bus stop & bus lane capacity: planning bus routes in downtown seattle
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Bus Stop & Bus Lane Capacity: Planning Bus Routes in Downtown Seattle. Owen Kehoe, PE, PTOE Transportation Engineer Speed & Reliability Group King County Metro Transit Seattle, WA. Background. Speed & Reliability Group Special projects, improve existing service - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
2007 Intermodal Operations Planning Workshop2007 Intermodal Operations Planning Workshop
Bus Stop & Bus Lane Capacity: Bus Stop & Bus Lane Capacity:
Planning Bus Routes inPlanning Bus Routes in Downtown Seattle Downtown Seattle
Owen Kehoe, PE, PTOEOwen Kehoe, PE, PTOETransportation EngineerTransportation Engineer
Speed & Reliability GroupSpeed & Reliability GroupKing County Metro TransitKing County Metro Transit
Seattle, WASeattle, WA
BackgroundBackground
Speed & Reliability GroupSpeed & Reliability Group Special projects, improve existing serviceSpecial projects, improve existing service Traffic Engineering backgroundTraffic Engineering background Work with local DOT’sWork with local DOT’s
Transit in Downtown Seattle:Transit in Downtown Seattle: 5000+ daily buses on 5 Avenues5000+ daily buses on 5 Avenues Bus TunnelBus Tunnel
BackgroundBackground
2-year Bus Tunnel Closure2-year Bus Tunnel Closure–Buses diverted to surface streetsBuses diverted to surface streets
33rdrd Avenue: Two way, Four Lanes Avenue: Two way, Four LanesSkip Stop operation: Skip Stop operation: BlueBlue & & YellowYellow Zones ZonesGeneral Traffic Restricted: Right-Turn Only AM/PM PeakGeneral Traffic Restricted: Right-Turn Only AM/PM Peak
22ndnd & 4 & 4thth Avenues: One way with transit lane Avenues: One way with transit lane Tunnel opening September 2007Tunnel opening September 2007
–Traffic restrictions remain on 3Traffic restrictions remain on 3rdrd Avenue Avenue–Shift additional routes to 3Shift additional routes to 3rdrd Avenue Avenue
How many buses can we load onto 3How many buses can we load onto 3rdrd Avenue?Avenue?
Too Too Many!Many!
How Many Buses?How Many Buses?
Methodology presented in TCRP TCQS ManualMethodology presented in TCRP TCQS Manual–Bus Stop Capacity Bus Stop Capacity –Bus Lane CapacityBus Lane Capacity
Developed custom worksheet Developed custom worksheet –Need to automate, user-friendlyNeed to automate, user-friendly–Uses available input dataUses available input data–Dialog with transit planning staffDialog with transit planning staff
Focus on PM peak conditionFocus on PM peak condition–33rdrd Avenue, NB & SB Avenue, NB & SB–22ndnd Avenue, SB only Avenue, SB only
Bus Stop CapacityBus Stop Capacity
# of Loading Areas
Dwell Time
Clearance Time
Signal Timing
Failure Rate
Main Inputs Calculations Output
Capacity
buses/hr
25%
Right-Turn traffic
83 bus/hr
81 bus/hr
114 bus/hr
139 bus/hr
90 bus/hr
107 bus/hr
136 bus/hr
3rd A
ve
Pine St
Pike St
Union St
University St
Seneca St
Spring St
Madison St
Marion St
Columbia St
Cherry St
James St
Identify Critical Bus Stops
NB Bus stop capacity
Refine Dwell Time & Clearance Time measurements
Blue Zone Capacity:
75 buses/hr
Yellow Zone Capacity:
80 buses/hr
Bus Lane CapacityBus Lane Capacity
Adjacent Lane traffic
Main Inputs Calculations Output
Bus Lane Capacity
buses/hr
Yellow Zone Capacity
Blue Zone Capacity
3rd A
ve
Pine St
Pike St
Union St
University St
Seneca St
Spring St
Madison St
Marion St
Columbia St
Cherry St
James St
Blue Zone Capacity:
75 buses/hr
Yellow Zone Capacity:
75 buses/hr
SB Third Avenue Capacity:
140 buses/hr
Blue Zone Capacity:
75 buses/hr
Yellow Zone Capacity:
80 buses/hr
NB Third Avenue Capacity:
140 buses/hr
End ResultsEnd Results
Compared bus volume to capacityCompared bus volume to capacity Assigned routes to 3Assigned routes to 3rdrd Avenue Avenue
–Just enough buses/hr addedJust enough buses/hr added–Skip-stops well-balanced Skip-stops well-balanced
Future PlanningFuture Planning–Identify improvements to increase capacityIdentify improvements to increase capacity–BRT service integrationBRT service integration
Triple skip stop pattern?Triple skip stop pattern?
Key Lessons LearnedKey Lessons Learned
Planning bus stop capacity for reliabilityPlanning bus stop capacity for reliability–Maximize use of transit priority streetsMaximize use of transit priority streets–Tool for planning/scheduling routesTool for planning/scheduling routes
Balance: bus volume vs. reliabilityBalance: bus volume vs. reliability–Capacity = limit for acceptable reliabilityCapacity = limit for acceptable reliability–Failure Rate sets reliability levelFailure Rate sets reliability level
Critical bus stops are keyCritical bus stops are key–Analysis/data collection effortsAnalysis/data collection efforts–Capacity improvementsCapacity improvements
2007 Intermodal Operations Planning Workshop2007 Intermodal Operations Planning Workshop
Owen Kehoe, PE, PTOEOwen Kehoe, PE, PTOE
Speed & Reliability GroupSpeed & Reliability GroupKing County Metro TransitKing County Metro Transit
Seattle, WASeattle, WA
Bus Stop & Bus Lane Capacity: Bus Stop & Bus Lane Capacity: Planning Bus Routes inPlanning Bus Routes in
Downtown Seattle Downtown Seattle