ffanceconductqd in August for U,S,Colgressionalstaff and staff of the Federal TransitAdministration to learn about EuropeanBRT systemsandpotentialapp|icationsintheU.S.l The tour was designedto provide participantswith an indepth understandingof BRT and its many features.lt's purpose was also to familiarizefederal congressionalstaff responsiblefor public transit legislationwith various BRT system configurationsthat can be used to provide highpublictransit usingrubber=tiredbuses quality,high-capacity in a numberlof differentoperatingenvironments'Hosted by NBRTf and FTA,the tour includedmeetingsand presentationsby transit systemoPerators, a and regionaland BRTvehiclemanufacturer, local agenciesresponsiblefor transporta: (Top)ThefEORsystem tion oversight,as wbll as guidedsite visits runningwayin Rouen demonstrstedthe bus to operatingBRT systemsin Europe. opticalguid ancesystem. (Right) A guidedtour wos providedonboardthe 6rvisvehicle,whichis manufoctured r by lrisbusof Lyon.
about the systemand a guidedtour aboard a Civis bus,led by stafffrom lrisbusand Connex,a private transit provider in Rouen.During the guided tour, the group was shown the exclusiveBRT running way and its stations.Also provided was a demon' opstration of the Civisvehicle's$ 100,000-per-bus tical guidancesystemwhile travelingover a short distanceof actualTEOR system running wayThe group next visited and met with staff of the headquartersof RATP(RegieAutonome desTransports Parisiens), the regional oPerator of subways, li rll'jf, t{tiliiitiiIillirii'lii!liiif,
buses,trams,trolleys,and commuter rail in the greaterParisregion.Among were a Presentationon the highlights a strategic Plan Proiect, fllflobilien for the greater Paris re' illoped gion in responseto air qualitylegislation, which placesimprovementof Paris'sbus network as one of its core priorities;a presentationon the real' time passengerinformationsystem RATP used to assistbus Passengers at busstationsandon board vehicles; and a presentation about CALYPSO, the electronic ticketing standard t h a t d e f i n e st h e secured dialogue between cards and publictransit terminalsused in P a r i sa n d o t h e r major European cities such as B r u s s e l sL, i s b o n , Konstanz(Germany),andVenice. meetingswere held with fgland, siEIf from Transport for London (TfL) and First Leeds,the citY of Leeds'publictransitoPerator,for an overview of its curb-guidedcitywide bus network. Includedwere a deaboutbuscontracttaileddiscussion provision in London, ing and service and a presentationon funding and private'publicpartnerships.Participantslearnedabout Londonl Congestion ChargingProgram,the city's congestionpricingProgramthat en' couragesthe useof non-automodes of transporlation(i.e.,public trans-
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port) while ensuringfaster,more reliableiourneytimes.Thiswasfollowed by a presentationand guidedtour of L o n d o n ' sc o m p r e h e n s i v eb u s - o n l Y networl<.Currently,more than 1,000 bus-onlylanesexist in London,representing150 miles of with-flow and contra-flowlanes.Aspart of the network of bus-onlylanes,TfLalso emp l o y s b u s s i g n a lP r i o r i t y t o s P e e d busesthrough congestedintersec' tions for improved travel-time'
Leeds'BRT system illustrated the potential of improved bus servicesaimed at enhancing mobilityin large me t r o p o l i t a n areas by providingfast, reliable, convenient,and cost-effectivepublic transit bus servicein the urban core and s u b u r b su s i n ga s i m p l ea n d u n i q u e bus-onlyroute network. curb-guided, was used onlY in The curb-guideway very short segmentsto get around
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ffil{i$,#{4fr lf{{},1J3f fi $jili$fi #{r{mili$$i{Hfi (Top left)The groupdiscussessystem chorocteristicsduringa presentationon BRf by Leeds.(Iop right)A bus operoteson the guided concretetrock in leeds. (BottornfDoubledeckerbusesoperdteon dedicatedbus lsnes.
directall questions Please or commentsto:
d ru&uu'd$'teld#h Fall2003
10403 The BRf Quorterlyis produced by the USF Center for Urban Transportation Research in collaboration with UCB Institute of Transoortation Studies.
In Leeds,the group heard a Presentation on the Leedscurb-guidedBRT networl
BRT QuarterlY Centerfor Urban TransportationResearch Universityof SouthFlorida 4202 EastFowlerAvenue,CUTl00 FL 33620-5375 Tampa, I | 3/974-3| 20,fax I | 3/974-5| 68 email:[email protected] www.nbni.org
fol usilatodlntomationonBnTf,rd to$uhsGlltEtothG EnT[uilteilv nGwslGltst,' ui$iltheilailomlBusnaildTranslt at lilEnT[w0bslte ht$tiHttc wilM.nfuli0tg
Our Mlssion The mission of the National Bus RapidTransit Institute is to facilitate the sharing of knowledgeand innovation for increasingthe speed,efficiency,and reliabilityof high-capacity bus service through the implementation of BRT systemsin the United States.
