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EL CAMINO REAL BUS RAPID TRANSIT (BRT) PROJECT VTA BOARD WORKSHOP MAY 1, 2015 Agenda Item #4.2
EL CAMINO REALBUS RAPID TRANSIT (BRT)
PROJECT
VTA BOARD WORKSHOP
MAY 1, 2015
Agenda Item #4.2
ABOUT THIS PRESENTATION
CONTEXT
Existing conditions and planning for growth
WHAT IS THE PROJECT?
Project alternatives
Benefits
Results of environmental analysis
WHAT WE HEARD
Public comments, city positions, questions
HOW WILL VTA PROCEED?
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3
CONTEXT
WHAT KIND OF STREET DO WE WANT?
SANTA CLARA, CA
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA
SUNNYVALE, CA
PALO ALTO, CA
SAN JOSE, CA
LOS ALTOS, CA4
EL CAMINO REAL TODAY
• Vehicle delay, measured by level of service (LOS), is within
acceptable levels. Only two intersections at LOS F.
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0
5
10
15
20
25
30
LOS A LOS B LOS C LOS D LOS E LOS F
INT
ER
SE
CT
ION
S
AUTO LEVEL OF SERVICE, PM PEAK PERIOD
LOS Average Delay
LOS A Less than 10 seconds
LOS B 10 to 20 seconds
LOS C 20 to 35 seconds
LOS D 35 to 55 seconds
LOS E 55 to 80 seconds
LOS F Over 80 seconds
PLANNING FOR PROJECTED GROWTH
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• 2040 Santa Clara County projection: +546,000 residents,
+226,000 jobs
• Growth targeted for Priority Development Areas
• City plans endorse bicycle, pedestrian and transit accommodations
• BRT provides a transit alternative to accommodate growth
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500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
3,000,000
Population Jobs
TODAY
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Commercial
R&D/Office
Mixed Use
Multi Family
Single Family
VTA Light Rail
Caltrain
PDA
CITY APPROVED PROJECTS/CONSTRUCTION ON EL CAMINO REAL
EXAMPLE OF GROWTH ALONG EL CAMINO REAL
SAN ANTONIO CENTER, MOUNTAIN VIEW8
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WHAT IS THE PROJECT?
WHAT IS THE PROJECT?
Upgrade the current 522 Rapid Bus to BRT, resulting in:
• Fast, frequent and reliable transit on El Camino Real
• Transit that is competitive with automobile travel times
• Increased transit ridership
• Increased cost-effectiveness
• Implementation of Grand Boulevard Initiative and city
planning goals
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EXAMPLES OF BRT IN THE UNITED STATES
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EUGENE, OR
LOS ANGELES, CA BOSTON, MA
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OAKLAND
SAN FRANCISCO SAN JOSE
FUTURE BRT IN THE BAY AREA
BRT vehicles begin operating on El Camino Real/SC-AR corridor in 2015
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VTA BRT PROGRAM
BRT IN CONTEXT OF TRANSPORTAION CAPITAL PROGRAM
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Highways
Local System
Rail
BRT
$13.3B over the next 25 years
• $7.5B for Rail
• $3.1B for Highways
• $2.1B for Local Streets, Bike, Ped
• $0.5B for BRT
Streets, Bike, Ped
$7.5B $2.1B
$3.1B
$0.5B
WORK TO DATE
ENVIRONMENTALANALYSIS
VTA DECISIONCONCEPTUALPLAN/ENG
2010 - 2013 2013 - 2015
NOVEMBER 2012 VTA Board directs staff to evaluatemultiple alternatives
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FEB – MAR 2013 Scoping period for public comments
OCT 2014 – JAN 2015 Public comment period for Draft Environmental Impact Report
SUMMER/FALL 2015 VTA Board of Directors chooses an optionfor how to proceed
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
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Limited stop service15-minute frequency522
Local service12-minute frequency22
Limited stop service10-minute frequencyBRT
Local service15-minute frequency22
BRT IS AN UPGRADE OF THE 522 RAPID BUS
LINE EXISTINGNO BUILD
2018 2040MIXED FLOW2018 2040
DEDICATED LANE2018 2040
522/BRT 3,287 8,159 10,576 9,223 11,736 13,104 21,071
22 9,234 6,429 11,102 6,080 10,492 5,512 9,266
TWO BRT STREET CONFIGURATIONS
MIXED FLOW WITH BULBOUTS
DEDICATED LANE
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ALTERNATIVE 1 – NO PROJECT
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BUS RAPID TRANSIT
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ALTERNATIVE 2 – ALL MIXED FLOW
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ALTERNATIVE 3A – SHORT DEDICATED LANE,NO PROJECT WEST OF HALFORD AVE
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ALTERNATIVE 3B – SHORT DEDICATED LANE, MIXED FLOW ELSEWHERE
