TO: HONORABLE MAYOR FROM: John Ristow
AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT: TRANSIT FIRST POLICY DATE: July 25, 2022
Approved Date
7/29/2022
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution approving a new City Council Policy 5-8, entitled “Transit First Policy,” to prioritize transit operations and access in plans and operational decision-making.
OUTCOME
The City will further prioritize transit operations and access in its plans and operational decision- making. City staff will be directed to prioritize transit vehicles and the access and experience of people riding transit. This may include the re-design and re-allocation of travel lanes, curbside lanes, and signals to support transit operation and riders. This will lead to a better experience for transit riders and increased transit ridership, helping the City attain its climate and equity goals.
BACKGROUND
San José’s Envision 2040 General Plan and Climate Smart plan, along with the Council approved Paris Accord and Zero Emissions 2030 pledge, set bold goals of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reduction for the City. Making transit more attractive reduces auto use and dependence and resulting emissions, and as such is a key strategy in Climate Smart and Move San José.
The General Plan categorizes streets according to their key function(s). Grand Boulevards, as defined in San José’s General Plan, are major transportation corridors that connect City neighborhoods. These streets are intended as primary transit routes and are sized to accommodate Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light rail, bus rapid transit (BRT), buses, and other forms of public transit. Under the General Plan, Grand Boulevards are designed with transit as the primary mode of transportation, and where conflicts arise between travel modes, transit will be prioritized after pedestrian safety. Emergency vehicle preemption will override transit operations as necessary. Street typologies and associated design guidance is contained in the San José Complete Streets Design Standards and Guidelines, adopted by the City Council in 2018.
COUNCIL AGENDA: 08/09/2022
FILE: 22-1136
ITEM: 5.2
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
July 18, 2022
Subject: Transit First Policy
The General Plan designates seven Grand Boulevards.
• North First Street/Monterey Highway
• Capitol Avenue/Capitol Expressway
• Alum Rock Avenue/Santa Clara Street/The Alameda
• San Carlos Street/Stevens Creek Boulevard
• Meridian Avenue
• Winchester Boulevard
• Saratoga Avenue
In February 2020, the City Council added the Citywide Transit First Policy Framework to the Department of Transportation (DOT) work plan through the City Council priority setting process. Through this, City Council directed staff to develop a Transit First Policy (Policy) and work with stakeholders to identify improvements the City can make to street design, signals, sidewalks, and other infrastructure along identified transit corridors to “achieve our mobility, transit accessibility, efficiency, and affordability goals.”
Council Policy Priority #14: Citywide Transit First Policy Framework directed that the Policy include the following:
1. Whenever a street where transit operates is part of a planning effort, the effort should incorporate how to make transit faster, more useful, and a more viable option.
2. Any street that operates large numbers of buses per hour or where speeds are below an ideal threshold should be considered for transit priority improvements.
During the 2021 City Roadmap process, this priority was added to the list of backlog items.
However, through synergistic efforts like Move San José, the Transit First Policy was able to continue to progress with existing DOT staff and resources.
ANALYSIS
Transit service throughout San José has slowed considerably over the years, due to congestion on the roadways and decisions by the City that have prioritized automobiles, pedestrians, and bicyclists. This slower service makes riding transit less attractive to potential riders and more expensive to operate.
While VTA runs most transit services in San José, the City plays a large role in helping transit services become more attractive to people. The City controls the design and operation of streets and traffic lights, as well as the sidewalks, crossings, and boarding areas transit riders use.
Additionally, city street design impacts the convenience, safety, and comfort of people walking, scooting, or bicycling to and from transit stops.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
July 18, 2022
Subject: Transit First Policy
This Policy is the City’s statement of responsibility for its part in making transit successful. The Policy supports Climate Smart and General Plan goals of GHG reduction and increased transit ridership by making transit a more attractive alternative to driving, thus reducing auto dependence and resulting emissions.
The Policy includes two components: 1) the Transit First Policy (Attachment A), and 2) a Transit First Toolkit (Attachment B).
Transit First Policy
The Policy articulates the value of transit for the City. The Policy outlines how staff will place the needs of equitable, reliable, and competitive transit over those of other road users on Grand Boulevards. Decisions on how streets are designed and how the entire right-of-way will be used are made across many departments and processes —for example, with new development, when streets are repaved, and when the City applies for grants to improve city streets. The Policy statement helps ensure these different processes align with the overall goal of improving transit.
Along Grand Boulevards under the Policy, planners and engineers will begin by designing transit supporting facilities (space for transit vehicles and people walking to and/or using transit) and then allocate space to other road users. When conflicts arise, transit facilities will be prioritized over others. As articulated below, this will at times reduce the speed and space available for non- transit travel (see Transit Prioritization and Trade-offs).
Implementation of the Policy will happen over time, as resources and opportunities allow. The Policy does not set up a new program resourced to implement the direction. Instead, the Policy will impact choices being made in operations, design, and planning projects. Opportunities to
make design choices favoring transit include the annual pavement program street redesigns, grant funded improvements to the right-of-way, or signal retiming projects.
Transit First Toolkit
The Transit First Toolkit (Toolkit) guides designers to the appropriate infrastructure and technology to support transit operations given the nuances of different locations throughout the city. The Toolkit includes 19 technology based and infrastructure tools, that the city can use in combination to support transit and transit riders. For instance, on a wide street, a dedicated transit/emergency vehicle lane would likely be the best tool to increase the speed and reliability of transit. However, on a smaller street, the Toolkit might recommend a sidewalk extension at transit stops to allow in-lane stopping to reduce delays caused when transit vehicles resume moving.
On Grand Boulevards and other streets served by transit, designers will consult the Toolkit for the appropriate infrastructure or technology to implement. The Toolkit is based on best practice
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
July 18, 2022
Subject: Transit First Policy
designs and principals for transit tailored to San José and includes a description of the potential benefits, impacts, and implementation guidance for each tool.
Transit Network
Throughout San José, much of VTA’s High Quality Transit (15 minute or less headways) network, which are the most ridden bus routes in the system, operates on streets that are not designated as Grand Boulevards under the General Plan 2040 Street Typology. These streets are primarily Local and City Connectors per the General Plan. Per this Policy, city staff will evaluate and recommend applying the same design and transit priority principals to key High Quality Transit serving streets where appropriate and feasible, as described in the Transit First Policy.
This will direct planners and engineers to implement transit priority investments, as outlined in the Toolkit, on these corridors, as on Grand Boulevards, in line with the Policy. This will complement and magnify the benefits of infrastructure investments on Grand Boulevards.
Transit Prioritization and Trade-offs
The City’s streets accommodate many uses, including people gathering, walking, driving, riding bikes, and riding transit. With so many uses, Envision San José established a prioritization for different uses of the roadway. The Policy strengthens that prioritization, expands where transit should be given priority, and further articulates how that prioritization should be operationalized.
