Portland’s boarding bulb program, originally developed to improve pedestrian and bicycling operation, has also yielded benefits to transit operations. The installation of enhanced boarding space on NW 23rd Avenue by the City of Portland and TriMet, the region’s transit agency, shows how this treatment confers benefits across modes and activates on neighborhood main streets. NW…
Metroway in Alexandria and Arlington, VA opened in September 2014 as the Washington, DC, region’s first BRT line. In anticipation of redevelopment at the decommissioned Potomac Yards, Alexandria and Arlington worked with regional transit service provider WMATA and local developers to create a comfortable, high-capacity transit line that can support growing ridership. Between Potomac and…
In 2010, the City of Vancouver, BC, reconstructed a segment of Granville Street, a primary transit spine and downtown destination. This reconstruction provided the opportunity to improve upon the existing transitway and shared street, by providing wide sidewalks, high-quality custom street furniture, and a better balance of local access and transit movement. History Granville Street,…
In 2014, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) piloted a transit-friendly signal progression along Geary Street, a mile-long one-way corridor with frequent bus service. Due to the presence of a dedicated bus lane, which minimizes variations in bus travel time. SFMTA implemented a signal progression, with dwell time offsets, averaging 18 mph. Using spreadsheet models,…
Bell Street Park is the City of Seattle’s first shared street project, establishing a new typology for streets as parks and open space. Initiated by Belltown neighborhood residents, Bell Street demonstrates how a bold vision for transformation can be realized through inclusive design and strong city/community collaboration. Proven as a successful shared street project, its…
Participating Agencies METRO Schedule Planning & Community Process: 2013 – 2014METRO Board approval: Feb 11, 2015Opened for service: August 16, 2015 Goals On August 16, 2015, Houston’s Metro transit system implemented one of the largest bus network changes in U.S. history. All local routes, including routes that had not been rethought since the 1920s, were redesigned and integrated…
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) uses in-lane stops to improve transit and bike safety and operations. During a scheduled resurfacing project of 1.5 miles of Dexter Avenue between Westlake Avenue North and Mercer Street—a segment with frequent bus service—SDOT seized an opportunity to reallocate space to transit by removing an existing center two-way left…
In June 2015, the City of Toronto completed the reconstruction of Queens Quay Boulevard, transforming an underused waterfront street in downtown Toronto into a hallmark destination. The reconstruction of Queens Quay converted a wide two-way, four-lane car-centric street with center-running streetcars into an asymmetrical two-way street with a side-running transitway and dramatically expanded bicycle and…
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) installs bus bulbs on priority transit corridors to improve operating efficiency. Though Washington state law requires car drivers to yield to a merging bus, drivers often fail to do so, causing delays that accumulate over the length of a bus route to substantially increase travel times. Bus bulbs allow…
BEFORE A low-volume, 1-block stretch of Willoughby Street in Downtown Brooklyn served as a popular corridor for pedestrians between Brooklyn’s civic center and main shopping district. INTERIM This segment was closed to vehicle traffic using temporary planters, seating, and bollards in 2006. AFTER Following a full capital construction process, Willoughby Plaza was made permanent and…