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TRANSIT
TCRP
SYNTHESIS 87
COOPERATIVE
RESEARCH
PROGRAM
Sponsored by
Practices in the Development the Federal
and Deployment of Transit Administration
Downtown Circulators
A Synthesis of Transit Practice
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TCRP OVERSIGHT AND PROJECT TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2010 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
SELECTION COMMITTEE*
CHAIR OFFICERS
ANN AUGUST
Santee Wateree Regional Transportation
Chair: Michael R. Morris, Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of
Authority Governments, Arlington
Vice Chair: Neil J. Pedersen, Administrator, Maryland State Highway Administration, Baltimore
MEMBERS Executive Director: Robert E. Skinner, Jr., Transportation Research Board
JOHN BARTOSIEWICZ
McDonald Transit Associates MEMBERS
MICHAEL BLAYLOCK
Jacksonville Transportation Authority J. BARRY BARKER, Executive Director, Transit Authority of River City, Louisville, KY
LINDA J. BOHLINGER ALLEN D. BIEHLER, Secretary, Pennsylvania DOT, Harrisburg
HNTB Corp. LARRY L. BROWN, SR., Executive Director, Mississippi DOT, Jackson
RAUL BRAVO DEBORAH H. BUTLER, Executive Vice President, Planning, and CIO, Norfolk Southern
Raul V. Bravo & Associates Corporation, Norfolk, VA
GREGORY COOK WILLIAM A.V. CLARK, Professor, Department of Geography, University of California,
Veolia Transportation Los Angeles
TERRY GARCIA CREWS EUGENE A. CONTI, JR., Secretary of Transportation, North Carolina DOT, Raleigh
StarTran NICHOLAS J. GARBER, Henry L. Kinnier Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, and
ANGELA IANNUZZIELLO Director, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
ENTRA Consultants
JOHN INGLISH JEFFREY W. HAMIEL, Executive Director, Metropolitan Airports Commission, Minneapolis, MN
Utah Transit Authority PAULA J. HAMMOND, Secretary, Washington State DOT, Olympia
SHERRY LITTLE EDWARD A. (NED) HELME, President, Center for Clean Air Policy, Washington, DC
Spartan Solutions, LLC ADIB K. KANAFANI, Cahill Professor of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
JONATHAN H. MCDONALD SUSAN MARTINOVICH, Director, Nevada DOT, Carson City
HNTB Corporation DEBRA L. MILLER, Secretary, Kansas DOT, Topeka
GARY W. MCNEIL SANDRA ROSENBLOOM, Professor of Planning, University of Arizona, Tucson
GO Transit TRACY L. ROSSER, Vice President, Corporate Traffic, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Mandeville, LA
MICHAEL P. MELANIPHY STEVEN T. SCALZO, Chief Operating Officer, Marine Resources Group, Seattle, WA
Motor Coach Industries HENRY G. (GERRY) SCHWARTZ, JR., Chairman (retired), Jacobs/Sverdrup Civil, Inc.,
BRADFORD MILLER
Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority
St. Louis, MO
FRANK OTERO BEVERLY A. SCOTT, General Manager and Chief Executive Officer, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid
PACO Technologies Transit Authority, Atlanta, GA
KEITH PARKER DAVID SELTZER, Principal, Mercator Advisors LLC, Philadelphia, PA
VIA Metropolitan Transit DANIEL SPERLING, Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science and Policy;
PETER ROGOFF Director, Institute of Transportation Studies; and Interim Director, Energy Efficiency Center,
FTA University of California, Davis
JEFFREY ROSENBERG KIRK T. STEUDLE, Director, Michigan DOT, Lansing
Amalgamated Transit Union DOUGLAS W. STOTLAR, President and CEO, Con-Way, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI
RICHARD SARLES C. MICHAEL WALTON, Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering, University of
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
MICHAEL SCANLON
Texas, Austin
San Mateo County Transit District
JAMES STEM EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
United Transportation Union PETER H. APPEL, Administrator, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, U.S.DOT
GARY THOMAS J. RANDOLPH BABBITT, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S.DOT
Dallas Area Rapid Transit REBECCA M. BREWSTER, President and COO, American Transportation Research Institute,
FRANK TOBEY Smyrna, GA
First Transit
MATTHEW O. TUCKER
GEORGE BUGLIARELLO, President Emeritus and University Professor, Polytechnic Institute
North County Transit District of New York University, Brooklyn; Foreign Secretary, National Academy of Engineering,
PAM WARD Washington, DC