In some instances, giving transit travel priority will impact other vehicle travel. For example, when signal priority or pre-emption is given to transit, cross streets may experience greater delay than they do today. When bus only lanes are created, they typically remove general travel lanes.
This reduces general vehicle travel capacity. Both signal and bus lane projects can have large gains for transit travel speed and reliability, benefit current riders, and entice more riders. The impact on other modes of travel with implementation of this Policy will only be known over time, as individual transit priority projects are studied, designed, and implemented. That said, City staff expects that giving transit priority may at times slow down cars and increase wait times for pedestrians and bicyclists crossing Grand Boulevards High Quality Transit corridors. These slower travel times for cars may result in increased local air pollution in the short term.
Stakeholders and Policy Development
City staff has worked with stakeholders to develop the Policy. A working group comprised of staff from the City’s Department of Transportation, VTA, and Councilmember Foley’s Office worked to collaboratively develop the policy. Staff worked with LUNA, Latinos Unidos por una Nueva America, a community-based organization focused in the Silicon Valley to conduct outreach to inform the policy (see Public Outreach section).
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
July 18, 2022
Subject: Transit First Policy
CONCLUSION
The adoption of this Policy will better position San José to both achieve the City’s ambitious Climate Goals and build a more equitable, less auto-dependent future. The Policy will support a San José where economic opportunity is not tied to car ownership. It lays the groundwork for re- imagine how people move around San José, with high-capacity, safe, convenient, accessible transit options that are low-carbon, efficient, and based in equity, and that connect the whole of the South Bay leveraging the major investments already transforming our region.
The Policy will direct staff to not only consider impacts to transit in their design and planning decisions, but to prioritize transit riders and transit operations on all the city’s Grand Boulevards, before accommodating other modes. By investing in transit, the City can significantly reduce GHG and better address congestion.
EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
The Policy directs staff to regularly update the Toolkit based on changing conditions (e.g., different transit routing and/or headways) and best practices. If future roadway network recommendations require changes to the General Plan, those will be brought to City Council for consideration.
CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSÉ
The recommendation in this memorandum aligns with one or more Climate Smart San José energy, water, or mobility goals.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
Staff have worked with the community-based organization LUNA to recruit and train promotoras, community-based organizers who provide education and engagement, to facilitate community discussions and review the policy. A full summary of the outreach and feedback received by LUNA and the City through this process may be found in Attachment C.
This memorandum will be posted on the City’s website for the City Council August 9, 2022, agenda.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
July 18, 2022
Subject: Transit First Policy
COORDINATION
This memorandum has been coordinated with City Attorney’s Office and the City Manager’s Budget Office.
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION/INPUT
No commission recommendation or input is associated with this action.
COST SUMMARY/IMPLICATIONS
The total cost of implementing the Transit First Policy will depend on a number of factors that will be assessed on project-by-project basis. These include identified transit needs, current state of infrastructure, investment in transit priority technology, and whether additional signalized crossings may be needed to support safe access to transit. The City will implement the Transit First Policy through a variety of means, including conditions on development, grants, and, to a limited extent, through the annual pavement maintenance program. Currently the City is not funded to implement all transit first improvements that may be desired. The City will continue to work with partners such as the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and VTA to fund and implement the Policy. Any new funding will be programmed as part of a future budget process.
CEQA
Determination of Consistency with the Envision San José 2040 General Plan Final Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR) (Resolution No. 76041), Envision San José 2040 General Plan Supplemental EIR (Resolution No. 77617), and Addenda thereto; and does not involve new significant impacts beyond those analyzed in the above EIRs.
/s/
JOHN RISTOW
Director of Transportation
For questions, please contact Ramses Madou, Division Manager for Planning, Policy, and Sustainability, at [email protected] or (408) 975-3283.
Attachments:
Attachment A: Transit First Policy
Attachment B: Transit First Toolkit
Attachment C: LUNA Report
City of San José
Council Policy
TITLE TRANSIT FIRST
POLICY
PAGE
1 of 3
POLICY NUMBER
5-X
EFFECTIVE DATE XX-XX-
XXX
REVISED DATE
APPROVED BY COUNCIL ACTION XXXXXXX
BACKGROUND
The Envision San José 2040 General Plan sets forth a vision and comprehensive road map to guide the City’s continued growth through the year 2040. The General Plan strategically links land use and transportation to reduce the environmental impacts of growth by promoting compact mixed-use development that supports walking, biking, and transit use. The General Plan seeks to focus new developments along transit corridors and in Planned Growth Areas, bringing together office, residential, and service land uses to internalize trips and reduce VMT. The General Plan also encourages the development and use of non-automobile transportation modes to minimize vehicle trip generation and reduce VMT.
The Transit First Policy (the Policy) implements the General Plan. It supports General Plan goals: TR 1 Balanced Transportation System, TR 3 Maximize use of Public Transit, and TR 4 Passenger Rail Service. Additionally, the Policy aligns with Climate Smart San José by supporting strategies: 2.3 Create Clean, Personalized Mobility Choices, 2.4 Develop Integrated, Accessible Public Transport Infrastructure, and the Plan goal of a commute mode shift goal of 35% Transit by 2040. This Policy is based on best practices research and expert knowledge of a working group comprising City and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Staff.
The Policy intends to contextualize industry-leading design with local considerations to enhance transit in ways best suited to San José.
The Policy is divided into two sections: this Policy Statement and a Transit First Toolkit.
Together, these sections will guide City staff decision-making going forward.
DEFINITIONS
Policy: Direction to City staff to be incorporated into planning efforts, roadway design, operations, and decision making to make transit equitable, reliable, and competitive for all San Joseans.
Transit First Toolkit: A list of recommended design, infrastructure and technology to support the Policy goals, and the appropriate context for implementing each tool. The Toolkit will be used by staff to implement the direction of the Policy.
Attachment A
Subject: Transit First Policy
Grand Boulevards: A General Plan street classification that prioritizes transit use. These streets, while accommodating all modes including private autos, are designed with the movement of transit vehicles and the rider experience of transit users as their first design criteria. After providing for transit, pedestrians should be prioritized and designed for next, as transit riders typically begin their trips as pedestrians. Once these two modes are addressed, the remaining road space and resources are equitably distributed among other road users, taking the surrounding network and routing options for various modes into account.
High Quality Transit: Transit routes served by headways of 15 minutes or less, with buses, trains, or other vehicles arriving at a stop within every 15 minutes during peak commute hours.
Public Transit System: The vehicles, right of way, and technological and signal systems used by VTA and other public agencies to provide mobility and access to transit users.
