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Presentation to TACMay 20, 2009

Priority Corridor Network (PCN) Evaluation Project Introduction

• Introductions• Study context

– Regional growth– Bus transit’s role– Current bus transit strategies– PCN’s role and description

• PCN Evaluation Study– Scope and schedule– Technical information– TAC involvement

Meeting goal: TAC understanding of project purpose, schedule, and input opportunities

Agenda

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Regional Growth

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• Between 2005 and 2030 WMATA Compact members will grow:

• Jobs: 34%• Population: 24%

• Challenges faced by bus service:• Crowding• Slowing travel speeds• Route and schedule adherence• Customer expectations

• Limited short-term strategies available to meet challenges:

• Manage current bus and rail system to maximize efficiency

• Deploy additional vehicles• Expand bus network to serve new

and growing markets

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1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030

(Year)

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Employment Population Households

Historic and Forecast Regional GrowthSource: MWCOG Round 7.0 Cooperative Land Use Forecasts

Bus Transit’s Regional Role

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• Buses provide many types of services throughout the region.

• Bus is the only mode used for many trips in the region.

• Bus service expansion plans have previously been prepared but not implemented.

• Bus is the primary mode in many areas of the region.

• Investments in Bus contribute to healthy communities.

• Bus can be expanded in near term with projects to meet regional needs.

Key Regional Transit Strategies

Regional/Jurisdictional Initiatives:

Short Term•Buses on freeways•BRT starter projects (K Street busway etc)

Long Term•Regional express bus•Completed BRT network•Jurisdictionally proposed rail enhancements (LRT, streetcar)

WMATA Initiatives:Short Term

•Metrobus service operational enhancements (skip stop service etc)•Regional Transit System Plan to integrate strategies into cohesive plan

Long Term•ROW dedication for bus•Rail expansion

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Bus “Family of Services” Concept

The Metrobus Priority Corridor Network is a key component of a future enhanced regional bus network consisting of a true family of bus services, including:

• Bus on dedicated right-of-way• Express bus routes on HOV Lanes and Freeways• Limited-Stop Express routes on Priority Corridors• Community/neighborhood shuttles• Local bus routes• Commuter bus routes

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Bus “Family of Services” Concept

The Metrobus Priority Corridor Network is a key component of a future enhanced regional bus network consisting of a true family of bus services, including:

• Bus on dedicated right-of-way• Express bus routes on HOV Lanes and Freeways

• Limited-Stop Express routes on Priority Corridors• Community/neighborhood shuttles• Local bus routes• Commuter bus routes

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• Network of 24 corridors• High ridership arterial services (half of

system)• Candidates for multiple types of services• Selected by

• Performance• Ridership• Land use• Service levels• Jurisdictional support

• 6 Year Schedule

Proposed Priority Corridor Network

Characteristics of Priority Bus Corridors

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• Metrobus has 171 lines with total daily ridership of 450,000

• Corridors represent 14% of lines (50% of ridership)

• Recommended Priority Corridor Plans serve:

• 220,000 current daily riders• 70 million annual riders• 246 line miles of service

• Corridors include:• Local Metrobus• Express Metrobus• MetroExtra (Rapid Bus)• Neighborhood Shuttles

• Proposals add 10 million riders annually (+14%)

2005 2015 Net ChangeLand Area (Sq Mi) 330 330Households 733,000 835,000 14%Population 1,782,000 1,988,000 12%Employment 1,609,000 1,827,000 14%

Priority Corridor Network Service Zone Characteristics

AverageWeekday Passengers 9,200

Percent Weekend/Holiday Riders 18%Riders per Revenue Hour 55 Riders per Revenue Mile 4.5

% Corridor Usage on Bus 8.0%Bus Vehicles as % of Total 0.7%

Average Passenger Trip Time (Min) 42 Average Scheduled Bus Speed (MPH) 12.1 Average Line Trip Length (Miles) 9.4 Daily Passenger per Line Mile 900