Ottumwa Transit Authority ANNE S. FERRO, Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, U.S.DOT
ALICE WIGGINS-TOLBERT LEROY GISHI, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of
Parsons Brinckerhoff the Interior, Washington, DC
EDWARD R. HAMBERGER, President and CEO, Association of American Railroads, Washington, DC
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS JOHN C. HORSLEY, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and
WILLIAM W. MILLAR
APTA
Transportation Officials, Washington, DC
ROBERT E. SKINNER, JR. DAVID T. MATSUDA, Deputy Administrator, Maritime Administration, U.S.DOT
TRB VICTOR M. MENDEZ, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S.DOT
JOHN C. HORSLEY WILLIAM W. MILLAR, President, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
AASHTO TARA O'TOOLE, Under Secretary for Science and Technology, U.S. Department of Homeland
VICTOR MENDEZ Security, Washington, DC
FHWA ROBERT J. PAPP (Adm., U.S. Coast Guard), Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department of
Homeland Security, Washington, DC
TDC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CYNTHIA L. QUARTERMAN, Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
LOUIS SANDERS
APTA Administration, U.S.DOT
PETER M. ROGOFF, Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, U.S.DOT
SECRETARY DAVID L. STRICKLAND, Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
CHRISTOPHER W. JENKS U.S.DOT
TRB JOSEPH C. SZABO, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, U.S.DOT
POLLY TROTTENBERG, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, U.S.DOT
ROBERT L. VAN ANTWERP (Lt. Gen., U.S. Army), Chief of Engineers and Commanding
General, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC
*Membership as of December 2010. *Membership as of October 2010.
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TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
TCRP SYNTHESIS 87
Practices in the Development
and Deployment of
Downtown Circulators
A Synthesis of Transit Practice
CONSULTANT
DAN BOYLE
Dan Boyle & Associates, Inc.
San Diego, California
S UBSCRIBER C ATEGORIES
Public Transit · Administration and Management · Planning and Forecasting
Research Sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration in Cooperation with
the Transit Development Corporation
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD
WASHINGTON, D.C.
2011
www.TRB.org
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TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM TCRP SYNTHESIS 87
The nation's growth and the need to meet mobility, environ- Project J-7, Topic SA-23
mental, and energy objectives place demands on public transit ISSN 1073-4880
systems. Current systems, some of which are old and in need of ISBN 978-0-309-14328-8
upgrading, must expand service area, increase service frequency, Library of Congress Control Number 2010943181
and improve efficiency to serve these demands. Research is nec- © 2011 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
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-
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
gram (TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the
transit industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for
meet demands placed on it. obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the
The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein.
Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce
Report 213--Research for Public Transit: New Directions, pub-
material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes.
lished in 1987 and based on a study sponsored by the Federal Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be
Transit Administration (FTA). A report by the American Public used to imply TRB, AASHTO, FAA, FHWA, FMCSA, FTA, or Transit
Transportation Association (APTA), Transportation 2000, also Development Corporation endorsement of a particular product, method, or
recognized the need for local, problem-solving research. TCRP, practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document
modeled after the longstanding and successful National Coopera- for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment
tive Highway Research Program, undertakes research and other of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the
technical activities in response to the needs of transit service provid- material, request permission from CRP.