POLICY
The City of San José shall take an active role in making transit successful by improving transit operations and access in the right of way elements under its control. This shall include taking responsibility to prioritize equitable, reliable, and competitive transit in all planning, infrastructure design, and policy decisions. The City shall collaborate with and support local, regional, and state agencies, including VTA, and Caltrain to accomplish this goal. This Policy intends to provide a public transit system rooted in the three goals of:
Equity, providing for the just distribution of investment in infrastructure and transit improvements as outlined in the Transit First Toolkit across San José based on need and highest positive impact; emphasize rider affordability, ease, dignity, and wellbeing when on, waiting for, and accessing transit vehicles and facilities; Reliability, enabling high on-time performance, convenient rider information and wayfinding, easy and intuitive transfers between transit lines and different transit systems, and minimizing service interruptions due to City actions or City permitted activity; Competitiveness, supporting auto-comparable travel times and experience along transit corridors, to Planned Growth Areas, and to major destinations via investment in transit mobility, technology, and transit curb access.
Policy Guidelines:
1. Prioritize the public transit system and its riders along Grand Boulevards throughout the city above other modes, barring safety concerns, to achieve the three goals of Equity, Reliability, and Competitiveness. Evaluate and recommend streets serving High Quality Transit upon which to similarly prioritize the public transit system.
2. Dedicate City right of way on streets designated as Grand Boulevards and recommended streets serving High Quality Transit, in a way that prioritizes the public transit system and rider needs, before other road users are accommodated, barring safety concerns. Designs Attachment A
Subject: Transit First Policy
should prioritize the mobility and access of transit vehicles and riders, including improvements to transit stops and the pedestrian realm.
3. Evaluate and recommend via Multimodal Transportation Improvement Plans (MTIP) and similar area plans the re-assignment of City Connector and Local Connector General Plan designated streets serving High Quality Transit routes, where appropriate, as Grand Boulevards.
4. Seek grant funding, available City funding, and developer mitigation contributions for public transit improvements.
5. Apply equity screening and prioritize disadvantaged communities when investing in street improvements to improve ridership, desirability, and on-time performance of the public transit system.
6. Utilize the Transit First Toolkit to select the appropriate infrastructure and/or technology to best achieve City goals in the design process.
7. Implement transit-supporting infrastructure and technology in street design on streets served by or proximate to transit where feasible.
8. Continue to monitor the effectiveness of tools within the Transit First Toolkit, and tools recommended by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), and international best practices; update the Transit First Toolkit over time.
9. Support the implementation of transit infrastructure for frequent transit routes on County and VTA right-of-way.
Attachment A
Subject: Transit First Policy
Transit First Toolkit
BACK
GROUND
Street design in the City of San José is governed by the Complete Streets Design Standard and Guidelines (CSDSG), adopted May 2018. This document provides detailed information on how to build streets that are "safe, efficient, and convenient for multimodal travel while also supporting public life, neighborhood livability, and economic vitality” (CSDSG, p. 2). The CSDSG includes engineering designs for sidewalks, curb lanes, travel lanes, and transit stops and stations. However, the CSDSG does not give detailed guidance as to where and when to implement these designs and how spatial, throughput, and timing priorities and conflicts should be resolved in street design.
PURPOSE
The Transit First Toolkit is a guide to help city staff select appropriate technology and infrastructure to achieve policy goals. Every street and intersection, like each community in San José, is unique. The toolkit is meant to provide high level guidance, a list of options, their tradeoffs, and appropriate siting context, that project teams can use to develop site-specific designs and applications.
This toolkit helps determine which infrastructure is appropriate. An implementation guide is shown below to help contextualize when and where to implement each tool. The tools are described in detail below, with a high-level sense of costs and benefits, implementation considerations, and appropriate installation context. The toolkit is further divided into infrastructure and technology subsections. Once the appropriate transit-serving infrastructure is selected, the CSDSG provides explicit engineering standards denoting how it should be built.
Each tool within the toolkit supports one or more of four key sub-goals:
• Transit vehicle mobility (TVM): The ability for a bus or train to move quickly and reliably through San José
• Transit vehicle access (TVA): The ability for a bus or train to access a pedestrian loading area and/or a station
• Transit rider mobility (TRM): The ability of a transit rider, including those facing mobility challenges, to access a transit vehicle from a transit stop to complete the first and last leg of their journey
• Transit rider access (TRA): The ability for a transit rider to wait, alight, and disembark from a transit vehicle safely and comfortably
Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
Infrastructure
Transit Only Street
Transit Mall (NACTO, Flickr: user AE Creations)
Purpose: Transit Vehicle Mobility
Description: A roadway dedicated solely to public transit, including paratransit, and depending on jurisdiction, taxis. These streets can move larger amounts of travelers with lower street traffic, due to the higher capacity of a transit vehicle over a private car. These streets are ideal to maintain person throughput while minimizing impact to pedestrians and street life and can support lively pedestrian and retail environments.
Benefits:
• Reduces transit vehicle queuing due to congestion
• Dramatically increases transit service speed
• Supports high quality transit service
• Helps make transit a more equitable form of mobility
• Dramatically improves transit vehicle reliability
Impacts & Cost:
• Removes access to private autos
• Reduces private auto mobility
• Reduces or eliminates curbside parking
• May impact deliveries (deliveries may be shifted to off-peak hours) • Will require turn restrictions for private autos on adjacent streets • Quick-build versions can be very low cost and accomplished quickly, often through signage and signal timing
• Hardscape version can become expensive depending on design Implementation:
• Can be implemented as quick-build, hardscape, or phased Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
• Quick-build versions can be coupled with pavement maintenance / re-striping resulting in minimal cost and construction time increases • Will require parking restriction
• Appropriate for transit corridors especially in areas that would also benefit from pedestrianization, I.e., Downtown
Dedicated Bus Lane
Bus Only Lane, Downtown San José
Purpose: Transit Vehicle Mobility
Description:
A travel lane on a public road reserved for the exclusive use of transit vehicles. In some cases, right-turning movements for private autos can be accommodated at intersection approaches. These lanes can be either side or center running, and can be separated / delineated either with hardscape, i.e., concrete curbs or plantings, or quick-build materials such as paint and plastic posts.
