March 25, 2024
As Complete Streets are implemented across the state, New Jersey Transit wants to ensure that their operations improve the safety of bus operators, passengers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. DVRPC staff conducted a literature review, interviewed peer transit agencies, and organized a bus design workshop.
As Complete Streets are implemented across the state, New Jersey Transit wants to ensure that their operations improve the safety of bus operators, passengers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. DVRPC conducted a literature review that revealed there are few existing studies about types of bus–bicycle interactions or about designing bus stops that reduce bus–bicycle interactions along mid-density, mid-volume transit corridors that are common across the region and the nation.
To build on the existing studies available, the project team interviewed peer transit agencies about how they coordinate bus service on corridors with multimodal users. Agencies emphasized the importance of regular meetings between transit providers and road owners, as street design changes will need to be planned, designed, and implemented on a case-by-case basis.
To put this into practice, last spring the DVRPC team organized a bus stop design workshop that brought road owners, cycling advocates, and New Jersey Transit together to brainstorm implementable bus stop designs along Prospect Street in Mercer County. The workshop resulted in three key findings:
- Additional infrastructure can be added to minimum bus stop requirements in response to crash data or local context such as increased vehicle and bicycle volumes, vehicular speeds, and space and funds available.
- Vertical barriers preserve longevity of striping treatments, but present maintenance considerations for the road owner and curbing considerations for transit providers.
- Certain innovative designs may need to be funded locally, as requirements associated with using federal funds increase costs and time.
To view the resulting conceptual designs and learn more, see the Planning for New Jersey Transit Bus Service Alongside Bicycle Facilities memo.