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- NOTICE
ministrative practices. The project that is the subject of this report was a part of the Transit Co-
TCRP was established under FTA sponsorship in July 1992. operative Research Program, conducted by the Transportation Research
Proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, TCRP was Board with the approval of the Governing Board of the National Research
authorized as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Effi- Council.
ciency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). On May 13, 1992, a memorandum The members of the technical panel selected to monitor this project and
agreement outlining TCRP operating procedures was executed by to review this report were chosen for their special competencies and with
the three cooperating organizations: FTA, the National Academy of regard for appropriate balance. The report was reviewed by the technical
Sciences, acting through the Transportation Research Board panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and
(TRB); and the Transit Development Corporation, Inc. (TDC), a overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the Gov-
erning Board of the National Research Council.
nonprofit educational and research organization established by
The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those
APTA. TDC is responsible for forming the independent govern- of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those
ing board, designated as the TCRP Oversight and Project Selec- of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, or the
tion (TOPS) Committee. program sponsors.
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- The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National
search program by identifying the highest priority projects. As Research Council, and the sponsors of the Transit Cooperative Research
part of the evaluation, the TOPS Committee defines funding Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers'
levels and expected products. names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the
Once selected, each project is assigned to an expert panel, ap- object of the report.
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- Published reports of the
search: transit agencies, service providers, and suppliers. TRB
TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
provides a series of research reports, syntheses of transit practice,
and other supporting material developed by TCRP research. are available from:
APTA will arrange for workshops, training aids, field visits, and Transportation Research Board
other activities to ensure that results are implemented by urban Business Office
and rural transit industry practitioners. 500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
The TCRP provides a forum where transit agencies can coop-
eratively address common operational problems. The TCRP results and can be ordered through the Internet at
http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore
support and complement other ongoing transit research and train-
ing programs. Printed in the United States of America
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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 Academys í p urposes 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
scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the
Institute 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
departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transporta-
tion, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. www.TRB.org
www.national-academies.org
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TCRP COMMITTEE FOR PROJECT J-7 COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS STAFF
CHRISTOPHER W. JENKS, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
CHAIR CRAWFORD F. JENCKS, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research
DWIGHT A. FERRELL Programs
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Atlanta, GA GWEN CHISHOLM SMITH, Senior Program Officer
EILEEN P. DELANEY, Director of Publications
MEMBERS
DEBRA W. ALEXANDER TCRP SYNTHESIS STAFF
Capital Area Transportation Authority, Lansing, MI STEPHEN R. GODWIN, Director for Studies and Special Programs
DONNA DeMARTINO JON M. WILLIAMS, Program Director, IDEA and Synthesis Studies
San Joaquin Regional Transit District, Stockton, CA DONNA L. VLASAK, Senior Program Officer
MARK W. FUHRMANN DON TIPPMAN, Senior Editor
Metro Transit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN DEMISHA WILLIAMS, Senior Program Assistant
ROBERT H. IRWIN DEBBIE IRVIN, Program Associate
Consultant, Calgary, AB, Canada
PAUL J. LARROUSSE TOPIC PANEL
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ MEI CHEN, University of Kentucky
DAVID A. LEE PHILIP L. FRY, CT Transit
Connecticut Transit, Hartford, CT NANCY A. GOLDENBERG, Central City District, Philadelphia
FRANK T. MARTIN TODD HEMINGSON, Capital Metropolitan Transportation
PBS&J Tallahassee, FL Authority, Austin, TX
BRADFORD J. MILLER JAMIE KENDRICK, Baltimore City Department of Transportation
Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority HERBERT S. LEVINSON, Wallingford, CT
HAYWARD M. SEYMORE, III DAVID RZEPINSKI, Marin Transit, San Rafael, CA
Kitsap Transit, Bremerton, WA PETER SHAW, Transportation Research Board
PAM WARD FRANK T. MARTIN, PBS&J, Tallahassee, FL (Liaison)
Ottumwa Transit Authority, Ottumwa, IA SHARON PUGH, Federal Transit Administration (Liaison)
FTA LIAISON
MICHAEL BALTES
Federal Transit Administration
LISA COLBERT
Federal Transit Administration
TRB LIAISON
JENNIFER A. ROSALES
Transportation Research Board
PETER SHAW
Transportation Research Board
Cover figure: The Charm City Circulator complements pedestrian
activity in downtown Baltimore.