Benefits:
• Reduces transit vehicle queuing due to congestion
• Dramatically increases transit service speed
• Supports high quality transit service
• Helps make transit a more equitable form of mobility
• Dramatically improves transit vehicle reliability
Impacts & Cost:
• Reallocates road space from other users, typically repurposing a general travel lane, resulting in less space dedicated to single-occupant vehicles • May require the restriction of curbside parking
Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
• May limit or eliminate right-turn pockets
• Quick-build versions can be very low cost and accomplished quickly • Hardscape version can become expensive depending on design, typically requiring at least some concrete curb installation
Implementation:
• Can be implemented as quick-build, hardscape, or phased • Quick-build versions can be coupled with pavement maintenance / re-striping, resulting in minimal cost and construction time increases • Hardscape versions can be coupled with street beautification and storm water / urban greening projects
• Should be paired with parking and turn restriction where necessary • Appropriate for transit corridors
Public Service Lane
Curbside Dedicated Bus Lane (NACTO)
Purpose: Transit Vehicle Mobility
Description:
Identical to Dedicated Bus Lanes except allowing for use by emergency services vehicles Additional Benefits:
• Can speed response time for emergency vehicles
• Can increase emergency vehicle response reliability and improve traffic safety Additional Impacts & Cost:
• Design may need to be adjusted to accommodate non-transit vehicle entry and exit to the lane
Additional Implementation Considerations:
• Design may need to be adjusted to accommodate non-transit vehicle entry and exit to the lane, I.e., curbs separating facility from travel lanes may need to be mountable Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
Queue Jump
Bus travel path using a queue jump (NACTO)
Purpose: Transit Vehicle Mobility
Description:
A designated area of public road reserved for the exclusive use of transit vehicles to enable passing of stopped or queued non-transit vehicles. This typically occurs at an intersection approach and allows a transit vehicle to pass queued private autos waiting at a light.
Benefits:
• Reduces transit vehicle queueing time at intersections • Allows transit vehicles to pass queued private autos
• Allows transit vehicles to better access / utilize transit signal priority intersections • Improves transit vehicle reliability
Impacts & Cost:
• May require parking removal near intersections
• May prevent bulb out / curb extension intended for pedestrian safety • May limit or eliminate right turn pockets
• If coupled with transit signal priority, preemption signal upgrades may be required Implementation:
• Can be implemented in phases or as standalone signal improvements • May require signal upgrade, increasing cost and construction time • Should be paired with parking restriction
• Appropriate for intersections without transit only or public service lanes and low right-turn demand
Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
Turn Restrictions
Right Turn Restriction to Prioritize Transit, Downtown San José Purpose: Transit Vehicle Mobility
Description: Total or time-based restrictions of turning movements at specific intersections.
These restrictions can be a blanket ban, based on specific times such as peak hours, or on special events affecting local traffic such as the conclusion of a major sporting event. These restrictions can apply to left or right turns leaving or entering a roadway. Such restrictions can limit traffic signal cycle length, reduce congestion and conflict at intersections, and free roadway space to be reallocated to other uses.
Benefits:
• Reduction of conflict due to turning movements at intersections • Reduction of traffic signal cycle lengths
• Reduces transit vehicle queuing due to congestion
• Dramatically increases transit service speed
• Supports high quality transit service
• Improves transit vehicle reliability
• Improves safety to pedestrians at crossings
Impacts & Cost:
• Reduces private auto mobility
• Reduces private auto access
• Signals may need retiming
• Signal heads may need to be removed or covered
Implementation:
• Can be implemented in phases or as standalone signal improvements • May require signal upgrade increasing cost and construction time • Appropriate for intersections along transit corridors where congestion is present due to turning conflicts, queuing for turns, or signal cycles set to accommodate turns
Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
Parking Removal
Bus Pulling Away from a Red Curbed Bus Stop, Downtown San José Purpose: Transit Vehicle Mobility, Transit Vehicle Access Description: Reallocation of the curb lane from private auto parking to a more productive use. These new uses can include transit right of way, improved transit stops such as boarding islands supporting in lane stopping or expanded pedestrian and street life space.
Benefits:
• Expanded pedestrian and street life zone
• Reduces transit vehicle queuing due to congestion (turns, and vehicles accessing curbside parking)
• Dramatically increases transit service speed
• Supports high quality transit service
• Helps make transit a more equitable form of mobility
• Dramatically improves transit vehicle reliability
• Reduction of crossing distance for pedestrians
• Potential traffic calming due to narrowing of roadway Impacts & Cost:
• Elimination of on-street parking
• Parking usage analysis may be required to understand impacts Implementation:
• Short sections near transit stops or intersections may be advanced individually or as part of a larger corridor-wide restriction
• Impact to business access for vehicles and deliveries may be mitigated by re- configuring curb uses on adjacent streets
• Cost and complexity vary greatly with new use: paint and plastic can be used for short term transit lanes; hardscape can be used for long term sidewalk expansions • Appropriate for transit corridors
Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
Transit Bulb-Out
Transit Bulb-Out with amenities near intersection (NACTO) Purpose: Transit Vehicle Access; Transit Rider Access
Description:
A raised, hardened extension of a sidewalk or other similar pedestrian facility used to better facilitate and improve pedestrian access to a transit vehicle and a transit vehicle's access to the curb.
Benefits:
• Reduced time and maneuvering required for transit vehicles to access the curb • Provides for increased clear space for transit vehicle access and amenities, I.e., boarding ramps and shelters
• Provides dedicated space for waiting / alighting passengers outside of the sidewalk through zone, separating passengers and sidewalk activates allowing for greater throughput and comfort for both
• Allows for in-lane transit vehicle stopping
• Likely to not require significant parking loss, as curb space used is typically already occupied by curbside bus facilities
Impacts & Cost:
• In-lane stopping may cause impacts to autos using concurrent lanes • In case of attached bulbs, (typical) hydraulic impact is high; curb and gutters must be rebuilt at significant cost
• During construction, longer-term local roadway closure required (if sewer / gutter work is required)
• Medium cost (typically less than $30K per basic bulb, assuming no major gutter or sewer work)
Implementation:
• Can be implemented in phases or as standalone stop improvements • Can be required as mitigation assigned to adjacent building • Can complement an off-curb transit only or public service lane • Should be paired with parking restriction
Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
• Appropriate at all bus stops, especially on high traffic corridors • Should be located at far side of intersection to maximize benefit from TSP • Design guidance available in CSDSG (pg. 54, 63)
Transit Boarding Island
Transit Boarding Island with protected Cycle infrastructure (CSDSG) Quick-Build Transit Boarding Island at SJSU
Purpose: Transit Rider Access, Transit Rider (& Cyclist) Mobility Description:
A raised, hardened island or other similar pedestrian facility physically separated from the sidewalk used to separate waiting / alighting passengers from other road users and to better facilitate and improve pedestrian access to a transit vehicle and/or transit vehicle access to the curb. These facilities are typically used to provide separation for a protected bicycle facility, or to maintain hydraulic function of an existing gutter.