Rail to Bus Transfers 6%Bus to Bus Transfers 32%

Priority Corridor Network Service Characteristics

Comprehensive Approach to Bus Service Improvement

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• A Regional Priority Corridor Network Plan will:

• Integrate service improvements, including new MetroExtra routes

• Improve performance of all routes in the corridor

• Coordinate stakeholder investments in stops, roadway improvements and safety/security strategies

• Implementation:• Improves street operations to improve

travel times and reliability• Manages fleet and garage needs• Enhances customer information

• Focus on Priority Corridors:• Benefits the most riders• Improves service quality, reliability,

performance• Builds transit market and influences

development patterns

Traffic Congestion Adds Costs and Degrades Service

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• Bus priority is a cost-effective way of moving more people by increasing passenger throughput at intersections

• Since CY 2000 Buses have experienced a reduction in average speed :

• Suburbs: up to 30%• City: nearly 15%

• A 30% increase in average speed for buses on the Priority Corridor Network (12.1 to 15.7 mph) would be like putting 100 more buses on the road.

• Saving $50 million in capital• Avoiding operating costs of $40 - $50

million per year

7th St. NW at G St. NW

14th St NW at Commerce Department

PCN Evaluation - Project Purpose

• Quantify regional benefits and impacts resulting from implementation of the PCN

• Identify and prioritize the most effective running-way improvement strategies for implementation along study corridors , but NOT an implementation plan

• Develop an analytical framework for evaluating the proposed bus improvements and for inclusion into the CLRP process

• Build regional consensus for PCN implementation

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PCN EvaluationAdministrative Overview

• Project is being administered through COG and managed by WMATA

• Funding for project is utilizing WMATA, DDOT, MDOT and VDOT technical assistance funds (portions of 2008 and 2009)

• Will present key milestones to TAC then JCC and TPB• Project timeline coincides with CLRP update• Study completion by end of 2009• Technical advice and guidance from a regionally represented

Technical Advisory Committee

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PCN Evaluation - Scope

• Development of Analytical Approach• Develop transit network input assumptions• Network Evaluation

– CLRP Baseline– Full Build

• Assuming a dedicated transit lane for all 24 corridors• Will show the “transit best case” benefit basket of priority corridor implementation

– Modified • Segments that have low performing transit ridership or too high an impact on

adjacent traffic will be assumed to have mixed traffic operations with intermittent intersection improvements (ie queue jumps etc)

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PCN Evaluation - Schedule

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PCN Evaluation – Analytical Approach

• Divide each PCN corridor into “segments”• Compile characteristics of each segment (number of lanes,

existing transit ridership etc)• Develop list of enhancements by investment level (high or

medium) and adjacent urban form (urban, inner suburban and outer suburban)

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Investment Level by Urban Form - Example

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PCN Evaluation – Analytical Approach (continued)

• Develop benefits per bus treatment (increased bus speed from TSP, queue jumps, exclusive lanes etc)

• After initial “full build” model run identify PCN characteristics to be applied to each segment

• Input into model for “modified” network

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PCN Evaluation – Input Assumptions

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TAC Involvement

• Project Goals, Objectives and Evaluation Measures• PCN Network Characteristics• Baseline Scenario• Full Build Scenario

– Traffic impact thresholds

• Modified Network• Technical Report

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• “Transit best case” is meant to show the upper limits of PCN system benefits.– It is a theoretical exercise– It will help inform “modified” network run, which is intended to be a

more realistic scenario– Currently, transit best case run is envisioned to show a bus only

exclusive lane on all 24 corridors– Model output will be analyzed to discern impacts on traffic, bus

ridership etc.

• TAC input/discussion

TAC Involvement (cont.)

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Questions?

