Credit: City of Hamilton
Boarding islands and shared boarding areas are not possible on every project. For many constrained bike lanes and projects where available right-of-way or project budget precludes a constructed boarding island, the bikeway is used by transit vehicles serving their stops. Transit riders board and alight directly to and from the sidewalk.
Curbside transit stops do not provide any benefits to transit operations. In addition, if a car or truck is stopped at the curb, the transit driver cannot pull to the curb. Passengers need to board and alight from the street bed.
People using the bikeway must wait behind the transit vehicle or merge into general traffic to pass. When a transit vehicle is not at the stop, other drivers may pull into the space for loading or parking, blocking the bikeway and decreasing safety on the street.
Design Guidance
Dimensions
Curbside transit stops need to accommodate merging in and out of traffic, in addition to the length of the vehicle itself. They require significant curbside space, from 90-210 ft (27-63 m).
Curbside transit stops vary in width. In the most constrained conditions, they are only as wide as the bikeway.
The preferred width is at least 8 ft (2.4 m) to accommodate the width of the vehicle.
Typical Minimum Length By Bus Size 1
| Stop position | 40-foot | 12.2 m bus | 60-foot | 18.3 m bus | 80-foot | 24 m bus | 120-foot | 36 m bus | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Near-side | 100 ft | 30 m | 120 ft | 36 m | 145 ft | 43.5 m | 185 ft | 55.5 m | ||||
| Midblock | 120 ft | 36 m | 145 ft | 43.5 m | 185 ft | 55.5 m | 210 ft | 63 m | ||||
| Far-side | 90 ft | 27 m | 100 ft | 30 m | 125 ft | 37.5 m | 165 ft | 49.5 m | ||||
Options for Curbside Stops in Parking-Protected Bike Lanes
Options for Curbside Stops in Protected Bike Lanes
Options for Constrained Curbside Stops
Markings
A dotted white lane line should be provided along the length of the pull-in taper, stop area, and pull-out taper.
Install ONLY BUS BIKE or shared-lane markings to communicate that this space should be used only by buses and people on bikes.
Consider using green surfacing where the curbside transit stop is less than 8 ft (2.4 m) wide. Consider using red surfacing where the curbside transit stop is wider.
Use diagonal or chevron markings to provide a buffer for curbside transit stops that are wider than 8 ft (2.4 m) and those located in a parking-protected bike lane. This buffer marking can discourage drivers from using the space and provide a continuous visual buffer to the bikeway.
For buffered constrained lanes or parking-protected bike lanes, provide a taper for the transit vehicle to enter and depart the stop.
Furnishings
Shelters, seating, passenger information, and any other amenities must be located on the sidewalk. Transit shelters with open sides can help improve visibility and accessibility in constrained spaces.
Shelters must not overhang or extend into the street to avoid vehicle strikes.
Consider installing braille signs or tactile maps on sidewalk poles to provide information about the available transit services.
Accessing Curbside Transit Stops
- Do not provide detectable warning surfaces along the transit stop.
- Add tactile directional indicators to help pedestrians who are blind or have low vision navigate to and from the front door of the transit vehicle.
- Cities determine preferred stop length based on available right-of-way, target speed, and agency experience. These charts reflect a range that exists across different U.S. cities. ↩︎