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Providing New Transportation Choices through Transit Prioritization Strategies

Providing New Transportation Choices through Transit Prioritization Strategies. BRT ON MANAGED LANES or PARK & RIDE on HOV LANES. Intro to Houston METRO Discuss History – since 1979 Priority buses = Park & Ride program Priority Highways = HOV Discuss Future – since Jan. 2009

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Providing New Transportation Choices through Transit Prioritization Strategies

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  1. Providing New Transportation Choices through Transit Prioritization Strategies BRT ON MANAGED LANESorPARK & RIDE on HOV LANES

  2. Intro to Houston METRO • Discuss History – since 1979 • Priority buses = Park & Ride program • Priority Highways = HOV • Discuss Future – since Jan. 2009 • Priority buses = Satellite Buses • Priority Highways = HOT Lanes / Managed lanes

  3. The City – Houston, Texas • 2 million residents • 2 million more expected by 2020 • 1,700 Square miles

  4. The Transit Provider Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (Houston METRO) • Service area = 1,700 Sq. Miles • 100 million boardings in 2008 • 250,000 daily boardings

  5. HOUSTON METRO • 1,200 buses in service; • 126 Routes - 95 Local, 31 Park & Ride • 8 mile METRO Rail LRV line • 6.7 million Boardings per month • 4.8 million bus, 1.2 million rail per month • 4.2 million Local Bus; 600,000 Park & Ride per month • 87 Miles of HOV Lanes – 6 Corridors • 36,000 vehicles per day ~ 7% total highway traffic

  6. METRO PRIORITY BUSES • HISTORIC = Park & Ride Program – since 1979 • 31 Routes = 12 to 40 mile trip lengths • Move patrons from 29 Parking Lots, 27 Other Sites in 5 counties • into Downtown Houston and Texas Medical Center • Using HOV Lanes • 25,000 parking spaces • Approx. 30,000 Daily Boardings (15-20% of daily boardings) • Early form of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service • Special Stations • No Stops en-route • FUTURE = Satellite Buses – since June 1, 2009 • 3 Routes to be established • 1st route = Bellaire route = parallel to largest local route • From Suburbs to Texas Medical Center • Using city streets rather than HOV Lanes

  7. METRO Park & Ride Sites • 29 Park & Ride parking facilities

  8. METRO Park & Ride Sites • 27 other Park & Ride sites in 4 neighboring counties

  9. METRO Park & Ride Facility

  10. METRO Park & Ride Service • Commenced Operations – 1979 • Early form of Bus Rapid Transit • No stops between Park & Ride lots and destination zone • Downtown or Texas Medical Center • Variety of Buses Employed in Service • MCI hybrids & diesel • New Flyer Viking • Neoplan Articulated • Weekday service only • Zoned Fares based on distance from destination • 3 zones – one fare per route • All trips use HOV Lanes

  11. METRO Future = “QuickLine” Satellite Bus Service • Commenced Operations – June 2009 = Bellaire Route 402 • Eases demand on the 2 Bellaire route (10,000 riders daily) • Limited stops to popular business centers all along the line • Eight state-of-the-art bus stations complete with digital “next bus” signage • A bright blue road stripe has been painted along the entire route for easy identification. • Reliable weekday rush-hour service, every 15 minutes • Same Fare as Local Service Routes $1.25 each way • Overall trip times reduced from 52 to 38 minutes over the 9-mile route • Custom-wrapped bus exterior for easy identification • Additional routes planned

  12. PRIORITY HIGHWAYS • HISTORIC = High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes • 87 Miles of HOV Lanes • Designed and Built for Bus Usage Only • From 1979 to 1985 – Bus and Vanpool only • 1985 – Carpools permitted 2+ / 3+ usage allowed • 6 Corridors • North, West, Northwest, Northeast, Southeast + Southwest • I-10 West, I-45 North + South, US 59 North & South, US 290 • FUTURE = High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes • Permit use by Single Occupant Vehicles for toll

  13. HOV Corridors • IH 45 North • IH 45 South • US 59 North • US 59 North • US 59 South • US 290 • IH 10 West

  14. History of METRO HOV Lanes • Lane Openings • 1979 First Corridor – pylons, bus and vanpool only • 1984 Second Corridor – barrier separated, bus and vanpool only • 1985 Carpool added to two corridors • 1988 Two Corridors Added - Bus, Vanpool and Carpool • 1993 One Corridor Added - Bus, Vanpool and Carpool • 1999 One Corridor Added - Bus, Vanpool and Carpool • Operation Condition • One lane per Corridor – barrier separated • Initially Pylons only on first corridor from 1979 to 1984 • Bus + VanPool Operation only from 1979 to 1984 • Carpools permitted in 1985, 4+ then 3+ then 2+ (3+ on 290 AM remains)

  15. Current METRO HOV Lane Operations • No changes to core design • primary access / egress through Park & Ride lots • Manual direction reversals at all access points twice a day = gate movements • Operate in Peak Hours only • Mon. – Fri. 5 am – 11 am; 2 pm – 8 pm • One lane per Corridor – Barrier Separated • Most mid-route entries through Park & Ride lots, rather than from general purpose lanes • Daily Vehicle Volumes ~ 36,000 per day 7 – 8% total Traffic Volumes in Corridors • 1,000 Buses per day • 500 Vanpools • 35,000 Carpools • 2+ Carpools allowed; 3+ only for US 290 AM Peak