Next meeting June 17

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Appendix

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The TPB Role

The TPB can provide support of this Bus Priority Corridor Plan by:

• Ensuring that related policy considerations are discussed in various committees and forums available to the TPB:

– Regional Bus Subcommittee – Management and Operations Intelligent Transportation Systems (MOITS) Task Force

• Exploring strategies for acquiring additional funding support for the capital improvements included in the plan:

– Existing and future federal programs– Regional pricing initiatives

• Partnering with stakeholders in the region to develop implementation strategies:– This could include convening meetings of regional stakeholders to discuss policy

considerations and develop regional consensus on strategies needed to insure success of the plan.

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Recommended Priority Corridor Network

Schedule as of October 7, 2008, to be presented to the WMATA Board on October 16.Schedule as of October 7, 2008, to be presented to the WMATA Board on October 16.

Corridor Description Line/ Route Description Status Juris.

Study Year (FY)

Impl. Year (FY)

Average Weekday Ridership

Annual Platform

Hours

1 Columbia Pike (Pike Ride) 16ABDEFJ 16GHKW 16L 16Y I VA 2002 2003 13,300 99,5002 Richmond Highway Express (REX) REX I VA 2003 2004 3,700 33,8003 Crystal City-Potomac Yard 9A 9E 9S I VA 2005 2006 3,200 33,4004 Georgia Ave./7th St. (DC) 70 71 79 I DC 2006 2007 18,400 99,5005 Southern Ave. Metro-National Harbor NH-1 I MD 2007 2008 900 New6 University Blvd./East-West Highway J1 J2 J3 J4 P MD 2007 2009 7,800 68,0007 Wisconsin Ave./Pennsylvania Ave. 30 32 34 35 36 I DC 2008 2009 20,700 162,0008 Sixteenth St. S1 S2 S4 P/I DC 2008 2009 15,000 111,9009 Leesburg Pike 28AB 28FG 28T P/I VA 2009 2009 7,400 52,50010 Veirs Mill Rd. Q2 P MD 2009 2010 10,500 75,40011 New Hampshire Ave. K6 P MD 2010 2011 6,300 40,50012 H St./Benning Rd. X2 P DC 2010 2011 13,700 65,30013 Georgia Ave. (MD) Y5 Y7 Y8 Y9 P MD 2010 2011 7,600 57,60014 Greenbelt-Twinbrook C2 C4 P MD 2011 2012 14,200 99,70015 East-West Highway (Prince George's) F4 F6 P MD 2011 2012 8,300 52,00016 Anacostia-Congress Heights A2 6 7 8 42 46 48 P DC 2011 2012 11,900 77,50017 Little River Tpke./Duke St. 29KN 29CEGHX P VA 2011 2012 3,200 40,80018 Rhode Island Ave. Metro to Laurel 81 82 83 86 87 88 89 89M P MD 2012 2013 6,900 57,50019 Mass Ave./ U St./ Florida Ave./ 8th St./ MLK Ave. 90 92 93 P DC 2012 2013 14,700 106,40020 Rhode Island Ave. G8 P DC 2012 2013 3,800 34,20021 Eastover-Addison Rd. Metro P12 P MD 2013 2014 5,600 44,60022 Colesville Rd./Columbia Pike - MD US 29 Z2 Z6 Z8 Z9,29 Z11,13 P MD 2013 2014 10,100 97,10023 North Capitol St. 80 P DC 2013 2014 8,600 60,80024 Fourteenth St. 52 53 54 P DC 2014 2015 15,000 98,200

Total Priority Corridor Network 230,800 1,668,200

Requested Emerging Corridors

• Corridors for future consideration as Priority Corridor Network candidates.

• Local concept development studies are to be conducted to refine proposals for future consideration before implementation as part of WMATA plan.

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Emerging Corridors Status Juris.

Study Year (FY)

Impl. Year (FY)

K Street Busway Plan DC 2008 TBDMn. Ave./Congress Heights/MLK Ave./Southern Ave. Plan DC 2009 2010Kingstowne-Pentagon Plan VA 2009 2010Woodley Park/Irving St./Michigan Ave. Plan DC 2010 2011Military Rd./Missouri Ave. Plan DC 2012 2013