Credit: http://www.charmcitycirculator.com/content/schedule.
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FOREWORD Transit administrators, engineers, and researchers often face problems for which infor-
mation already exists, either in documented form or as undocumented experience and prac-
tice. This information may be fragmented, scattered, and unevaluated. As a consequence,
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 solving or alleviat-
ing 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 useful
information and to make it available to the entire transit community, the Transit Coopera-
tive Research Program Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Committee authorized 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 report 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 report
in the series provides a compendium of the best knowledge available on those measures
found to be the most successful in resolving specific problems.
PREFACE The purpose of this synthesis was to document the state of the practice for transit agen-
By Donna L. Vlasak cies in terms of development, deployment, and sustainability of downtown circulator sys-
Senior Program Officer tems. It was accomplished through a literature review, transportation/transit agency survey,
Transportation and case studies. Seven case studies across a geographic range of locations offer additional
Research Board details on innovative and successful practices, as well as other related issues. These circu-
lator locations include downtowns in Baltimore, Maryland; Hartford, Connecticut;
Louisville, Kentucky; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles, Cali-
fornia; and Austin, Texas.
Thirty-seven completed surveys were received from 42 agencies, yielding an 88% re-
sponse rate. Results included transit agency assessments of the success of downtown circu-
lators, benefits and drawbacks, desired changes, and lessons learned. Agencies that have
discontinued or never implemented downtown circulators were also surveyed to gain an un-
derstanding of or the reasoning behind their decisions.
Dan Boyle, Dan Boyle & Associates, San Diego, collected and synthesized the informa-
tion 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 preceding page. This synthesis is an
immediately useful document that records the practices that were acceptable within the lim-
itations 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.
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CONTENTS
1 SUMMARY
5 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
Project Background and Objectives, 5
Technical Approach, 5
Organization of This Report, 6
8 CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction, 8
Overview of Downtown Circulators, 8
Specific Circulators, 8
Summary, 9
10 CHAPTER THREE SURVEY RESULTS: DOWNTOWN CIRCULATORS
Introduction, 10
Downtown Circulators, Now and in the Past, 10
Beginnings, 10
Market for the Circulator, 11
Design of the Downtown Circulator, 13
Administration, 13
Operation, 14
Marketing, 17
Ridership and Productivity, 19
Summary, 19
22 CHAPTER FOUR AGENCY ASSESSMENT OF DOWNTOWN CIRCULATORS
Introduction, 22
Ratings of Downtown Circulator, 22
Lessons Learned, 22
Summary, 26
28 CHAPTER FIVE CASE STUDIES
Introduction, 28
Baltimore City Department of Transportation--Baltimore, MD, 28
CTTRANSIT--Hartford, CT, 32
City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation--Los Angeles, CA, 35
Transit Authority of River City--Louisville, KY, 39
Center City District--Philadelphia, PA, 41
District Department of Transportation--Washington, DC, 43
Capital Metro--Austin, TX, 46
50 CHAPTER SIX CONCLUSIONS
Introduction, 50
Circulator Design and Implementation, 50
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Agency Assessments of Downtown Circulators, 51
Lessons Learned--Survey Respondents, 51
Lessons Learned--Case Studies, 52
Conclusions and Areas of Future Study, 53
55 ACRONYMS
56 REFERENCES
57 APPENDIX A TCRP SYNTHESIS SURVEY: DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT OF DOWNTOWN CIRCULATORS
75 APPENDIX B SUMMARY OF SURVEY RESULTS
112 APPENDIX C PARTICIPATING TRANSIT AGENCIES
