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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Uses of Higher Capacity Buses in Transit Service. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13919.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Uses of Higher Capacity Buses in Transit Service. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13919.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Uses of Higher Capacity Buses in Transit Service. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13919.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Uses of Higher Capacity Buses in Transit Service. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13919.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Uses of Higher Capacity Buses in Transit Service. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13919.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Uses of Higher Capacity Buses in Transit Service. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13919.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2008. Uses of Higher Capacity Buses in Transit Service. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13919.
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TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD WASHINGTON, D.C. 2008 www.TRB.org T R A N S I T C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M TCRP SYNTHESIS 75 Research Sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration in Cooperation with the Transit Development Corporation SUBJECT AREA Public Transit Uses of Higher Capacity Buses in Transit Service A Synthesis of Transit Practice CONSULTANTS BRENDON HEMILY Toronto, Ontario, Canada and ROLLAND D. KING Columbus, Ohio

TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM The nation’s growth and the need to meet mobility, environ- mental, and energy objectives place demands on public transit systems. Current systems, some of which are old and in need of upgrading, must expand service area, increase service frequency, and improve efficiency to serve these demands. Research is nec- essary to solve operating problems, to adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to introduce innovations into the transit industry. The Transit Cooperative Research Pro- gram (TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the transit industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it. The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special Report 213—Research for Public Transit: New Directions, pub- lished in 1987 and based on a study sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). A report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Transportation 2000, also recognized the need for local, problem-solving research. TCRP, modeled after the longstanding and successful National Coopera- tive Highway Research Program, undertakes research and other technical activities in response to the needs of transit service provid- ers. The scope of TCRP includes a variety of transit research fields including planning, service configuration, equipment, fa- cilities, operations, human resources, maintenance, policy, and ad- ministrative practices. TCRP was established under FTA sponsorship in July 1992. Proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, TCRP was authorized as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Effi- ciency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). On May 13, 1992, a memorandum agreement outlining TCRP operating procedures was executed by the three cooperating organizations: FTA, the National Academy of Sciences, acting through the Transportation Research Board (TRB); and the Transit Development Corporation, Inc. (TDC), a nonprofit educational and research organization established by APTA. TDC is responsible for forming the independent govern- ing board, designated as the TCRP Oversight and Project Selec- tion (TOPS) Committee. Research problem statements for TCRP are solicited periodi- cally but may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility of the TOPS Committee to formulate the re- search program by identifying the highest priority projects. As part of the evaluation, the TOPS Committee defines funding levels and expected products. Once selected, each project is assigned to an expert panel, ap- pointed by TRB. The panels prepare project statements (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process for developing research problem statements and selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooperative re- search programs since 1962. As in other TRB activities, TCRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation. Because research cannot have the desired impact if products fail to reach the intended audience, special emphasis is placed on disseminating TCRP results to the intended end users of the re- search: transit agencies, service providers, and suppliers. TRB provides a series of research reports, syntheses of transit practice, and other supporting material developed by TCRP research. APTA will arrange for workshops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure that results are implemented by urban and rural transit industry practitioners. The TCRP provides a forum where transit agencies can coop- eratively address common operational problems. The TCRP results support and complement other ongoing transit research and train- ing programs. TCRP SYNTHESIS 75 Project J-7, Topic SA-16 ISSN 1073-4880 ISBN 978-0-309-09804-5 Library of Congress Control Number 2008892353 © 2008 Transportation Research Board COPYRIGHT PERMISSION Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein. Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA, FMCSA, FTA, or Transit Development Corporation endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP. NOTICE The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the Transit Coop- erative Research Program conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Coun- cil. Such approval reflects the Governing Board’s judgment that the project concerned is appropriate with respect to both the purposes and resources of the National Research Council. The members of the technical advisory panel selected to monitor this project and to review this report were chosen for recognized scholarly com- petence and with due consideration for the balance of disciplines appropri- ate to the project. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied are those of the research agency that performed the research, and while they have been accepted as appropriate by the technical panel, they are not nec- essarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the Transit Develop- ment Corporation, the National Research Council, or the Federal Transit Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Each report is reviewed and accepted for publication by the technical panel according to procedures established and monitored by the Trans- portation Research Board Executive Committee and the Governing Board of the National Research Council. The Transportation Research Board of The National Academies, the Transit Development Corporation, the National Research Council, and the Federal Transit Administration (sponsor of the Transit Cooperative Research Program) do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the clarity and completeness of the project reporting. Published reports of the TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM are available from: Transportation Research Board Business Office 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 and can be ordered through the Internet at http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore Printed in the United States of America