Benefits:
• Reduced time and maneuvering required for transit vehicles to access the curb • Provides for increased clear space for riders accessing transit and amenities, I.e., boarding ramps and shelters
• Allows for in-lane transit vehicle stopping
Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
• Separates transit riders from cyclists in protected bikeways, reducing bus / bike conflicts
• Maintains exiting curb and gutter and hydrology
• Likely to not require significant parking loss, as curb space used is typically already occupied by curbside bus facilities
Impacts & Cost:
• In lane stopping my cause impacts to autos using concurrent lanes • During construction, short-term local roadway closure required (typically less than a week)
• Medium cost (typically less than $30K per basic boarding Island) Implementation:
• Can be implemented in phases or as standalone stop improvements • Can be required as mitigation assigned to adjacent building • Appropriate for bus stops on corridors with curb-running bike infrastructure • Should be located at far side of intersection to maximize benefit from TSP implementation
• Design guidance available in CSDSG (pg. 54, 63)
Wayfinding
Low-cost wayfinding (CSJ) Downtown San José wayfindin g map (CSJ) Purpose: Transit Rider Mobility
Description:
Informative, intuitive digital or static signage to help orient transit riders and other road users to nearby attractions and points of interest such as hospitals, libraries, and entertainment venues, and what can be accessed via the transit network.
Benefits:
• Orient transit riders to local points of interest to improve last mile connections • Improves walkability of nearby areas and transit network • Help transit riders understand / use transit network
• Build user confidence in new riders
Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
• Digital wayfinding can be an easily updatable and effective communication tool for city governments and partners
Impacts & Cost:
• Material, design, and installation cost varies
• Kiosk or shelter space may no longer be available for other uses including advertisement
Implementation:
• Wayfinding can be integrated into transit stop on an ad hoc basis • Low-cost wayfinding can be mounted to existing public light and street sign poles • For best effect, wayfinding should be coordinated across agencies to form an integrated seamless user experience
• Appropriate for all bus stops, especially in heavily pedestrian areas
Far Side Transit Stops
Far side of intersection transit stop (NACTO)
Purpose: Transit Vehicle Mobility, Transit Vehicle Access Description:
Transit stops are located on the far side of intersections relative to the route of a transit vehicle. This allows transit vehicles to cross an intersection before stopping to board / alight passengers, meaning that a transit vehicle need not wait for a light to change to reenter the roadway after servicing a stop.
Benefits:
• Improved transit time (likelihood of queueing at stop light reduced) • Improved transit reliability (likelihood of queuing at stop light reduced) • Improved TSP operation (ETA of transit vehicles more predictable) • Reduction in conflicts between right turns and transit vehicles at intersections • Potential for stop improvements, if stops are rebuilt Impacts & Cost:
Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
• Stop relocation is generally expensive, typically both waiting area facilities and a concrete bus pad in the roadway must be built
• Depending on design, construction impacts may be significant Implementation:
• Can be implemented in phases or as standalone stop improvements • Can be required as mitigation assigned to adjacent building • Should be implemented with best design practices, i.e., waiting area and bus bulb improvements
• Appropriate for most bus stops at intersections
• Highly recommended with TSP deployment to achieve optimum travel time and reliability
Rider Waiting Area
Transit Rider Waiting Area, Downtown San José
Purpose: Transit Rider Access
Description:
Making the area where transit riders wait inviting and safe. This includes shade trees and structures, large waiting areas free of obstruction, support for amenities like benches, transit canopies, and other treatments such as transit bulb-outs, etc.
Benefits:
• Improved rider experience, including shade and comfort Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
• Improved perception of transit service
• Provides space for wayfinding
• Some facilities, i.e., refuse bins, are available to other street users Impacts & Cost:
• Installation cost dependent on design
• May restrict curb activities if additional curb space is needed • May reduce clear throughway on sidewalk
• May reduce space for other placemaking / public use of street Implementation:
• Can be implemented in phases or as standalone stop improvements • Can be required as mitigation assigned to adjacent building • Can be implemented as part of streetscaping / beatification project • Appropriate for all bus stops
Pedestrian Access
Wide high-visibility crosswalks provide better access to transit stops (NACTO) Purpose: Transit Rider Mobility
Description:
Street features to improve ease, safety, and directness of access to transit boarding areas.
This includes larger sidewalks, crosswalks, pedestrian lighting, shade trees, and structures.
Benefits:
• Improved rider experience, including shade and comfort • Improved perception of transit service
Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
• Improved safety and comfort for all road users
• Improved area walkability
• Provides space for wayfinding
Impacts & Cost:
• Installation cost dependent on design
• May restrict other curb uses
• May reduce traffic speed or result in traffic queueing Implementation:
• Can be implemented in phases or as standalone stop improvements • Can be required as mitigation assigned to adjacent development project • Can be implemented as part of streetscaping / beatification project • Appropriate for all bus stops
Technology
Signal Coordination
Visualization of traffic signals coordinated with bus schedule (NACTO) Purpose: Transit Vehicle Mobility
Description:
Traffic signals are coordinated or timed to allow for uninterrupted or reduced travel times of through travel for transit vehicles. This allows for a PSL, or travel lane used by buses to remain open and free flowing through intersections as to not interrupt or delay transit vehicles.
Benefits:
• Improved transit time (likelihood of queueing at stop light reduced) • Improved transit reliability (likelihood of queueing at stop light reduced) Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
• May be used to better control speed of all traffic on a corridor Impacts & Cost:
• May disrupt existing signal timing
• May increase cycle times
• May increase waiting / queuing at intersections for autos • Additional signals may be necessary to achieve transit travel reliability
Implementation:
• Should be implemented along a full corridor / route to be effective • Can be required as mitigation assigned to adjacent development project • Supported by adaptive traffic management system
• Appropriate at signalized intersections
Transit Signal Priority
A Transit Priority Signal (White Symbol Right of Traffic Light) Gives a LRT Vehicle Permission to Enter the Intersection Before Autos, Downtown San José Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
Existing and Planned TSP in San José as of Summer 2022, CSJ DOT Purpose: Transit Vehicle Mobility
Description:
Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
Priority at traffic signals is given to transit vehicles to reduce interruptions to through travel of transit vehicles, by reducing the frequency and duration of stops at signals. Note, this technology is applicable to transit vehicles traveling in either direction along a route regardless of frequency. TSP can be implemented through hardware deployed locally at the intersection or, more preferably, centrally utilizing location information and cloud-based platforms or on-premise software. This request can be implemented by the signal in one of two ways:
1) When arriving at the end of a green, the signal provides more time for the approaching transit vehicle, or
2) When arriving on the red, the signal shortens the side-street green time for a quicker return to a green light for the waiting transit vehicle
Benefits:
• Improved transit time (likelihood of queueing at stop light reduced) • Improved transit reliability (likelihood of queueing at stop light reduced) • Likely greater reliability improvements for Transit Vehicles than signal coordination • Civil improvements not necessarily required; solution can be entirely software based Impacts & Cost:
• Minor disruption to existing signal timing
• May increase waiting / queuing on side streets for all roadway users including pedestrians
• Significant startup cost to initiate a TSP system city wide plus projected $1k for software maintenance per intersection per year
Implementation:
• Can be implemented along a corridor / route to achieve maximum system benefit • Can be required as mitigation assigned to nearby development projects • Supported by existing adaptive traffic management system • Appropriate at signalized intersections
• Software based TSP systems provide greater flexibility, uptime, and lower maintenance
Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
Transit Signal Preemption
A Bus Passes a Controlled Train Crossing, Japantown San José Purpose: Transit Vehicle Mobility
Description:
Traffic signals are preemptively triggered to allow for the uninterrupted through travel of transit. This is primarily used by emergency vehicles and heavy rail.