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ALTERNATIVE 4A – LONG DEDICATED LANE TO HIGHWAY 85
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ALTERNATIVE 4B – LONG DEDICATED LANE TO SHOWERS DRIVE
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ALTERNATIVE 4C – LONG DEDICATED LANE TO PALO ALTO
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BENEFITS
BENEFITS OF BUS RAPID TRANSIT
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AVERAGE WEEKDAY BOARDINGS (RIDERSHIP)
CURRENT
(2013)
ALT 1
NO PROJECT
ALT 2
MIXED FLOW
ALT 4C
DEDICATED LANE
2018 12,512 14,588 15,303 18,616
2040 12,512 21,678 22,228 30,336
2018 BRT TRAVEL TIME FOR 17 MILE CORRIDOR (MINUTES)
CURRENT
(2013)
ALT 1
NO PROJECT
ALT 2
MIXED FLOW
ALT 4C
DEDICATED LANE
BRT 85 87 81 48
Car 41 41 41 44
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BENEFITS OF BUS RAPID TRANSIT
ALT 1
NO PROJECT
ALT 2
MIXED FLOW
ALT 4C
DEDICATED LANE
Capital Cost $0 $91M $233M
Operating Cost $20.4M $18.5M $12.1M
Farebox Recovery 15.5% 19.4% 42.3%
• Annual operating cost decreases as fewer buses are
needed to maintain same frequency of service
• The portion of the cost of providing the trip that is funded
by fares (farebox recovery) increases
REMAKING EL CAMINO REAL AS A COMPLETE STREET
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• Supports Grand Boulevard Initiative
• Transforms a car-centric street to a people-friendly street
• Improves bike and pedestrian facilities and safety
• Increases pedestrian safety with shorter crosswalks
• Improves corridor with beautification and landscaping, streetscape improvements
• VTA funds corridor transformation with possible Federal Small Starts funds
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COMPLETE STREETS REQUIRE TRANSIT
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
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Transportation and Traffic
• Transit Ridership, Travel Speed, Farebox, Operating Cost
• Level of service on El Camino Real
• Level of service on off-corridor streets
• Traffic diversion
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis
• Aesthetics, Air Quality, Biology, Cultural Resources,
Environmental Justice, Energy, Geology, Hazardous Materials,
Hydrology/Water Quality, Land Use, Noise And Vibration,
Socioeconomics, Transportation and Traffic, Utilities
VTA TRAFFIC MODEL
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Standard model used by all cities in Santa Clara County to
project impacts of projects
Model Years: Current (2013), 2018 and 2040
Factors: Land uses, roadway and transit networks, BRTalternatives
Used for: Traffic projections, mode split, auto trip diversion
• 82 intersections and potential intersections on El Camino Real
• 165 intersections off El Camino Real
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Studied traffic impacts on over 240 intersections
COMPREHENSIVE TRAFFIC ANALYSIS
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OVER 8,000 LEVEL OF SERVICE CALCULATIONS
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
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LOS A LOS B LOS C LOS D LOS E LOS F
INT
ER
SE
CT
ION
S
247 intersections, AM + PM, 3 years, 7 alternatives
2018 PM Level of Service of Intersections on El Camino Real
LOS Average Delay
LOS A Less than 10 seconds
LOS B 10 to 20 seconds
LOS C 20 to 35 seconds
LOS D 35 to 55 seconds
LOS E 55 to 80 seconds
LOS F Over 80 seconds
Alt 1 – No Project
Alt 2 – All Mixed Flow
Alt 3 – Dedicated Lane
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OVER 8,000 LEVEL OF SERVICE CALCULATIONSIN
TE
RS
EC
TIO
NS
247 intersections, AM + PM, 3 years, 7 alternatives
2018 PM Level of Service of Intersections off El Camino Real
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
LOS A LOS B LOS C LOS D LOS E LOS F
LOS Average Delay
LOS A Less than 10 seconds
LOS B 10 to 20 seconds
LOS C 20 to 35 seconds
LOS D 35 to 55 seconds
LOS E 55 to 80 seconds
LOS F Over 80 seconds
Alt 1 – No Project
Alt 2 – All Mixed Flow
Alt 3 – Dedicated Lane
TRIP DIVERSION ANALYSIS
Trip Diversion is any vehicle trip that no longer occurs on El
Camino Real if dedicated lanes are installed.
• Vehicle trips on other streets (2/3)
• Transit trips on El Camino Real (1/6)
• Bike/walk trips or trips made outside peak hour (1/6)
Trip diversion is measured by the projected change in vehicle
volumes on alternate routes along a specific cross street.
