Transit Planning and Intermodal Integration

Todd LitmanVictoria Transport Policy Institute

Presented IETT Professional Development Workshop

Istanbul14 June 2015

Public Transit is About PeoplePublic Transit is About People

Public transport planning is concerned with people:

• Where they want to go• Where they want to live• What they like

Public Transit Roles Public Transit Roles

Basic Mobility for Non-Drivers Efficient Urban Mobility

• Intended to ensure that everybody, including people who are poor and have disabilities, can reach essential destinations.

• Service is widely distributed, including times and locations where there is little demand (low load factors).

• Low fares, so transit is affordable to poor people.

• Intended to provide an efficient alternative to driving on busy urban corridors, in order to reduce traffic and parking congestion, accidents and pollution.

• Service is concentrated on major urban corridors.

• Service is designed to attract discretionary travelers (people who would otherwise drive) so it must be convenient, fast, comfortable and integrated with land use development and incentives such as efficient road and parking pricing.

Public Transit Benefit CategoriesPublic Transit Benefit Categories

Increasing Transit Mode Increasing Transit Mode ShareShare

5

Transit Dependent

Discretionary Users

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Poor Quallity Medium Quality High Quality

Tran

sit M

ode

Shar

e

A portion of the population is transit dependent and will use transit services even if poor quality.

As public transit service quality improves it will attract an increasing portion of discretionary travelers (people who can travel by automobile).

Travel DemandsTravel Demands

• What types of transit service would people use if it were available? What would attract discretionary travelers (people who could drive)?

• For example, would buses with on-board refreshments and Wi-Fi services attract some affluent commuters who would otherwise drive?

• What do tourists need to use public transit rather than taxis when traveling in Istanbul?

Attracting Discretionary RidersAttracting Discretionary Riders

• Quality service (convenient, fast, comfortable)

• Affordable

• Integrated (good connections, walking and cycling access to stops and stations, transit-oriented development)

• Convenient information

• Support and incentives (commute trip reduction programs, parking cash out, etc.)

• Amenities (attractive stations, on-board wifi, etc.)

• Positive Image7

Plan a Transit Plan a Transit SystemSystem

To be efficient and convenient, public transit requires an integrated system:

• Bus and train services

• Stops and stations

• Pedestrian, bicycle and automobile access, with sidewalks and paths, safe crosswalks

• Convenient payment systems

• Convenient user information, including wayfinding at destinations.

Sometimes, the best way to improve public transit travel is to improve pedestrian access to bus stops and train stations.

Public Transit Service Factors Public Transit Service Factors

Availability or Coverage (the portion of a geographic area, or the portion of common destinations in a community, located within reasonable distance of transit service).

Frequency (how many trips are made each hour or day).

Travel speed (absolute and relative to automobile travel).

Reliability (how frequently service follows published schedules).

Integration (ease of transferring within the transit system and with other travel modes).

Price structure and payment options.

User comfort including riding on, walking to, and waiting for transit.

Accessibility (ease of reaching transit stations and stops, particularly by walking).

Universal design (ability to accommodate diverse users including people with disabilities).

Affordability (user costs relative to their income and other travel options).

Use information (ease of obtaining information about transit services).

Aesthetics (appearance of transit vehicles, stations, waiting areas and documents).

Amenity (extra features and services that enhance user comfort and enjoyment).

 

How Does Istanbul Transit How Does Istanbul Transit Compare?Compare?

How does Istanbul’s public transport system compare with other major cities?

•Coverage

•Travel speed

•Frequency

•Passenger comfort

•Safety and security

•Affordability

•Integration with land use

•Image and status

•Information

Transit PriorityTransit Priority

Transit travel requires less road space than automobile travel. A bus lane that carries 20 buses or more during peak hours carries more people than a general traffic lane.

It is therefore more efficient and fair to give buses priority in traffic with special lanes and signal controls. This reduces transit operating costs and attract discretionary travelers who would otherwise drive. As a result, overall congestion does not increase.

