Bus Speed and Reliability Project

Bus Speed and Reliability


What the project will do: determine what is slowing down buses and affecting their ability to arrive on time. It will design quick-build projects like changes to traffic signals, pavement markings, and signage that will help prioritize buses, and improve bus speed and reliability. 

Where: GoDurham bus routes with a focus on streets with high frequency and high ridership bus routes.

Project Overview

Project Goal: develop designs for up to 12 quick-build bus priority projects. The quick-build bus priority projects will include improvements, such as changes to traffic signals, pavement markings, and signage that will improve bus speed and reliability. Throughout 2021, the project team will:

Planning Phase
  • Review existing bus stop speed and reliability conditions (e.g., average speed the bus travels throughout the bus route; how often the bus arrives on time)
  • Identify conditions that slow the bus down and make it difficult for the bus to arrive on time
  • Develop an equitable approach for evaluating and prioritizing bus priority improvements
  • Evaluate and prioritize locations for bus priority improvements based on input from the community
  • Recommend locations for bus priority improvements, outlined in a “Draft Bus Priority” report
  • Finalize locations for bus priority improvements based on input from the community, summarized in a “Final Bus Priority” report
Design Phase
  • Develop designs for up to 12-quick-build bus priority projects, developed to a full design level, and ready for construction


PROJECT SCHEDULE

Schedule: Planning from January to June 2021, Design from July to December 2021

WHAT IS BUS SPEED AND RELIABILITY?

Bus speed: The ability of the bus to move along a route in a reasonable amount of time.

Bus reliability: The ability of the bus to regularly arrive at bus stops on time.

WHAT IS A BUS PRIORITY PROJECT?

Improvements that prioritize the bus such as:

  • more “green” time for the bus at traffic lights
  • better bus stop locations, where the bus can safely stop and easily return to the travel lane  
  • more space dedicated to buses
  • signage and pavement markings

BACKGROUND

Reason for Project

In January 2020, GoDurham added 15-minute service to two additional routes, bringing the number of its high-frequency routes to five. It also added 30-minute service on nights and Sundays to several other highly used routes.  The Bus Speed and Reliability Project will identify and design bus priority improvements that complement these service improvements and lay the foundation for future service improvements.

Previous and Ongoing Studies

Current Documents

Coming soon.