2. What we’ll cover
• Types of transit networks and their
attributes
• Transit networks and placemaking
• Interaction between roadway
networks and transit networks

3. What’s a transit network?
Transit Network: the spatial configuration
of the individual lines of a transit system

4. What’s a sustainable transit network?

5. What’s a sustainable transit network?
• Enabling: people can travel without
depending on private vehicles

6. What’s a sustainable transit network?
• Enabling: people can travel without
depending on private vehicles
• Efficient: consumes least amount of
resources for what you get

7. What’s a sustainable transit network?
• Enabling: people can travel without
depending on private vehicles
• Efficient: consumes least amount of
resources for what you get
• Fast: allows for timely travel

8. What’s a sustainable transit network?
• Enabling: people can travel without
depending on private vehicles
• Efficient: consumes least amount of
resources for what you get
• Fast: allows for timely travel
• Affordable: can be maintained in all
economic climates

9. Transit Network Typologies
Amorphous Radial Grid Hub and Spoke

10. Transit Network Typologies

11. Amorphous Networks

12. Amorphous Networks

13. Amorphous Networks
• Confusing
• Difficult to coordinate transfers
• Not a network that you’d ordinarily
design
• May be all that can be done on
older street patterns

14. Radial Networks

17. Radial Networks

18. Radial Networks

19. Radial Networks

20. Radial Networks

21. Radial Networks

23. Radial Networks
• Ideal for serving one central activity
center
• Inflexible to changes in activity locations
• Access any point on network with a
single transfer
• Can require out-of-direction travel
• Poor continuity on grid street systems

24. Grid Networks

25. Grid Networks

26. Grid Networks
¼ mile walk
Spacing: 0.5 mile or less

27. Grid Networks
Frequency: 12 minutes or less

30. Grid Networks
• Ideal for area wide coverage
• Needs high density to justify frequent
service
• Best suited to grid street networks
• Greater likelihood of transfers
• Not convenient in low-density areas

31. Hub and Spoke Networks

32. Hub and Spoke Networks

33. Hub and Spoke Networks

35. Hub and Spoke Networks

37. 95%
5%
CBD

38. Hub and Spoke Networks
• Ideal for serving many activity centers
• Less frequent service can still be
attractive
• Relatively economical to operate
• Timed transfers are essential
• Transfer facilities should be of high
quality

39. Transit Network Typologies
Enabling
Efficient
to center
Fast elsewhere
Affordable

40. local bus
rapid transit
commuter
rail

41. Transit Networks and Placemaking

42. Transit Networks and Placemaking
Amorphous Radial Grid Hub and Spoke

43. Transit Networks and Placemaking
Amorphous Radial Grid Hub and Spoke

44. Transit Networks and Placemaking
bus line
rail line
CBD

45. Transit Networks and Placemaking
4 localities accessed directly
TOD?
CBD

46. Transit Networks and Placemaking
7 localities accessed directly
TOD?
CBD

47. Roadway vs. Transit Networks
Most forms of transit –
but not all –are
dependent on the
roadway network

48. Roadway vs. Transit Networks
Surface transit
needs roadways
to access
potential riders

49. Roadway vs. Transit Networks
Potential riders
need streets and
sidewalks to
access transit

50. Roadway vs. Transit Networks
Connectivity and
Density of the
roadway network
are critical to
transit

51. Network Connectivity

52. Network Connectivity

53. Network Connectivity

54. Network Connectivity

56. Network Connectivity

57. Network Connectivity

58. Network Connectivity

59. Network Density
1/4 mile

60. Network Density

61. Network Density
1/2 mile

64. Conclusions
• Networks are unseen; understand
the big picture before tinkering with
the details

65. Conclusions
• Networks are unseen; understand
the big picture before tinkering with
the details
• Sustainable transit networks must
be enabling, efficient, fast, and
affordable

66. Conclusions
• To serve one principle activity node:
- Radial transit network is best

67. Conclusions
• To serve one principle activity node:
- Radial transit network is best
• To serve many dispersed activity
nodes:

68. Conclusions
• To serve one principle activity node:
- Radial transit network is best
• To serve many dispersed activity
nodes:
– Grid: frequent transit service in dense
areas with grid street system

69. Conclusions
• To serve one principle activity node:
- Radial transit network is best
• To serve many dispersed activity
nodes:
– Grid: frequent transit service in dense
areas with grid street system
– Hub-and-Spoke: for most other
situations

70. Conclusions
• Connectivity: connected streets
permit transit to reach riders and
riders to reach transit

71. Conclusions
• Connectivity: connected streets
permit transit to reach riders and
riders to reach transit
• Density: streets suitable for transit
service should be spaced every
half mile to ensure an easy walk to
transit

72. Conclusions
• Intense activities should be located
near a transit network’s points of
confluence