BRT/Rapid Bus Impacts on Transit Corridor Businesses

A Business Impact Survey & Comparison of Bus Transit Improvement Impacts on:

AC Transit's Alameda Route 61 Corridor (Webster Street)AC Transit’s San Pablo Rapid Bus R72, Route 123 CorridorLA Metro’s Wilshire Metro Rapid 720 CorridorSF MUNI/MTA Geary BRT Corridor (Pre-BRT Impact Study)

Roger McKean Bazeley – Mineta Transportation Institute – Capstone

Project Scope: Study will compare three different levels of BRT/Rapid Bus

infrastructure and service improvements with the Geary Corridor as a PRE-BRT impact baseline

Analyze the comparative Impact of BRT Improvements Survey BRT/Rapid Bus corridor business owners, managers,

and employees about BRT/Rapid Bus impacts Determine the positive, neutral, and negative impacts on different

types of transit corridor businesses Report the BRT improvements effective in implementing

successful business and community multi-modal BRT/Rapid Bus Examine the outcome of Response Data for determining impact

types, level, and trends

Management Need for Study

Interest in implementing BRT/Rapid Bus Transit Corridor Improvements

Cost of laborious study, design, and ERI approval stages BRT/Rapid Bus improvement expectations of the public Workshops and community out reach efforts fall short of

gaining a balanced perspective of analyzing the impact and benefits upon future affected corridor businesses, their customers and working employees, and ultimately the sales and overall corridor business vitality for generating revenue growth.

Management Need for Study

The lack of business economic survey, study, and research funding to measure business expectations, cost and benefit impacts

The lack of case studies and methodology as a part of the process for developing the best balance of BRT implemented service and infrastructure improvements for increasing positive economic benefit and impact to transit corridor business customers, employees, and the community

The need for developing a transportation management survey/tool and process for incorporating these vital business needs and expectations into the planning, design, decision making, and final implementation process.

Literature Research

Management Need for Study

Communicating to all community stakeholders that initial BRT/Rapid Bus project research and planning efforts addresses their needs with a process that seriously measures transit corridor business community’s pre-expectations and post BRT/Rapid Bus implementation impacts, is

imperative!

Management Need for Study

Measuring the resulting impacts of implemented improvements will help transit management and planners through transit policy, planning and design minimize potential negative impacts that could reduce the economic viability of BRT corridor businesses, corridor access and walkablity for customers and employees, and community support for the development of multi-use/ and TOD housing along these corridors

Ultimate Need for Study

It may very well be the particular combination of land-used characteristics and TOD/Housing when aligned with different levels of BRT/Rapid Bus improvements will bolster long-term sustainable economic impact and viability along improved BRT/Rapid Bus corridors.

RESEARCH STUDY BENEFIT AND GOALS: Develop a Case Study and methodology for measuring

the impact of BRT improvements upon the business community stakeholders including its customers, employees, and residents

Strengthen transit planning focus on significant business community expectations and needs that impact their business vitality when implementing BRT/Rapid Bus corridor improvements

Create Transit management awareness of the critical long-term aspects and impacts upon business which can ultimately affect the levels of capturing new riders from these corridors

RESEARCH STUDY BENEFIT AND GOALS:

Create an assessment methodology for addressing transit management and business community stakeholder pre-cost benefit assessment in establishing BRT/Rapid Bus corridor transit performance goals, including service and infrastructure improvements related to type and levels of investment needed to deliver the best “impact benefit package for the dollars spent”

Determine BRT improvement needed for implementing successful business and community multi-modal/BRT

To find-out what was the perceived impact to various business types including retail and offices, employees, and their customers

Methodology: Survey Businesses

Developed a one page questionnaire/survey composed of 10-15 key questions with a couple of specific critical data sub-sections to collect % of customer and employee mode of travel to business location.

These surveys will be administered in person to individual business owners at their place of business located on the selected BRT corridors, with an equal collection of data from both sides or directions of BRT transit travel.

The sampling of targeted corridor businesses including retail and commercial/professional offices to result in 100-140 completed surveys per BRT corridor. *

Survey question categories: 50% Business Economic, 20% Customer/Community, 20% Corridor Business Accessibility/Travel Mode Choice, Vitality, Parking impact, 10% Open ended Questions-Responder Opinion

Methodology: Survey Questionnaire

The question form and response selection for data comparison and scoring will be based on each question asking the responder to answer as to the subject of BRT/Rapid Bus improvement impacts

(1-3) rating scale: (3) Positive Impact/Increase. (2) Neutral Impact/No-Change, (1) Negative Impact/Decrease

The responses will be indexed and charted per business name, type, location and presented in excel and graphic charts.

Methodology: Survey Questionnaire

Methodology: The Report

The report: will utilize the research to analyze and compare the different impacts of four different levels of BRT/Bus corridor improvements correlated to business impact and benefit.

These will be included in a case study method of presentation with an executive summary, 4 individual BRT/Rapid Bus corridor system descriptions of the goals and bus service and infrastructure before and after the BRT/Rapid Bus implementation.

