Samuel Israel
Realizing the full potential of transit calls for the transformation of transit’s operating environment: the street. As the most spatially efficient mode for moving people, transit is the foundation for high-demand city streets.
Designing streets for transit involves making every passenger’s trip work as well or better using transit as with other modes. When streets prioritize transit service and active modes, transit can be prompt and effective, and accessing and using it can be easy and comfortable. This strategy may be called development-oriented transit: enhancing and supporting the community, business, and civic value of a street by removing barriers to efficient movement in the most sustainable motorized mode.
By attracting new riders and activity, the design and operational concepts shown in this section help make the entire street work better for everyone.
Transit can be integrated into a full variety of urban streetscapes, from one-lane shared streets to multi-lane boulevards. The street compositions in this section reflect a series of design packages that combine complementary treatments and service types in relevant urban contexts. They demonstrate ways to efficiently integrate on-street transit vehicle facilities, service-enhancing stops and stations, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and general traffic lanes in a variety of street sizes and types. They also illustrate how street design elements work together to form a vibrant streetscape with transit as its spine.