Facilities Planning

Operating Logistics

The primary area within the street devoted to bus movements is called the “bus zone,” which allows the vehicle to pull over to the curb for the purpose of loading and unloading passengers
Bus transit requires a stop location within the roadway that provides the vehicle sufficient space for deceleration and acceleration (to exit and reenter traffic flow), and requires a clear area to discharge and receive passengers efficiently and safely
A bus terminus is a designated place where a bus starts/ends its scheduled route
At the end of a route, a bus turnaround should be provided to enable the buses to return to the service routes
Bus turnaround facilities may be used as an off-street waiting and service area for transit passengers, and should be designed so the bus can be turned in a counterclockwise direction for better visual capabilities for bus operators

Additional stops along a route make it more accessible by walk-up riders, but cause the route to operate more slowly for riders already in the vehicle
The selection of bus stops at which to install amenities takes into account a number of factors:
- Average daily boardings
- Proximity to major trip generators
- Passenger activity
- Surrounding land uses
- Planned neighborhood improvements
- Transit corridor marketing efforts
- Equity among communities in the valley
- Proximity of other nearby sheltered areas
- Proximity to other bus stops on the opposite side of the street
- Customer and community requests
Bus stops are generally located at intersections where they maximize pedestrian accessibility from both sides of the street and provide connections to intersecting bus routes
The first design determination in bus stop placement is whether stops should be:
- Near-side (before the intersection)
- Far-side (after the intersection)
- Mid-block

Park-and-ride facilities are parking lots with connections to public transport allowing commuters and other people headed to city centers to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus for the remainder of the journey
In theory, park-and-ride facilities allow commuters to avoid the stress of driving a congested part of their journey and facing scarce, expensive city-center parking

All new fixed-route, public transit buses be accessible, and that supplementary paratransit services be provided for individuals with disabilities that cannot use the fixed-route bus service
The ADA requires public transportation agencies to provide paratransit services
The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) has minimum guidelines for accessibility on public transit vehicles:
- Platform barriers to prevent wheelchairs from rolling off
- Strong and large handrails
- Vehicle ramps or bridge plates
- Lift equipment to load wheelchairs
- Priority seating for the disabled
- Proper and clear doorways and pathways in subways
- Proper lighting on ramps and doorways

The FTA requires recipients to evaluate significant system-wide service changes and proposed improvements at the planning and programming stages to determine whether those changes have a discriminatory impact
Disparate Impact: Neutral policies/practices that have the effect of disproportionately excluding/adversely affecting members of a group protected under Title VI

An agency can prepare an annual Service Implementation Plan to document route performance and identify pending and potential changes and improvements to bus services for the next several years
The plan identifies near-term strategies for service improvement to implement a comprehensive plan for public transportation
Whether the changes are major or minor, service planners must obtain the approval of management before going to the public

Agencies may use public hearings (the most common method), neighborhood meetings, open houses, and focus groups as ways to gather interested customers together
When a proposed change would eliminate a route or significantly reduce the span of service or frequency of service along a route, the agency can actively solicit and consider input from the affected area through neighborhood meetings and/or onboard surveys

A Union agreement is a written, legally enforceable contract for a specified period (usually one year), between the management of the agency and its employees represented by an independent trade union
To initiate the implementation of a transit plan, agreements are made between the parties who are either representing the transit agency or the employees

Transit operators are most likely to achieve measurable improvement in the safety, efficiency, and quality of service that users experience in their day-to-day use of transit systems when they work together to develop strategies and tactics
Collaboration should be that of combining the knowledge, expertise, and information of many disciplines within the agency to produce and operate an efficient transportation system
Service planning must support operations by informing transit operators of changes in routes

The most common reporting periods are monthly, quarterly, and annually, and many agencies use more than one reporting period

Agencies with automated equipment (e.g., electronic fareboxes, automatic passenger counters, or automatic vehicle location units) are able to calculate measures using those data much more frequently
Service planners are normally involved in the development of ridership and productivity reports, especially since they are the primary users

A SCP should include:
- The problem description
- The reasoning behind the change
- Proposed solution for the problem
- Services to be changed

The FTA seeks to ensure that minority, low-income, and limited English proficient communities have an equal opportunity to participate in the public involvement process that often precedes a decision to change service and fares
Public transportation providers must follow Title VI’s guidelines prior to the implementation of fare changes to ensure that minority and low-income populations are not unfairly affected
Service planners conduct the analysis to determine if there are disparate impacts and prepares the justifications for the major service change