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Transit Street Design Guide Index

Transit Street Design Guide
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In-Street Boarding Island Stop

In-Street Boarding Island Stop

Located between center-running transit lanes and general traffic lanes to the right, in-street boarding islands create in-lane stops, giving streetcars and buses priority within the street while allocating space for through-moving vehicles.

In-street boarding islands call for careful management of pedestrian interactions to access the boarding platform.

APPLICATION & CONTEXT

In-street boarding island stops are applicable on streets with center-running transit where in-lane stops are desirable. Especially on streets with high transit ridership or service frequency, center-boarding islands greatly enhance service for bus or rail.

Platforms can be configured for level or near-level boarding with a variety of transit vehicles, including streetcars and buses.

Appropriate for a wide variety of service types, from streetcar to bus to light rail, operating local or rapid services.

Island stops must be placed at controlled (with stop signs or signals) intersections, where a crosswalk facilitates safe pedestrian access to the island.

BENEFITS

In-street boarding island stops enable the use of center-running transit on relatively small streets where full-scale stations are not feasible or necessary.

In-lane stop location reduces transit vehicle dwell times.

Boarding island stops provide dedicated space for transit passengers and amenities while maintaining a clear pedestrian path on the sidewalk.

Island stops provide a refuge area for pedestrians crossing the street in addition to transit passengers.

CONSIDERATIONS

Designs should provide adequate pedestrian crossing opportunities to and from the island, accounting for potentially high pedestrian volumes. Insufficient crossing width and long pedestrian wait times may increase the incentive for pedestrians to cross traffic lanes unsafely.

When applied to near-side stops, consider turn management strategies. Near-side applications may be most effective at intersections without the conflicts presented by left-turn movements.

DESIGN GUIDANCE

In-Street Boarding Island-

CRITICAL

Platform must be aligned to streetcar tracks with appropriate lateral clearance for level boarding. Stops for rail vehicles may require a 9-foot moving lane next to the island, or other track or lane realignment to bring vehicles close to the platform.

Center island platforms must be either level or near-level boarding. 24-inch wide detectable warning strips should be placed along the entire boarding edge of the platform to indicate vehicle position.

Detectable warning strips must be placed on both sides of every flush pedestrian crossing.

Callout Bubbles-09 Platform access ramp may have a maximum slope of 1:12 at a crosswalk or other crossing point, at the sidewalk and onto the platform (ADA Std. 405.2, 810.2.2).

An accessible boarding area, typically 8 feet wide by 5 feet long, must be provided to permit boarding maneuvers by a person using a wheelchair (ADA Std. 810.2.2) (see page 67), generally requiring islands to be at minimum 8 feet wide. Islands with railings along the rear side will require an extra foot of space, making the total width 9 feet.

Callout Bubbles-10 Reflective signage or other visible raised element on the leading corner (back left corner) of the island. KEEP LEFT or KEEP RIGHT (MUTCD R4-8) or object marker (OM-3) signs may be used.

Ensure that pedestrian refuge islands crossing transitways are wide enough to allow groups of people to wait, particularly near stations. Discourage pedestrians from waiting in unsafe locations in the roadway, especially near railways. Where spacing between parallel tracks provides no clear zone between passing LRVs, clearly indicate the danger area and discourage pedestrians from waiting in this area.

RECOMMENDED

Railings shall be installed along the through lane to the right of the island to control pedestrian access and discourage dangerous crossings. Channelize pedestrian movements to platform entrances with enhanced crossing treatments. Railings must not impede accessible width, usually extending the island width to at least 9 feet.

For center-boarding islands serving both bus and rail, near-level height (8–12 inches) is preferred, as buses are not typically able to access 14-inch level boarding heights.

Callout Bubbles-11 At intersections, install refuge island tips at least 6 feet wide to provide pedestrians protection in the crosswalk.

OPTIONAL

Callout Bubbles-12 Boarding island extensions can be used for green infrastructure, including rain gardens and other stormwater retention facilities.

References