The document discusses transportation challenges facing Sunnyvale, California and proposals to implement bus rapid transit (BRT) along El Camino Real. It outlines how cities have historically addressed congestion through traffic engineering models that fail to account for induced demand. The document then analyzes four alternatives for El Camino Real, ranging from doing nothing to implementing full BRT. Full BRT is estimated to reduce travel times by 80% and increase ridership by 23%, while partially dedicated bus lanes and mixed traffic solutions offer more modest benefits. The document calls for community participation in planning a sustainable, socially inclusive, and economically dynamic transportation future for El Camino Real.
4. Where is congestion from?
■Cities have faced congestion for a centuries
–As cities succeed in attracting people from other places, congestion occurs
–Congestion is an economic issue: demand > supply
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Silicon Valley Semiconductor Wafer
Source: Ria Hutabarat Lo
Manchester Murray’s Mills, 1831
Source: thehumanjourney.net
5. How have we dealt with congestion?
■Western cities historically addressed traffic like sewage
–The first Western traffic engineers were sanitation engineers
–Gravity models atomistic travel demand models
–Fluid dynamics vehicle flow
■Traffic engineering approaches were institutionalized
–Travel demand models to predict
–Design standards to help provide
–Metrics to measure performance
■The institutions have been biased and incomplete
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6. What are transportation institutions?
1. Trip Generation
(pop & jobs by zone)
2. Trip Distribution
(gravity model)
3. Mode Split
(fn trip type, income…)
4. Route Assignment
(based on travel times)
4-STEP MODEL
7. What is the problem with predictions?
S1
Travel time (cost)
Q, Traffic Flow (veh/hour)
Q1
T1
D1
Q2
T2
S2
T1b
INDUCED TRAVEL DEMAND
8. What is the problem with predictions?
D1
S1
S2
Travel time (cost)
Q, Traffic Flow (veh/hour)
D3
Q1
Q2
Q3
T1
T2
T1b
T3
INDUCED TRAVEL DEMAND + INDUCED INVESTMENT
9. What are transportation institutions? HCM’s LOS
Level of Service (LOS)
Signalized Intersection
Unsignalized Intersection
A
≤10 sec
≤10 sec
B
10-20 sec
10-15 sec
C
20-35 sec
15-25 sec
D
35-55 sec
25-35 sec
E
55-80 sec
35-50 sec
F
≥80 sec
≥50 sec
10. Traffic engineering:
F
A
A
F
Economics :
Photo: http://www.partyearth.com/boston/festivals/berklee-beantown-jazz-festival- 1/the-2013-berklee-beantown-jazz-festival-1/
Photo: John Welch, http://thettablog.blogspot.com/2010/05/boston- may-22-noon-very-bright.html
What is the problem with performance measures?
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11. What are the results of this approach?
■Roads are widened & designed for fast traffic
■Cities are still congested
■Places are auto-oriented
■Can’t go places without car
■Injury, emissions, inactivity & isolation
■Worst impacts on the poor, people with disabilities, seniors & children
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Source: FHWA
12. Is there another way to deal with transportation problems?
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14. Destinations in Silicon Valley
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■ Where are:
– jobs?
– services?
– people’s homes?
■ Are destinations
– connected to each
other?
– walkable?
– concentrated around
transit?
Adaptive Cities
e.g. Stockholm, Copenhagen, Tokyo, Singapore
Source: Robert Cervero, Transit Metropolis
15. Why do we need rapid transit?
■Santa Clara County will add 600k residents, 300k jobs by 2040
■Which mode do we want for additional trips on El Camino Real?
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Source: Cycling Promotion Fund
16. What is Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)?
■Unique branding
■Widely-spaced “station stops” with amenities
–realtime bus arrival information
■Good ped/bike connections
■Coordination with connecting services
■Signal timing, signal priority, queue jump
■Frequent service
■Low-floor, multi-door boarding
■Off-board fare collection
■Dedicated lanes
Full BRT Rapid Bus
17. What are the BRT proposals & impacts for El Camino Real?
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18. Alphabet Soup and El Camino Real
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■Regional agencies (MTC/ABAG) developed Plan Bay Area 2013
–Plan Bay Area identified Priority Development Areas (PDAs), including El Camino Real
■VTA is pursuing a BRT project on El Camino Real
–Releasing DEIS, October 2014
–Presenting locally preferred alternative, February 2015
■Grand Boulevard Initiative (GBI) recognized VTA’s El Camino BRT project 2013
–Revitalize El Camino Real
–Create nodes for economic and housing opportunities
–Create walkable, bikeable, transit-friendly Complete Street
Source: VTA 2014
19. Alternative 1: Do Nothing
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Source: VTA 2014
20. VTA’s estimate impacts of Alternative 1: Do Nothing
■Transit quality: speeds & on-time reliability decline
■Transit ridership: grows with population and jobs
■Auto speed & capacity: unchanged, road retains same feel
■Safety: No improvements
■Cost: $0 (capital) + $0.8 million (operating)
■Farebox recovery: no change
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Source: VTA 2014
21. Alternative 2: Mixed Flow
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Source: VTA 2014
22. Alternative 3A: Do Nothing / Mixed Flow+
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Source: VTA 2014
23. Alternative 3B: Mixed Flow+
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Source: VTA 2014
24. VTA’s estimate impacts of Alternative 2: Mixed Flow
■Transit quality: 9% faster than Do Nothing
■Transit ridership: grows 4% faster than Do Nothing
■Auto speed & capacity: unchanged, road retains same feel
■Safety: Curb bulbouts shorten crossings at stations
■Cost: Measure A (capital), $1.9 million saving (operating)
■Farebox recovery: grows $0.9 million
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Source: VTA 2014
25. Alternative 4A: Partial Dedicated Lanes
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Source: VTA 2014
26. Alternative 4B: Partial Dedicated Lanes
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Source: VTA 2014
27. Alternative 4C: Full BRT
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Source: VTA 2014
28. VTA’s estimate impacts of Alternative 4: Dedicated Lanes
■Transit quality: 80% faster, frequent, reliable
■Transit ridership: grows 23% faster than Do Nothing
■Auto speed & capacity: 7% slower, route shifting in peak
■Safety: Bike lanes, shorter & new signalized crossings
■Funding: Msr A + $75M FTA (capital), $7M saving (operating)
■Farebox recovery: up to $1.5 M
■
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Source: VTA 2014
30. Where to now?
■We all have an opportunity to participate in the production of space and the future of El Camino Real
■Participate in the planning process, talk with leaders and people in your community
■Consider the values with which we plan this space:
–Ecological sustainability?
–Social inclusion?
–Economic dynamism?
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