Benefits:
• Improved transit time (likelihood of queueing at stop light reduced) • Improved transit reliability (likelihood of queueing at stop light reduced) • Greater transit reliability than traffic signal priority Impacts & Cost:
• Disruption of existing signal timing
• May increase cycle times
• May increase waiting / queuing at intersections for autos and others waiting to cross transit/rail routes
• Installation cost is site specific
Implementation:
• Can be required as mitigation assigned to adjacent development project • Supported by existing adaptive traffic management system • Appropriate at signalized intersections or gated crossings
Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
Arrival Information
Arrival Information Display, Downtown San José
Purpose: Transit Rider Access
Description:
Digital displays at transit stops or on personal mobile devices (real time app-based arrival and departure information) display accurate predicted arrival time of next arriving transit vehicles to aid in passenger trip planning.
Benefits:
• Increased rider confidence and higher likelihood of riders choosing to ride transit • Displays may be available for wayfinding / public service message Impacts & Cost:
• High initial system cost
• Per stop / display cost
• Ongoing maintenance cost (may increase due to vandalism) Implementation:
• Can be implemented in phases or as standalone stop improvements • Appropriate at all stops / stations, however most utilized / highest ridership stops / stations should be prioritized
• Currently in use by VTA at some Rapid and LRT stops
Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI)
(LPI timed signal by Elementary School, Northside San José) Purpose: Transit Rider Access
Description:
Pedestrians are given a head start crossing an intersection (typically 3-7 seconds), with pedestrian crossing signals showing “walk” before vehicle signals turn ‘green.’ This allows pedestrians to enter and begin crossing an intersection before autos enter. This makes pedestrians more prominent and visible to drivers, especially during turning movements.
Benefits:
• Improved pedestrian safety
• Improved walkability
• Improved access to transit
Impacts & Cost:
• Signal timing change
• May reduced vehicle throughput
• May increase waiting / queuing
• May require hardware upgrades in the traffic signal equipment (~$15k/int) Implementation:
• Can be implemented along an entire corridor or at individual intersections • Can be implemented with other intersection / intersection timing improvements • Appropriate at intersections, however intersections with highest pedestrian use should be prioritized
• Most effectively used to address permissive left-turn conflicts
Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
Adaptive Pedestrian Crossing
Purpose: Transit Rider Mobility
Description:
Enhanced pedestrian detection is used to provide extended signalized crossing times where and when required.
Benefits:
• Enhanced pedestrian mobility and safety
• Improved transit time
Impacts & Cost:
• Current technology not fully optimized to support accurate pedestrian detection • Implementation must factor limiting factors such as detection accuracy, range and time of day performance
• Not applicable for all locations
Implementation:
• Appropriate for intersections within the transit walk shed • Because of current detection technology limiting factors, minimum crossing standards must always be maintained in case detection fails
Multi-Stage Pedestrian Crossing
A Multi-Stage Pedestrian Crossing in West San José
Purpose: Transit Rider Mobility
Description:
Primarily implemented at intersections with boarding islands located in the median, this utilizes more than one pedestrian phase to complete the curb-to-curb crossing.
Benefits:
Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
• Enhanced pedestrian mobility and safety
Impacts & Cost:
• Signal modification and other technology implementation Implementation:
• Appropriate for intersections within the transit walk shed
Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
Summary: Tool Implementation Guide
Tool Placement Application Goal
Transit Only Street ROW ROW to serve only for Transit Mobility TVM Dedicated Bus Lane Travel Lane Multi-lane roads served by frequent lines TVM Public Service Lane
(PSL)
Travel Lane Multi-lane roads served by frequent lines TVM Queue Jump Intersection
Approaches
Intersections feed by street segments not
served by Dedicated Bus Lanes or PSL
TVM
Turn Restrictions Intersection
Approaches
Intersections feed by Dedicated Bus Lanes,
PSL, or Queue Jump
TVM
Parking Removal Curb Lane Multi-lane roads served by frequent lines TVM, TVA
Transit Bulb-Out Transit Stops Transit stops that are shadowed by a parking lane
TVA,
TRA
Transit Boarding Island Transit Stops Transit stops that conflict with bike infrastructure to separate modes
TRA
Wayfinding Transit Stops,
POI, CBD
Provide guidance to Transit Riders to help
navigate first / last mile
TRM
Far Side Transit Stops Transit Stops Transit stops near intersections TVM Rider Waiting Area Transit Stops All transit stops, prioritizing based on usage and equity, i.e., stops in MTC EPC
TRA
Pedestrian Access Public ROW The streets, sidewalks, and crossings within a transit lines walkshed, including urban design
guidance to private development
TRM
Signal Coordination Intersections Intersections along a corridor served by frequent transit lines
TVM
Transit Signal Priority Intersections Intersections served by transit lines TVM Transit Signal
Preemption
Intersections Intersections served by transit lines requiring guaranteed level of service, primarily used by
emergency vehicles and heavy rail
TVM
Arrival Information Transit Stops;
Mobile App
Information for all Routes available via App;
Digital displays to be prioritized at stops
based on usage and service frequency /
number of lines
TRA
Leading Pedestrian
Interval
Intersections The street crossings near transit stops and along major transit corridors
TRM
Adaptive Pedestrian
Crossing
Intersections The street crossings at transit stops TRM Multi-Stage Pedestrian
Crossing
Intersections The street crossings at transit stops TRM
Attachment B
Subject: Transit First Policy
Transit First Policy Report
Latinos United for a New America
April 2022
Outreach Activities
LUNA organized a series of community-focused activities in Spanish to inform the community about the Transit First Policy and to better understand the communities priorities for public transportation.
Focus Group with Promotoras
Event date: March 29, 2022
# of Participants: 6
Council District:
● District 3 - One promotoras
● District 5 - Two promotoras
● District 7 - Three promotoras
Below are key themes and comments made:
1. What does affordable transit mean to you?
○ D5: I don’t know how much the bus fare is now, but many years ago, the fare was expensive and I had to stop using public transportation.
○ D7: The fare should be lowered and it should be free for low income communities. ○ D5: Current fare is $2.25 and I think that’s a lot. I wish it was more affordable.
2. What does accessibility mean to you?
○ D7: Affordable fares. It should be free for kids, especially if they are going to schools. More routes around the city.
○ D7: More routes and faster transit. People don’t use public transit because it is too slow.