Editor:CherylThole DesignerrWendyCostleberry
llo$itiue AGlransit'sBRIcr[clienGG$ l$ult$ Alameda-ContraCostaTranThe I sit Districr beganserviceon its SanPabloRapidlineon June30,2003T h e l 4 - m i l e - l o n g7 2 - S a n P a b l o Rapidroute travelsthrough sevencities and two countiesand usesState highwaysfor about half of the route' This new serviceis al
supportingthe installationof traffic signalinterconnection alongthe entire lengthof San PabloAvenue,working in con' junction with the Alameda County CongestionManagement Agency
The San Pablo Rapid has been designedto operate 20 percent faster than the previousLimited servicein the same corridor.and seel
system
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reducin8stops from 45 to 26' Jor an averageof .54 miles stoPs IEtween I
movingabout 90 percent of the stops to far side,to speedgetting through traffic signals
installingtransit priority along the entire corridor,worl
The result of severalyearsof cooperativeplanningamongAC Transit,the the Rapid CIYA,andlocaljurisdictions, w a s i m p l e m e n t e do v e r l 8 m o n t h s with a combinationofAlamedaCounty and Contra Costa County-allocated federalfunds,as well as a federalbudget earmarl
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Research Board lfi ttenOeesat the Transportation Rapid T-ransitWorkshop inAugustin SanDiflBus egoparticipatedin a Ride-Ondemonstration ofAutomated,BusRapidTransit(ABRT)technologies by pATH ' and Caltranirreseirchers. ABRT intetrares sey: eral elementsincluding precisiondocking, laneassist,automated s P- e e d ,a n d s p a c i n g control that allow automated bus opera' tion on a segregated busWay, providing railliketravelqualitywhile 'the minimizing amount of right-ofway width. Buses,are cornputercontrolled and follow a seriesof magnetsthat defined course. Several applications are f e a t u r e d ,s u c h , a s busdockingat stops with high precision, lanE:assistthat allows busesto travel on narrow lanes, driver,vehicleinterface that allow drivers to make operation mode selection (automatic or operating),automatic lape-changing, and automated ' couplingof buses.
this point, the driver switchesthe bus to autornated operation. A number of designelemenrsof a transit systemsup. port ABRT in fulfillingits capability. Some of the elements includethe integration of platfor:m boardingat bus stops andstations,lowfloor buses with wide doors, efficient bus components,and infrastructure such as bus bulbsand queue lumPers. r
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Benefits for transit properties are re. duced dwell time at bus stops, potential lower operating c o s t s ;r e d u c e df u e l c o n s u m P t t o nP, o tentially safety irnP r o v e m e n t s , 'a n d greater vehicle and passengerlane-cap a c i t y .A d d i t i o n a l benefitsforrbuspassengersinclude reduced travel time. smoo-thertravel,and improved bus stop arrival.
An exampleof operationsusingABRTis a bus iun with few inte_rmediate stops.Along the run, precisiondocl
Curr:ently,no transit systems in the United Stateshave applied this technology.lt is determinedthat the earliestop; eration bf the technologywill be on busesand trucks that operate ,on their own rightof-way. For mor"einformation,contact Steven Shladover at ses@its .berkeley.edu.
Trfln$itwnu 0ttawa'$ Bus RapidTransit Instistaff and severalU.S. and Jtute Canadiantransit professionalsrecently visited Ottawa's BRT system, the Transitway,to learn more about the system'stransit oriented development and traffic signal priority, system elementsand statistics,and implementationand operating strategies.The s y s . t e m ,w h i c h b e g a n r u n n i n gi n | 9 8 3 , p r o vides serviceto the south. east and west of Ottawa.Whenit opened, five stationswere linl
patron interestedin trip planningto OC Transpo.lnformationdisplaysat stationsincludemapsand schedules. Monitors alsoprovideplannedarrival time for busescurrentlyin operation.
ing or future rapid-transitstations. l"lajor existing stations along the Transitway provide easy access to activity centers through the utilization ofa coveredpedestrianoverpass or undergroundwalkways. Resultsof Ottawal Rapid Transit ExpansionStudy includefuture plans for the implementationof a light rail system and further developmentof BRT lines to meet expected populationgrowth. The intent was to identifyfuture ridershipand potential corridors and to evaluatevehicletechnologiesanddeterminea rapid transit network. The study,whichbeganin February of 2002, determined capacitiesfor bus rapid transitand light rail. Capacityvaluesfor bus rapidtransitwere 15,000 o n e x c l u s i v er i g h t s - o f way and 8,000 on arterials comparedto valuesof 18,000and9,000for light rail.
The Transitwayutilizes exclusive rights-of-way and shared roadway in particularareassuch as downtown. A total of 2 7 . 2 k m ( 1 6 . 9m i l e s )i s In an overview of designatedas exclusive Transitway'straffic signal roadways,and the syspriority within the city tem has27 stationsand and its effect on the sysa p p r o x i r n a t e l y3 , 0 0 0 tem. issuesaddressedinspacesloparl<-and-ride cluded the provision of cated along the corrito assist sufficientsignage dors.The system has drivers. the effect on co2 2 0 , 0 0 0d a i l y r i d e r s , ordination of traffic, and to meettransitdemondfor (Top)articulated busesservetheTronsitway with 10,000per hour in t he determinationof offler riders o the Transitwoy (Bottom)stotionstopso/ong the system. peal
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