  16. METRO HOV Lane Operations

  17. PLANNED HOV LANE IMPROVEMENTS • Strategy • Improve use of existing HOV resources • Currently used by 36,000 vehicles per day – expect 50 - 75% increase • Mitigate Congestion on General Purpose Lanes • Improve monitoring of traffic flows through cameras, meters • Reduce Operating Cost through gate automation • Provide some improvement to air quality

  18. Houston Area Managed Lane Projects • I-10 = Katy Managed Lanes(Opened March 2009) • Managed by Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) • Constructed with TxDOT I-10 Expansion project • 2 Managed Lanes in each direction • HOV Hours (Mon. – Fri. 5 am – 11 am; 2 pm – 8 pm) • 1 lane = free HOV 2+; 1 lane = tolled SOV === $2 - $4 • Non-HOV Hours and Weekends - both lanes tolled HOV & SOV == $ 1 • Carries approximately 12,000 per day (8% total traffic) • 7,000 HOV, 5,000 Tolled • 5 Corridors = METRO HOT Lanes (Likely Start = mid 2010)

  19. METRO HOT Lanes • 5 Corridors • Eastex, North, Northwest, Southwest, Gulf Expressways • One lane per Corridor – barrier separated • SOVs tolled at all times, HOVs free at all times • Dynamic Pricing – price rises with congestion in lane • Toll Rates to Be Determined by METRO Board • SOVs prohibited when lane speed below 50 mph • Automated Gates will permit night and weekend operation • Probable Start Date = mid 2010

  20. HOT Lane Conversion BENEFITS • Expands use of HOV Lanes by 50%+ • Expeditious implementation – 1.5 years for implementation • Enhances maximum HOV lanes utilization rates in nation • (currently 7% total traffic v. 3% nationally) • No new real estate required • Enhance and expand operations through automated gate control systems • Provide ease of use through better signage, movement monitoring systems • Cost is affordable COSTS • Approx. $50 million for installation • 80% Capital cost recovery from FTA • $ 8-10 million per annum for Operations, Maintenance and Enforcement • Recoup Operating, Maintenance and Enforcement costs through tolls

  21. Available HOV Lane Capacity Sell Blue and Yellow Areas

  22. HOT Lane Impact on Transit Schedules • Minimal Impact on bus schedule due to increased volumes expected • Reduce adverse impact on speed with controlled access to lane • No Single Occupant access when speed less than 50 mph • Dynamic Pricing increases tolls as speed diminishes to reduce demand • Greater occupancy enforcement available due to funding through tolls • Arrangements on I-10 lanes with HCTRA • Bus access guaranteed • Operations Committee reviews schedule impact and adjusts tolls / access accordingly • No issues with traffic flow to date despite greater use than expected

  23. COMPONENTS OF HOT LANE TOLLING OPERATION TRANSPONDER READERS LICENSE CAMERAS VERIFICATION AGENTS

  24. Two Path Access

  25. Toll Collection • Single Occupant Vehicle (SOV) will use a special lane at observation booths. • Transponder will be read • License Plate will be photographed • If transponder valid – account will be charged toll. • If transponder invalid or missing – license plate photo will be used to send violation notice to registered owner of plate.

  26. DYNAMIC TOLLING EMPLOYED Toll varies based on HOT lane congestion / speed Automatic toll collection — no barriers; no cash needed. All vehicles will need a transponder. EZ-Tag or Texas toll tags will be accepted for payment– fully interoperable Free Trips counted with transponder readers in HOV lane Missing transponder generates citation to plate holder automatically Toll price posted well in advance of entry points. Toll to patron does not change after entry to lane. Occupancy enforcement with attendants and patrol officers HOT Lane Operations

  27. Other HOT Lanes

  28. Future HOV Lane Enhancements Phase 1 = HOT Lane Conversion – current year Phase 2 = Access Improvements – 2 / 4 years Phase 2 a = Lane Access / Egress Improvements (Slip Ramps) Phase 2 b = Lane Access / Egress Improvements (Wishbone Ramps) Phase 3 = Lane Dualization – 10 / 20 years Phase 4 = High Speed Rail in ROW - ???

  29. Phase 2 – Access Improvements BENEFITS • Provides additional direct outbound and inbound access from general purpose to HOV Lanes • Further congestion mitigation • Expeditious implementation – Approx. 4 years to install • Minimal impact on real estate limitations – primarily achieved through use of existing shoulders • Employs movement monitoring, tolling systems and automated gate systems from Phase 1 • Cost to implement is affordable COSTS • Approximately $ 50 – 70 million to implement

  30. Phase 2 – Access Improvements

  31. Phase 3 – Lane Expansion BENEFITS • Maximize congestion mitigation on existing system • Increase HOV Usage • Estimates range between additional 60,000 to 85,000 vehicles • Change in vehicle volumes = additional 63% to 135% from current DISADVANTAGES • Extensive impact on real estate – need to expand freeways • Will require thousands of condemnations / taking actions • Extensive cost • Extensive time required for implementation • Expansion of some corridors will NOT meet traffic demand in 2035

  32. Phase 4 – High Speed Rail • Strategy • Install elevated guide way rail in center of all HOV corridors • Install station operations at existing Park & Ride facilities • Extend rail beyond current termini of HOV lanes • Benefits • Avoid extensive need for real estate takings – most real estate in TxDOT highway right-of-way and METRO Park & Ride sites • Provides service to meet traffic forecasts beyond 2035 • Cost • Approximately $30 million per mile • Total costs for 6 corridors approximately $3 Billion

  33. THANK YOU !!!! RICH LOBRON LCL Advisors, Inc. Houston METRO 610-889-2005 713-739-4047 rich@lobron.com rich.lobron@ridemetro.org

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