3. Rider Waiting Area
○ D7: My neighbor told me that she feels really scared waiting for the bus, especially early in the morning. She would like to see emergency buttons. The bus stops need to be more safe for people to use public transportation. Also, there has to be better lighting in the bus stops.
4. Transit-only Street
○ D5: It sounds like a good idea, it has good and bad benefits. I think other streets will become more congested.
○ D7: I prefer to make a lane just for the bus, but not close the whole street. ○ D3: I like the idea. It would help speed up the bus. But I also share the concerns that congestion will happen in other streets.
5. Wayfinding
○ D7: I think it’s important that every bus stop should have signage/maps. VTA does not have these types of signs. It would be more helpful to use more technology with these signs. I believe that if they are easy to read and help people to navigate, it would increase use of public transit.
6. Arrival Information
Attachment C
Subject: Transit First Policy
○ D5: Would be a great tool and helpful for everyone.
○ D7: I also think it is a good idea to use this.
○ D3: And they should have it in different languages, not just in English.
7. Transit Signal Priority
○ D5: I like this strategy. The bus won’t have to wait too long for the green light. ○ D7: I also like it. It would help speed up the bus ride and shorten the time spent on the bus.
8. Last-mile Commute
○ D7: There should be small buses (microtransit) to help with the last mile. I would use it if I have to carry groceries or carry my daughter. The small bus can arrive at my house and pick me up and I won’t have to walk too much with the bags or with my daughter. ○ D3: I like the small buses (microtransit). I don’t think bicycles and scooters are reliable and our community, especially older people, would not use them. ○ D5: Yes, if there are more small, local buses than older people won’t have to walk too much. This reminds me of my parents. They would take a bus if there was a bus stop near them.
Online Workshop
Event date: April 5, 2022
# of Participants: 22
Council district: Open to all districts
Key themes and comments from the online workshop:
1. What does affordable transit mean to you? What does accessibility mean to you? ○ I am surprised by how expensive the fare is. It should be more affordable. ○ Low cost fare will help a lot of people and it should be for the people that really need it. ○ More people would use transportation if the fare was more affordable. (+1) ○ A study should be conducted on residents’ work and school schedules, to know what time public transit is most needed.
○ It would be helpful to have affordable fares.
○ There should be more programs to access free or reduced cost clipper cards. ○ Making the fare more affordable would be helpful for people who depend on transportation.
2. Rider Waiting Area
○ There should be more lighting at bus stops.
○ Bus stops should be more comfortable. People would use transportation if they feel comfortable waiting for the bus.
○ Bus stops should be comfortable and safe, but at the end, homeless people would use them. The city should help the homeless people, so they don’t live in bus stops and we will feel more safe waiting for public transit.
○ On the East side, there aren’t any benches or shelters at bus stops. ○ There should be more benches since older people, pregnant women, or women carrying their children use the bus. Some people don’t use the bus because they don’t want to wait. ○ It doesn’t feel safe to be at bus stops when unhoused peopleare there. It’s intimidating.
Attachment C
Subject: Transit First Policy
○ More shade that can cover us from the sun and the rain. Most bus stops don’t have shade for people to wait for the bus. (+1)
○ Restrooms are needed at bus stops.
3. Transit-only Street
○ This is a really good idea. I would like these streets to be downtown. (+1) ○ I would like an transportation education campaign to teach people how to use public transportation. ○ This will help reduce traffic at rush hour. (+1)
○ I don’t think I support this, I think it will create more congestion. ○ A pilot program should be implemented first. If it works, then it should stay. I think around downtown, this will create more traffic chaos.
○ I’d like for the Capitol expressway to have a green lane for cyclists.
4. Wayfinding
○ I like this, it is needed and would be helpful. I prefer a paper map, much easier to read. ○ This is important for transit users. It would make it easier to use transportation. ○ This would be helpful for kids and teenagers. It would teach them how to use public transportation and how to get around.
○ I use the app Transit. I can see the schedules, and routes and so far it has been helpful. ○ There should be more maps, more signs with bigger letters. ○ The signs should be in different languages.
○ There should be a phone line for people who get lost and don’t know their way back. ○ Bus stop signs are hard to read due to the small font and all relevant information about the routes is needed.
5. Arrival Information
○ This information should be in multiple languages. (+2) ○ An audio system should be part of the screens as well. There are a lot of people who can’t read and for people who can’t see.
○ This would be helpful for everyone.
6. Transit Signal Priority
○ We need to ensure people with disabilities will have enough time to cross the street. ○ This is a good idea. (+1)
○ This would help to get to the destination faster, such as schools or doctor/hospital appointments. ○ This will help bus rides be faster. It could encourage people to not use their cars.
7. Last-mile Commute
○ On the East side, a lot of people walk to get to the bus stop, specifically on King Rd and Story Rd. ○ Make bicycles an easier option, such as having bicycle parking near the bus stops. (+1) ○ There should be shade and a resting area near the bike parking areas. ○ There should be more scooters and electric bicycles around bus stops. (+1) ○ Microtransit will work so we don’t have to walk too much to get to the bus stop. (+1) ○ People with scooters use it on sidewalks and don’t respect pedestrians. Microtransit would be best so people can stop using their cars.
Attachment C
Subject: Transit First Policy
○ There should be a lane specifically for cyclist and scooter users. There should be more signs to use this lane to avoid collisions with pedestrians.
○ It would be great to try microtransit; I think this would be helpful for older people and pregnant women. For young people, it would be best to have scooters to get to the bus stop. ○ More scooters and bicycles on the East side would be helpful to get to schools or to closeby areas. ○ Bicycle parking should be provided so people can feel safe to use their bicycles.
Online Focus Group #1
Event date: April 11, 2022
# of Participants: 3
Council District: 3
Key themes and comments made from the online focus group #1:
1. What does affordable transit mean to you? What does accessibility mean to you? ○ I like the idea of making transit more affordable for low income households who have to choose where to use their money. It’s a lot of money for the whole family to use public transportation. ○ For people who have to transfer and ride multiple buses, the cost adds up. It can be very expensive. ○ Also, bus drivers have to be more strict with people who don’t respect the spaces for older people, pregnant women or disabled people.
2. Rider Waiting Area
○ There’s no shade at the bus stops. Some bus stops have benches but homeless people sleep there.
The bus signs have to be bigger and lighting has to be in every bus stop so they can be safe. ○ I agree with this. People have to rest when they are waiting for the bus. Bus stops that don’t have lighting are dangerous. There has to be lighting to be safe. (+1)
3. Transit-only Street
○ It's a good strategy.
○ This has already been done in Santa Clara St. right? More congestion occurred in Santa Clara/Alum Rock. The bus is faster but the traffic is slower.
○ I’ve taken the bus on alum rock. The trip was fast. I enjoyed my experience.
