May/June 2023 - 30

Bus Rapid Transit
The Silver Line -
Houston's first BRT
AECOM
BRT is rapidly
becoming the mode
of choice because it is flexible,
scalable and can fit within
the constraints of any urban
or suburban environment.
Seven basics of
bus rapid transit
* Running ways: Options range
from BRT in mixed traffic to
dedicated slide or center lane.
* Stations: Stations will inclide
fare ticketing machines,
covered-waiting areas,
level boarding, and realtime
transit information.
* Vehicles: BRT vehicles may be
10' or 60' long to accommofate
more riders, may include
upgraded interiors, streamlined
vehicle designs, and features
like multi-door boarding
and interior bike storage.
* Fare collection: Fare payment
will occur at BRT stations.
* Intelligent transportation
system (ITS): Technology is
used to help improve system
operation and passenger
experience, including transit
priority at intersections, realtime
arrival information for
waiting passengers, and safety
and security enhancements.
* Service and operation plan:
BRT routes are designed
to efficiently connect riders
with their destinations by
optimizing routes, station
locations, and service schedules
to meet rider demand.
* Branding: Unique name, color
scheme, logo or other visual
identiffers to diggerntiate BRT
service from existing bus service.
-AECOM
* Micro-mobility investments with bikeshare
and allocated space for scooters.
* Mobility hubs for consolidated connections
to local transit routes and/or
micro-transit.
* Station area planning to really capture
and improve the reach of BRT stations
to the surrounding community through
first and last-mile connections.
Using this data as a framework compiled
in easily sharable maps and reports
allows comparison of existing conditions
and planned improvements. The connections
that can be enhanced to improve
overall connectivity and safety of the
transportation network are more easily
consumed by transit agencies and local
community leaders in maps and diagrams.
Because these projects often take more
years to implement than the term limits
of some decision-makers, these graphics
also need to be archived carefully to offer
similar results if re-analyzed in the future.
This process used to develop elements included
in the baseline project can also
serve to identify future enhancements.
The future of BRT
BRT is rapidly becoming the mode of
choice because it is flexible, scalable and
can fit within the constraints of any urban
or suburban environment. BRT has the
flexibility to be implemented incrementally
in different settings to meet community
and operational needs. BRT projects
are not without trade-offs; repurposing
lanes for dedicated BRT guideways on
congested city streets can prove to be a
paradigm that challenges the logic of traffic
engineers. However, cities are embrac30
Mass Transit | MAY/JUNE 2023
ing initiatives such as Vision Zero, which
leads to lane reductions and ultimately
can convert single occupancy vehicles to
a transit mode.
In the pursuit of premium BRT service
for everyone, transit professionals
seek to have as much dedicated guideway
as possible in planning BRT corridors.
Continuous, dedicated guideways pave
the way for automated vehicles which,
ultimately, will help relieve operator
shortages that have forced the industry
to reduce service. The Automated Bus
Consortium is working with transit
agencies to advance the deployment of
automated buses across the U.S.
In the company's collective BRT experience,
the transit industry is finding that
even metropolitan areas that have yet to
see the ridership to make corridors ripe
for BRT service can benefit from the basic
principles behind BRT. It is imperative
the nation prioritize buses in the urban
environment to provide fast, frequent and
equitable transit service to sustain growth.
Let's embrace this old friend - the bus.
The space allocated in public rights of way
to BRT is one of the most critical components
in the future for all mass transit
systems.
About the authors
Bill Crowley is BRT design
manager at AECOM and
currently serves on the
American Public Transportation
Association BRT Design
Committee.
Fabiola Dagrin is depty design
manager at AECOM and a civil
engineer with 20 years of experience
in multi-disciplinary engineering and
consulting projects.
May/June 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May/June 2023