Methodology: The Analysis

The Analysis: There will be an assessment of the BRT/Rapid Bus impacts to corridor businesses, lessons learned with recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness of planning and implementing future BRT/Rapid Bus improvements along business and multi-use corridors.

The conclusion will sum-up the project, its areas of success and usefulness along with its limitations for being integrated into the management and planning of future BRT/Rapid Bus projects.

Methodology: Project Format & Content

PROJECT FORMAT CONTENT: Interview each BRT corridors’ BRT Project Manager with a set of questions related to the original goals of their BRT projects located along the corridor segments surveys.

The questionnaire for the business community has 3 open-ended questions to allow for individual responses, which will be factored into the paper’s data base and conclusion.

The appendix will have a collection of specific BRT corridor segment maps of the areas studied, basic land use and location of the businesses interviewed, and a picture of selected business owners/respondents.

Include extensive photo audits of each corridor and the specific BRT/Rapid Bus improvements implemented, and associated data sheet of possible major items and basic infrastructure costs related to the improved segments.

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: Alameda

AC Transit’s Alameda City, Route 61 Corridor 2 Miles, Stops .25 Mile (Local OP)

BASIC IMPROVEMENT Plus: MAJOR STREETSCAPE and BUS STOP INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, TOD/Renewal

_Selected Priority, Bus Stop Relocation, ADA loading Ramps, New Shelters, Trees, Sidewalks, Benches, Pedestrian and Bike facilities, Bus Loading Bulbs, Store Front Parking reductions, Urban Renewal by State Route 61 Relinquishment.

_Bus Equipment Improved, using existing buses, Non-exclusive Bus Lanes, Onboard Bus Stop Information Display, Limited Intersection pre-emption (Local/Limited/Express)

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: San Pablo

AC Transit’s San Pablo Rapid Bus R72, Route 123 Corridor 14 Miles, Stops .5 Mile

MODERATE to MAJOR BRT TECHNOLOGY, TRANSIT EQUIPMENT, BUSES, SHELTERS, STREETSCAPE INVESTMENTS, SMART CORRIDOR

-Signal Priority, Shared/Alternative Peak Hours use of Parking Lane for Bus Travel

-New Bus Shelters with Next Bus Technology, Transit Branding and Design Identity, on Equipment and Infrastructure Elements

-New Low Floor Buses, Seating Configurations and Interiors Issues: The use or non use of Exclusive Rapid Bus Right-away,

parking reductions depending upon curbside or Center Alignment BRT configurations, Service Hours PM

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: Wilshire

LA Metro’s Wilshire/Whittier Metro Rapid 720 Corridor 45 Miles, Stops .75-1 Mile

MAJOR BRT TECHNOLOGY, TRANSIT EQUIPMENT, BUSES, SHELTERS, STREETSCAPE INVESTMENTS, SMART CORRIDOR

-Signal Priority, Shared/Alternative Peak Hours use of Parking Lane for Bus Travel vs. Exclusive/Bus Lanes, Bus Stop Relocation

-New Bus Shelters with Next Bus Technology, and Pre-pay kiosks, -Transit Branding and Design Identity, on Equipment and Infrastructure

Elements New Low Floor Buses, Seating Configurations and Interiors Issues: Peak hour parking restrictions/elimination/reductions

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: GEARY

Geary Corridor Pre-BRT Impact Survey – San Francisco’s proposed Geary MUNI BRT-Center Alignment/Exclusive Lanes

7.5 Miles, Stops .4-.50 Mile

MAJOR BRT TECHNOLOGY, TRANSIT EQUIPMENT, BUSES, SHELTERS, STREETSCAPE INVESTMENTS, SMART CORRIDOR

-Signal Priority, Major Infrastructure emulating Light Rail characteristics for Exclusive/Bus Lanes with center alignment, Bus Stop Relocation

-New Bus Shelters with Next Bus Technology, and Pre-pay kiosks, -Transit Branding and Design Identity, on Equipment and Infrastructure -New Low Floor Buses, Seating Configurations and Interiors Issues: Peak hour parking restrictions/elimination/reductions

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: Alameda

Webster Street, Major Infrastructure, Streetscape, TOD Improvements

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: San Pablo

San Pablo Corridor, Smart Corridor Technology, Shelter, Branding

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: Wilshire

Wilshire Corridor, Smart Corridor Technology, Shelter, Branding

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: Geary

Geary Corridor, PRE-BRT Impact-Express/Limited Stop, Local

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: DATA

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: DATA

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: DATA

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: DATA

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: DATA

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: DATA

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: DATA

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: DATA

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: DATA

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: DATA

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: DATA

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: DATA

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: Ideas

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: People

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: Results

Wilshire La Metro Rapid 720 Corridor 81.8% - 1st Place

Alameda – Webster/Route 61 Corridor 79.4% - 2nd Place

San Pablo Corridor AC R72 Rapid Bus 76.3% - 3rd Place

SF Geary Blvd. – Pre-BRT Improvement 70.6% - 4th Place

BRT STUDY CORRIDORS: TOD

LA Wilshire TOD Alameda Com/DEV

San Pablo TOD

SP R72 Shelter

LA METRO –R720

FUTURE Trend for Business