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished schol- ars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and techni- cal matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Acad- emy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achieve- ments of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, on its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academyís purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Acad- emy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scien- tific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both the Academies and the Insti- tute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council. The Transportation Research Board is one of six major divisions of the National Research Council. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to provide leadership in transportation innovation and progress through research and information exchange, conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisci- plinary, and multimodal. The Board’s varied activities annually engage about 7,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state transportation depart- ments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. www.TRB.org www.national-academies.org

TCRP COMMITTEE FOR PROJECT J-7 CHAIR FRANK T. MARTIN PBS&J, Tallahassee, FL MEMBERS DEBRA W. ALEXANDER Capital Area Transportation Authority, Lansing, MI DWIGHT FERRELL Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Atlanta, GA MARK W. FURHMANN Metro Transit, Minneapolis, MN ROBERT H. IRWIN Consultant, Calgary, AB, Canada DONNA KELSAY San Joaquin Regional Transit District, Stockton, CA PAUL J. LARROUSSE National Transit Institute, New Brunswick, NJ WADE LAWSON Jersey Transportation Authority, Atlantic City, NJ DAVID A. LEE Connecticut Transit, Hartford, CT DAVID PHELPS LTK Engineering Services, Moneta, VA HAYWARD M. SEYMORE, III Q Straint, University Place, WA PAM WARD Ottumwa Transit Authority, Ottumwa, IA JOEL R. WASHINGTON Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Washington, DC FTA LIAISON LISA COLBERT Federal Highway Administration TRB LIAISON PETER SHAW Transportation Research Board Cover figure: Quad articulated bus at student residence hall stop. COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS STAFF CHRISTOPHER W. JENKS, Director, Cooperative Research Programs CRAWFORD F. JENCKS, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs EILEEN DELANEY, Director of Publications TCRP SYNTHESIS STAFF STEPHEN R. GODWIN, Director for Studies and Special Programs JON M. WILLIAMS, Associate Director, IDEA and Synthesis Studies DONNA L. VLASAK, Senior Program Officer DON TIPPMAN, Editor CHERYL Y. KEITH, Senior Program Assistant TOPIC PANEL JANET DAVIS, University of South Florida DAVID HULL, King County (WA) Metro JOHN INGLISH, Utah Transit Authority ROBERT H. IRWIN, Calgary, Alberta, Canada DAVID A. LEE, Connecticut Transit WILLIAM MENZIES, Winnipeg Transit System ROBERT PATTON, Champaign–Urbana Mass Transit District PETER SHAW, Transportation Research Board MICHAEL MOLLOY, Federal Transit Administration (Liaison)

Transit administrators, engineers, and researchers often face problems for which in- formation already exists, either in documented form or as undocumented experience and practice. This information may be fragmented, scattered, and unevaluated. As a conse- quence, full knowledge of what has been learned about a problem may not be brought to bear on its solution. Costly research findings may go unused, valuable experience may be overlooked, and due consideration may not be given to recommended practices for solv- ing or alleviating the problem. There is information on nearly every subject of concern to the transit industry. Much of it derives from research or from the work of practitioners faced with problems in their day-to-day work. To provide a systematic means for assembling and evaluating such use- ful information and to make it available to the entire transit community, the Transit Co- operative Research Program Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Committee author- ized the Transportation Research Board to undertake a continuing study. This study, TCRP Project J-7, “Synthesis of Information Related to Transit Problems,” searches out and synthesizes useful knowledge from all available sources and prepares concise, documented reports on specific topics. Reports from this endeavor constitute a TCRP re- port series, Synthesis of Transit Practice. This synthesis series reports on current knowledge and practice, in a compact format, without the detailed directions usually found in handbooks or design manuals. Each re- port in the series provides a compendium of the best knowledge available on those meas- ures found to be the most successful in resolving specific problems. FOREWORD By Staff Transportation Research Board This synthesis explores the use of higher capacity (HC) public transit buses in trunk, express, long-distance commuter, Bus Rapid Transit, and special (e.g., sports and special events) services in North America. For purposes of this study, HC buses included articu- lated, double-deck, 45-ft, and other buses that have a significant increase in passenger capacity compared with conventional 40-ft buses. This study examined where and how HC buses were being deployed in regular and flexible public transit services and experiences with these buses. It drew on available technical information from APTA, CUTA, HC bus manufacturers, and the Altoona (PA) Bus Testing Center in comparing HC buses with con- ventional buses with respect to a wide range of planning, operational, and maintenance issues. This synthesis is intended for an audience of transit agency general managers, their operations, planning, maintenance, and procurement staffs, as well as other transit profes- sionals working with them in the deployment of HC buses. This synthesis contains information derived from survey data collected from selected transit agencies operating distinct HC bus fleets throughout the United States that provided information by e-mail, through telephone interviews, and by assisting in site visits. In addi- tion, this synthesis contains a literature review and, in documenting transit agency surveys, it identifies a number of applications of HC buses. Ad hoc conversations with transit agency staff and experts on specific aspects of the synthesis are also reported, as are more specific findings in three U.S. and Canadian transit agency case studies. Brendon Hemily, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and Rolland D. King, Columbus, Ohio, col- lected and synthesized the information and wrote the report, under the guidance of a panel of experts in the subject area. The members of the topic panel are acknowledged on the pre- ceding page. This synthesis is an immediately useful document that records the practices that were acceptable within the limitations of the knowledge available at the time of its preparation. As progress in research and practice continues, new knowledge will be added to that now at hand. PREFACE