Transit Station Level-Of-ServiceTransit Station Level-Of-Service

• Clean

• Comfort (seating, temperature, quiet)

• Convenience (real-time user information, easy fare payment)

• Accessible (walkability, bike parking, nearby housing, employment, nearby shops)

• Services (refreshments, periodicals, etc.)

• Security12

The BRT StandardThe BRT Standard

The BRT Standard, being developed by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, is a scoring system that defines world-class bus rapid transit (BRT) systems. It allows transit planners to evaluate BRT system performance and set targets for improvement.

13

Growth in BRT Systems Growth in BRT Systems

14

Volvo Centre of Excellence Volvo Centre of Excellence

User Information

Provide information when and were users need it:

• Walking and cycling wayfinding.

• Transit route, schedule, fare and real-time arrival.

• Travel times for various modes (e.g., transit vs. driving).

• Special problems (warnings of delays).

• On-board wifi services.

• Parking availability and price.

• Discounts and incentives.

Complete Streets Design FeaturesComplete Streets Design Features

• Sidewalks

• Cross walks

• Bike lanes

• Traffic speed reductions (traffic calming)

• Bus lanes

• Bus stops

• Traffic lanes

• Center turn lanes

• On-street parking

• Landscaping and street furniture

18

WalkScoreWalkScore

18

Multi-Modal Level-Of-Service Multi-Modal Level-Of-Service (LOS)(LOS)

Mode Level of Service Factors

WalkingSidewalk/path quality, street crossing conditions, land use conditions, safety and security

Cycling Bike paths and lanes, street riding conditions, bike parking

Public transit

Service coverage, frequency, speed (relative to driving), vehicle and waiting area comfort, user information, price, safety and security

AutomobileSpeed, congestion delay, roadway conditions, parking convenience, safety

20

Multi-Modal LOSMulti-Modal LOS

New indicators can be used to evaluate multiple modes.

This is critical for creating more efficient and diverse transportation systems.

21

Multi-Modal LOS (Jacksonville)Multi-Modal LOS (Jacksonville)

Cycling LOS Pedestrian LOS

22

Multi-Modal PrioritizationMulti-Modal Prioritization

Cycling Improvements Pedestrian Improvements

Universal DesignUniversal Design

Sage Rating System

1.Suitable for people who can walk up a flight of stairs

2.Suitable for slow walkers or wheelchair users who can get up a few steps

3.Suitable for wheelchair users with full use of upper body (paraplegics)

4.Suitable for wheelchair users with limited arm/hand use

5.Suitable for wheelchair users with no arm/hand use (quadriplegics)

Technological ApplicationsTechnological Applications

• Google Maps

• Walkscore

• Next Bus (real time bus arrival information)

• RFID transit payment

• Electronic parking

• On-board WiFi services

• Road and transit condition information

• Transport modeling improvements

Funding OptionsFunding OptionsImplementation Costs Travel Impacts

Property taxesEasy to add to existing property taxes None

Land value capture Generally modest Mixed

Dedicated fuel taxEasy to add to existing fuel taxes Reduces driving

Commercial parking surtax Requires administration Encourage free parking

Per-space parking levy Requires administration

Encourages reduced parking supply, reduced driving

Employee levy Requires administration Generally none

Transportation impact fee

Already implemented in most jurisdictions None 25

Discussion QuestionsDiscussion Questions

• What roles should public transit play in Istanbul’s future ? Should it only serve poor people, or should it be designed to attract more discretionary travellers?

• How would you rate the quality of public transit service in Istanbul?

• How can transit service quality be improved?

• What additional services and amenities would attract more discretionary users?

• What resources do you need to create this type of high-quality public transit?

“Evaluating Local Funding Options for Public Transit”

“Evaluating Public Transit Benefits and Costs”

“Parking Management Best Practices”

“Evaluating Smart Growth Benefits”

“Online TDM Encyclopedia”

and more...

www.vtpi.org