4. Wayfinding
○ Having a guide to attractions is important and needed. ○ Visual representations are helpful so I like this. I hope it’s colorful and easy to read. ○ It’s important to have directions to help guide the passengers. ○ This will help passengers that want to explore the city more.
5. Arrival Information
○ This is perfect.
○ This is helpful. I was waiting for the bus on a Sunday. Apparently on Sundays the bus schedule is different, I didn’t know this and waited for an hour for the bus to come until a nearby resident told me that the bus doesn’t pass at the stop on Sundays. With this kind of tool, no one would have to experience that.
Attachment C
Subject: Transit First Policy
6. Transit Signal Priority
○ I think Colombia does something similar. The public transit in Colombia is well coordinated and helps traffic be more fluid and makes it more convenient for people to use public transit. The city should look at Colombia for references of what works and what doesn’t work. ○ If it helps traffic to be more fluid and less congested than I like it.
7. Last-mile Commute
○ I have not considered microtransit, but I think it would be a good option. ○ I haven’t seen scooters or bicycles on the east side. Maybe there should be more for our kids. ○ I’ve seen them on the sidewalks. If they bring them to the east side, the city should enforce making sure they are parked properly and not on the street.
Online Focus Group #2
Event date: April 12, 2022
# of Participants: 4
Council District: Open to all districts
Key themes and comments made from the online focus group #2:
1. What does affordable transit mean to you?
○ This should be a priority for the city. Making transit rides more affordable is essential for the community. Transit fares are expensive.
○ I don’t use public transportation but if it was affordable, I would use it. I think that more bus routes should be connected to schools. Make it easier for students to take public transit and avoid traffic congestions at schools.
○ Making transit cheaper is very important if we want to decrease traffic congestion. This will help and encourage more people to use public transportation.
2. Rider Waiting Area
○ When I go out for walks, I see a lot of unhoused individuals sleeping in the bus stop benches. It makes me scared to think about waiting for transit. Also, bus stops are dirty and tend to have graffiti. ○ There’s no lighting. It’s dangerous to wait for the bus at night. ○ The bus stops around King Rd are dirty and there’s no lighting. Also, there has to be more lighting on the Story Rd and 101 bridge. It’s hard for cars to see pedestrians.
3. Transit-only Street
○ If pedestrians walk on these streets for transit, there should be more signs. Especially if these streets are close to schools. There would be a lot of kids walking on these streets.
4. Wayfinding
○ They should make the signage available for smartphones as well, like having QR codes to scan and access the different maps, routes, etc. on our smartphones. ○ There should be more maps, more brochures, bigger signs, more information before passengers get on the bus so they don’t take the wrong bus.
Attachment C
Subject: Transit First Policy
5. Arrival Information
○ Signs have small letters and they don’t have enough information. all necessary information should be in these signs.
6. Transit Signal Priority
○ I like this tool. If the bus gets to their destination faster, more people will use it. ○ I also think it would help. I agree with this tool.
7. Last-mile Commute
○ I think it would be a good idea to have scooters and bicycles to get to the bus stop. ○ I like microtransit, although I think it should be free. ○ Microtransit should be available for older people.
○ I think there should be more options for older people. Only micro transit is not enough.
Conclusion: What transit first means to the community?
While it’s not possible to capture what prioritizing transit means to every community member, this section attempts to provide a high-level summary/narratives of what that means to most of our community members.
The summaries below are based on the feedback we gathered, our extensive work with the Latine community in San José, and what LUNA perceives to promote equity. The summaries will also be categorized based on the policies goals around equity, competitiveness, and reliability.
Equity: Emphasis on rider affordability, ease, dignity, and wellbeing when on, waiting for, and accessing transit vehicles and facilities.
○ Access and affordability means:
- I’m able to take transit when I would like, without cost being a concern and I know/trust that our public transit will take me where I need to go in the city or surrounding cities. If I’d like to ride transit, but do not know how, educational content about how to ride transit will be available in different mediums and languages..
- Reduced and/or free fares and/or programs that subsidize the cost of transit for students, individuals, and families who make below the median income in the area. If there’s an application process to obtain reduced and/or free fares, please ensure that the process is: available to individuals who are undocument and available in different languages predominantly spoken by the communities in the city (i.e. Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Mandarin/Cantonese); simple and/or provides assistance with the application process because community members are easily overwhelmed and discouraged by applications that are long, complex, use jargon, and require a lot of documentation. Lastly, we think it’s important to mention that some of the community members we work with cannot read and write in Spanish and English. ○ Phasize riders ease, dignity, and wellbeing when waiting for transit means:
- All riders, particularly women and children, feel safe at the idea of waiting for transit and when physically waiting for transit. If an emergency of any kind were to occur, riders should have an easy and quick way of calling for help, such as an emergency call box. - Well-lit transit stops promote a sense of safety and wellbeing for all, especially for women.
Attachment C
Subject: Transit First Policy
- Benches, shade, and/or shelters provide ease and wellbeing when waiting for the transit, especially for individuals who are older, have different physical needs, and/or when the weather is hot or raining.
- The unhoused community is properly taken care of, so transit stops and different transit systems (i.e. light rail, bus, bart) are no longer being used as a sleeping area and/or as a shelter. - Information on transit routes and schedules, and accurate arrival time is available at every transit stop to ease the stress of anticipating the arrival of the transit vehicle and whether the rider will be late to school, work, etc.
- Transit routes and schedules, and accurate arrival time information is provided in different languages and available in different mediums (i.e. paper, online, audio, digital display) ○ Accessing transit facilities
- Have more mobility options available for the community to complete the last-mile commute.
Community members liked the idea of having more scooters and e-bikes, and having a service like microtransit.
- Make biking a better option by having better infrastructure (i.e. low-stress bike lanes, road diets, bike amenities) and bike parking near transit stops.
Competitiveness: Transit travel time and experience comparable to driving ○ A majority of the community members supported strategies that may help shorten travel time, such as transit-only street and transit signal priority. However, there are concerns and considerations the community would like the city to think through prior to implementation.
Reliability: High on-time performance, convenient rider information and wayfinding, easy and intuitive transfers between transit lines and different transit systems, and low service interruptions due to City actions and permitted activity.
○ Convenient rider information and wayfinding
- Convenient information and wayfinding means it’s available in: different languages, bigger font size for individuals who may need reading glasses, and use colors and landmarks to help individuals navigate the city and transit systems with more ease.
- The information and signage will be available in different mediums, such as paper maps and digitally. ○ Easy and intuitive transfers between transit lines and different transit systems - Educational information is readily available in different mediums and languages, and accessible in different locations (online, at bus stops, brochures, etc.) on how to ride transit and seamlessly transfer between transit lines and modes.
Attachment C
Subject: Transit First Policy