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TRIP DIVERSION ANALYSIS
-416
16
-5
53
7
31
78
6
2
16
6
-4
+121
EXAMPLE TRIP DIVERSION
2018 PM Peak Hour Eastbound
Santa Clara
No Project Alternative
El Camino Real: 1,480 car trips
Dedicated Lane Alternative
El Camino Real: 1,064 car trips
+121 BRT trips
Other Streets: +206 car trips
Bike/Walk/Time: +90 trips
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TRAFFIC, GROWTH AND DIVERSIONVEHICLE VOLUMES ON PARALLEL ROUTES AT SAN TOMAS EXPRESSWAY
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
DIVERSION
GROWTH
2013
EASTBOUND PM PEAK HOUR (2018)
RO
AD
WA
Y C
AP
AC
ITY
TRIP DIVERSION: SANTA CLARA
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BRT
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WHAT WE HEARD
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• 2010 to present
• Over 60 public meetings
• Public presentations and
outreach to city officials,
key stakeholders, residents
and businesses
• Four scoping meetings, four public hearings, 700+ comment
letters, response cards, and Draft Environmental Impact
Report/Environmental Assessment statements collected
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
PUBLIC COMMENTS SUMMARY
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CategoryNo
ProjectDedicated Lane/BRT
Mixed Flow
No Preference Total
Public (written) 192 366 7 41 606
Public (hearing speaker) 64 34 7 105
Organization 3 12 1 16
Local (cities) 2 1 1 2 6
Business 2 1 3
State 2 2
County 1 1 2
Federal 0
TOTAL 263 414 8 55 740
“IS EL CAMINO THE RIGHT PLACE FOR TRANSITIMPROVEMENTS?”
Yes. 22/522 is VTA’s highest ridership corridor.
AV
ER
AG
E W
EE
KD
AY
BO
AR
DIN
GS
VTA BUS ROUTES
5,885 on 522 Eastridge to Palo Alto
14,511 on 22 Eastridge to Palo Alto
“IS EL CAMINO THE RIGHT PLACE FOR TRANSITIMPROVEMENTS?”
MOUNTAIN VIEW
Yes. Cities are planning growth along the corridor.
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8781
78 7468
59
48
102 102 103 103 105 106109
41 41 41 41 4243
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0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Alt 1 Alt 2 Alt 3a Alt 3b Alt 4a Alt 4b Alt 4c
Tota
l Tra
vel T
ime
(m
inu
tes)
BRT
Local Bus
Auto
“CAN WE HAVE EFFECTIVE BRT WITHOUTDEDICATED LANES?”
Speed is the key to attracting riders, increasing cost-effectiveness
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“WILL CARS BE ABLE TO MAKE LEFT TURNS?”
Unsignalized intersection
Left turn is closed
Right-in/right-out access only
No pedestrian crossing
Signalized intersection
Left turn and crosswalk
are signalized
• Signal allows left turns, safe dedicated lane BRT operation
• Stops through traffic while allowing turns
• Closed median prevents turning conflicts, improves safety
• Turns will be made downstream at signalized intersections
• Landscaping installed
Yes. Some turns will occur downstream, if unsignalized intersections are closed.
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“SHOULD WE INVEST IN NORTH/SOUTH ROUTESINSTEAD OF EL CAMINO REAL?”Cross-town routes being upgraded El Camino Real BRT will complement upgrades
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“SHOULD WE INVEST IN NORTH/SOUTH ROUTESINSTEAD OF EL CAMINO REAL?”
North/south routes show lower potential for ridership, cost-effectiveness
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2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
18000
20000
22/522 54/354
Current
2018
WE
EK
DA
Y B
OA
RD
ING
S
22/522 ROUTESEL CAMINO REAL
54/354 ROUTESMATHILDA AVE
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HOW WILL VTA PROCEED?
WHAT KIND OF STREET DO WE WANT?
EL CAMINO REAL & SCOTT BLVD, SANTA CLARA
EL CAMINO REAL & SHOWERS DR, MOUNTAIN VIEW
EL CAMINO REAL & HOLLENBECK AVE, SUNNYVALE
EL CAMINO REAL & CALIFORNIA AVE, PALO ALTO
THE ALAMEDA & JULIAN ST, SAN JOSE
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NEXT STEPS
April 22 VTA Advisory Committees Joint Workshop
April 24 VTA El Camino Real Policy Advisory Board
May 1 VTA Board Workshop
Summer 2015 Peer Review of Modeling Results
Fall 2015 Board of Directors Decision
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QUESTIONS?