CONTENTS 1 SUMMARY 5 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Background, 5 Historical Perspective, 5 Scope, 7 Approach, 7 8 CHAPTER TWO USE OF HIGHER CAPACITY BUSES (SURVEY RESULTS) Inventory of Transit Agencies Using Higher Capacity Buses, 8 Survey Responses, 8 Types of Service Using Higher Capacity Buses, 8 Reasons for Implementing Higher Capacity Buses, 10 Deployment Dates of Higher Capacity Buses, 12 Different Wage Rates, 12 Legislative and Regulatory Impediments, 12 Facilities or Infrastructure Modifications, 12 Local Service Restrictions, 13 Actions Taken to Reduce Dwell Time, 13 Scheduling Procedures for Higher Capacity Buses, 15 Approaches to Mixed-Fleet Operations, 15 Experience with Higher Capacity Buses, 15 Ridership Impacts of Higher Capacity Buses, 16 Agency-Reported Customer Acceptance of Higher Capacity Buses, 16 Agency-Reported Operator Acceptance, 17 Issues or Concerns Raised with Use of Higher Capacity Buses, 17 Vehicle Features and Amenities, 18 Wheelchair Equipment and Passenger Experience, 20 Operating Experiences with Higher Capacity Buses, 21 Spare Ratios for Higher Capacity Buses, 21 Future Plans for Higher Capacity Buses, 22 23 CHAPTER THREE HIGHER CAPACITY BUSES IN VARIOUS APPLICATIONS Regional Transportation District (Denver, Colorado): Higher Capacity Buses as a Component of a Family of Services, 23 Victoria Regional Transit System/BC Transit: Search for Higher Capacity in an Older City Context, 26 Champaign–Urbana (Illinois) Mass Transit District: Small Systems Can Effectively Use Higher Capacity Buses, 35 39 CHAPTER FOUR HIGHER CAPACITY BUS TECHNOLOGIES Manufacturers of Higher Capacity Buses and Buses Offered, 39 Operating Performance of Current Higher Capacity Buses, 39 A Look at the Future, 44 Capital Costs of Higher Capacity Buses, 45

47 CHAPTER FIVE EXPERIENCES WITH HIGHER CAPACITY BUSES Why and Where Are They Used (Driving Factors in Decisions)?, 47 Experience with Higher Capacity Buses, 47 Safety Issues, 49 Infrastructure Issues, 50 Legislative and Regulatory Impediments, 51 Other Operational Issues, 51 Trade-Offs in Using Higher Capacity Buses, 54 Vehicle Design Issues, 55 56 CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSIONS 59 REFERENCES 61 APPENDIX A SURVEYS OF TRANSIT AGENCIES AND BUS MANUFACTURERS 69 APPENDIX B STUDY PARTICIPANTS 70 APPENDIX C REGULATIONS ON VEHICLE SIZE AND WEIGHT

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TRB's Transportation Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Synthesis 75: Uses of Higher Capacity Buses in Transit Service explores the use of higher capacity (HC) public transit buses in trunk, express, long-distance commuter, Bus Rapid Transit, and special (e.g., sports and special events) services in North America. For purposes of this study, HC buses included articulated, double-deck, 45-ft, and other buses that have a significant increase in passenger capacity compared with conventional 40-ft buses.

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