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Tunde Balvanyos, Ph.D.Bus Rapid Transit Coordinator, Pace

APTA BRT May 2009

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PaceService area: • Chicago’s 6 county

suburb • 3500 square miles • Low density • Suburban and

exurban, satellite cities

• Over 270 municipalities

• Regional transit services: Metra commuter rail, CTA

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Pace’s service• Challenges:

– Large, low density, multi-jurisdictional area– Frequent at grade rail road crossings– New travel markets– Budget

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Strategic Plan

• Strengthen core service

• Core routes: – High ridership– High recovery ratio– Regional connectivity– New travel markets

• Premium quality, direct, fast, frequent service

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Strategic Plan

• BRT in mixed traffic on arterial streets – Arterial BRT - ART

• ART increases service level at minimum expense to the maximum number of people under the shortest implementation time frame

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ART Feasibility Study • Strategic plan identified 24 strategic arterial

corridors ART Network• Feasibility Study

– Where to start implementing the ART Network– What can be implemented in the short-term (10years)

• First ART route must be a success, showcase:– Short implementation – Successful operation– Generate political and community support for mode– Generate new riders

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ART Feasibility StudyNetwork Development

• 24 strategic arterial corridors

• Industry experience criteria: – Existing ridership– Potential ridership– Connect with existing

transit system

• Method: – socio-economic and

transit data evaluation – Existing regional travel

demand studies

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ART Feasibility Study Network Development

• Result:

Map shows 13 corridors of Group 1

NoLow No 3

NoMediumLimited2

YesHighYes1

ConnectPotential

ridership

Existing

ridershipGroup

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ART Feasibility Study Network Development

• 13 corridors evaluated in more detail• Criteria:

– Existing ridership: 3000+ (FTA)– Potential ridership– Connecting Pace’s sub-regions

• Method: – Route segmentation– Detailed socio-economic evaluation – Combined socio-economic and transit service evaluation – Segments ranking – Linked viable segments into routes – Determined termini– Connected the 6 routes into network of ART routes

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ART Feasibility Study Network

Development

Short-Term Network: • Dempster Street • Milwaukee Avenue• Oakbrook Corridor • Harlem Street • 95th Street• Halsted Avenue

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ART Feasibility StudyMost Feasible Route

• 6 routes of Short-Term ART Network most feasible

• Criteria: – Transit Ridership

• Current • Potential

– Regional Connectivity– Support

• Institutional• Community• Operating Divisions

– Travel Time Savings• At Stops • At Signals (queue jump lane, TSP)• Along the route (number of Rail road grade crossings,

availability of turning lanes)

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ART Feasibility StudyMost Feasible Route

• Method: – No modeling– Existing Pace studies: TSP and Queue Jump– Field review, AVL data– Outreach meeting to communities

• Result: – Most feasible route: Milwaukee – 2 phases of the Short-Term ART Network:

• Milwaukee, Dempster, Oakbrook• Harlem, 95th street, Halsted Avenue

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Result

• 2 phases of the Short-Term ART Network:

• Milwaukee,• Dempster,• Oakbrook• Harlem, • 95th street,• Halsted Avenue

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  LengthCurrent Riders

# of comm.

and their support Alignment

Need for

feeder service

Peak riders

ROW: # of lanes, delays

             

Dempster 15.1 3174 5/5 + identified no  59%  good

           

               

Milwaukee 7 3383 1 + identified no 56%   good

               

Oakbrook            

Forestpark 12.8 2497 1/5 - not yes  70%+  better

Cermak   ~13.8 2766 2/5 Ø identified       

ART Feasibility StudyMost Feasible Route

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ART Feasibility StudyResults

• Recommendations: – Start planning study on Milwaukee, Dempster

routes and Oakbrook corridor at the same time– After Alternatives Analyses are completed decide

which of the three routes be the showcase first ART

– 10-year Short-term ART Network• 6 routes, 72 miles

– Medium and Long-Term Network: • ART rubber-tire light rail and rubber-tire commuter rail

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Summary

• ART Network will become the core service of Pace

• Frame for agency’s services

• Fully suburban network of ART