Title of Session Line 1 Title of Session Line 2

A Change in Accessibility and Convenience? Implementing BRT and the Impact on Transit Riders

Cheryl Thole, Jennifer FlynnCUTR/NBRTI, Senior Research Associates

Transit in GIS ConferenceSeptember 14, 2011St. Petersburg, FloridaProject BackgroundGreater station spacing for BRT1/8 a mile versus to 2 milesReplacement or complementary of local serviceDecision on station locations/spacingEmX case study

Project BackgroundBostonSilver Line, Washington St.Las VegasMAXOaklandSan Pablo RapidClevelandHealthLineEugeneEmX

Boston Silver LineWashington Street CorridorReplaced Route 4912 stops per directionPreviously 20High ridership increase along corridorRiders16 percent were new to transit for that tripOver 2/3rds rated as excellent or above average for reliabilityBelow average dropped from 27 to 8 percent

Las VegasMAXRidership increase from 44,431 to 132,718 within first six monthsStation locations RidershipPhysical characteristicsLandscapeLocationDistance

Las VegasMAXComplements Route 113Previously served 7,300 passengers/dayBoardings where stops adjacent to MAX decreased yet didnt at other stopsOperates 24/7MAX from 5AM to 7PMPassenger satisfaction on MAX40 percent travel time improved by over 15 min

OaklandSan Pablo RapidReplaced 72L (limited) because of poor schedule adherence, complicated fare collection systemStop spacing was ~800 feetWith Rapid now ~2/3 mileOther routes operate along corridor (72M)End to end travel time reduced by 12 minutes

OaklandSan Pablo RapidPassenger satisfaction of RapidRating of 4.3 out of 5 for travel timeRated higher than conventional bus service agency widePreviously drove a car ~19 percent

ClevelandHealthlineAimed to improve serviceFrequency and travel timeReduce congestionCustomer amenities24 hour service to all 58 stopsStation locationBoardings for Route 6Trip generatorsEasy/convenient transfersPhysical layouts

ClevelandHealthlineReplaced Route 6Ridership increase of over 45% first year, another 9.8% first eight months of year 2Travel time decreased end to end by 10 minutesTransit zone

EugeneEmXReplaced Route 11Stop reduction from 18 to 10To operate six minutes faster, 11 to 12 minutes within 20 yearsIncreased ridership2,667 weekday ridership Route 11 vs. ~5,000 within first yearOperating hours increased

EugeneEmXOn board surveysCompared Route 11 to EmXSmall increase (2.6%) among riders with access to a vehicleEmX consistently ranked higher in customer satisfaction

EugeneEmXHow did you get to this stop/station where you boarded the bus for this trip?Majority for both Route 11 and EmX walkedHigher percentage of Route 11 walked ~80% versus ~47% More EmX riders transferred from another route

EugeneEmXHow will you reach your final destination?Majority of Route 11 walked (~75%), EmX (~55%)More EmX riders transferred than Route 11

EugeneEmXHow long will it take you to reach your destination?Inverse relationship occurred, may be due to need for riders to transferEventually a continual trip will be available

EugeneEmXSpatial analysis completedBoardings and alightings for both Route 11 and EmXBlue circles represent boarding/alighting of EmXSmaller circles show frequencies for Route 11

EugeneEmXMajority of Route 11 origins and destinations are in close proximity to current EmX stationsThe majority of origins and destinations occurred on the EmX/Franklin corridor segmentVery few responses from Route 11 reported origins/destinations more then mile distance from Franklin corridor

FindingsAll BRT routes have experienced increases in ridershipService frequencies have increasedNo negatives for either replacement or complementary situations, depends on community needsLas Vegas (complementary)Consistently report decrease in OVERALL travel timeCustomer satisfaction surveys report high ratings for BRTThank you for your attentionCheryl TholeSenior Research Associatethole@cutr.usf.eduTel: +1-813-974-9920

National Bus Rapid Transit Institutewww.nbrti.org

Center for Urban Transportation Researchwww.cutr.usf.edu

University of South FloridaTampa, Florida, USA