The Quickway Proposal is a community-based effort to create a world-class transit system for San Diego. In part 1 of this presentation, we introduce the need for a new plan and show the influences and concepts behind the Quickway Proposal.

1. SAN DIEGO CITIZENS’
Quickway Proposal
FOR A FASTER & MORE EFFECTIVE RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM
Why? How?
Produced for
1
The Scripps Ranch/Miramar Ranch North Traffic Reduction Project and Move San Diego, Inc.
by The Mission Group, San Diego, California
AUGUST 2014
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 1 © 2008 by The Mission Group

2. We Need to Improve Access for All
More Pervasive
System =
Easier Access
Lower Costs
Higher
Frequencies
More
Convenience
Better
Integration with
Destinations
Families Don’t
Need as Many
Cars!
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 2

3. What Do We Need Transit to Do?
Better serve
dependent
populations
Attract people
who would
otherwise
drive
AND
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 3

4. Don’t we have a plan to do that?
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 4

5. SANDAG’s Regional
Transportation Plan
2050 (RTP)
A 40-year, $214 billion plan.
$20.4 billion (2010 $)
in new transit capital
projects.
$19.4 billion (2010 $)
for transit operations.
Major projects include new
Trolley (light rail) lines,
Arterial “rapid bus,”
Freeway-based
“Bus Rapid Transit,” and
Streetcar lines.
© 2014 by The Mission Group San Diego Quickway Proposal—Part I: Why? How? 5

6. Sounds extensive.
So what’s the problem?
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 6

7. “The Trolley is
really popular
with San
Diegans…
…they’re just
not riding it.”
— Job Nelson, reporting on
the KPBS/Competitive
Edge Survey of San
Diegans, Full Focus,
July 2005
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 7

8. “Choice Riders” on the Trolley
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
% of Trolley
Riders Who
“Had an Auto
Available” for
Their Trip
Source: SANDAG
Just
35%
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 8

9. Income Level of Transit Riders
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
MTS
Bus
Below
$15k
Light
Rail
$15k -
<$25k
Commuter
$25k -
<$50k
Rail
$50k -
<$75k
Freeway
Bus
$75k -
<$100k
$100k
and Up
The San
Diego Trolley
(light rail)
attracts the
identical low-income
market of the
MTS Bus.
Source:
SANDAG, “Results of
the 2009 Onboard
Transit Passenger
Survey for the San
Diego Region,”
(February, 2011).
Household
Income
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 9

10. Transit needs to attract
and serve all income groups,
not just the poorest or wealthiest
members of our society.
We can’t just keep
doing more of the same.
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 10

11. What about freeway-based Bus
Rapid Transit (BRT) and Rapid
Bus projects in our Regional
Transportation Plan?
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 11

12. San Diego Freeway-Based BRT
Out-of-direction travel
Stations far from
destinations
Passenger-unfriendly stations
Lack of infrastructure once
off freeway leads to delays,
poor customer experience.
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 12

13. San Diego Freeway-Based BRT
the carpool lanes were backed up to
state Route 163.
the carpool lanes were backed up to
state Route 163.
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 13

14. When the freeway is blocked:
Transit = FAIL!
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 14

15. Arterial Rapid Bus: High Speed?
SDSU to
Santa Fe Depot
Distance: 9.5 miles
Travel Time: 38 mins
Average Speed: 15 mph
Travel Time
on Trolley: 32 mins
Our approach
to “Rapid Bus”
is still… slow.
From the official Rapid Bus website:
Mid-City Rapid will be a high-speed,
limited-stop bus service between San Diego
State University and Downtown San Diego…
a fast and reliable way to get around…
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 15

16. So how did you go about
creating a better alternative?
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 16

17. Development
Community
Apply Global Best
Practices to Transit
Planning in San Diego
Community
Groups
Apply Market
Research Findings
to Transit System
Design
Environmental
Community
Create a FASTER,
More CONVENIENT,
Better LOCATED, and
More COST-EFFECTIVE
System
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 17

18. The Quickway Project Team
GCI Pty., Ltd.
Brisbane, Australia
Planning & Design of
Quickway System
Wendel-Duchscherer
A&E, Inc.
Buffalo, New York
Alignment Planning
& Capital Cost Model
Brisbane City
Enterprises
Brisbane, Australia
Planning and Routing
of Bus Networks
The Mission Group
San Diego
Local Counterpart
& Coordination
Smart Mobility, Inc.
Vermont
Ridership
Modeling
McCormick-Rankin
International, Inc.
Toronto, Canada
Operational Analysis
& Refinement
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 18

19. Brisbane: A Model City
“Brisbane is now at the leading edge in
urban mass transit… the new busway… will attract
international attention for the level of
quality and customer focus that [has been]
incorporated.”
— Hans Rat, Secretary General
International Public
Transport Association (IUTP)
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 19

20. Brisbane has been developing
a Quickway network, a set of
grade-separated busways (no
cross traffic) that have proven
more effective than any freeway-based
bus system or light rail
system at attracting riders.
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 20

21. Brisbane—Quickways
Why Quickways?
Grade-separated
busways
(Quickways),
support trolley-like
AND express
services:
- Faster trips
- Less waiting
- Lower costs
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 21

22. Grade separation = no cross
traffic, leading to faster and
more reliable travel times.
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 22

23. Tunnels and fly-overs let transit
avoid congestion and place
stations in optimal locations.
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 23

24. San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 24

25. San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 25

26. In this case, a hospital wing
was built floating over the
Quickway station, which was
integrated into the hospital.
This tight integration drives
ridership higher.
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 26

27. San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 27

28. Because Quickways aggregate
many routes together,
frequencies are high—and
waiting times tend to be much
shorter than on equivalent light
rail or BRT systems.
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 28

29. This underground station in
Brisbane’s downtown keeps
passengers separated from
transit vehicles.
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 29

30. Passengers board
buses through
sliding glass doors.
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 30

31. Comparison: Peak Passengers/Hour
at the Busiest Spot during the Busiest Hour in the Peak Direction
7,800 18,000 2,700
6-Lane Freeway Southeast Busway
(2-lane)
SD
Trolley
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 31

32. 160%
140%
120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
Brisbane: Ridership Growth
+ 60%
2003 2009
The creation of
just 13 miles of
Quickway
enabled
Brisbane to
support a
robust express
network that
led to a massive
increase in
transit
ridership.
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 32

33. The Secret: Express Service
Regional Express Service
“Trolley-Like” Service
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 33

34. The Secret: Express Service
Express services skip most
stations using passing lane.
Local “Trolley-like” services
stop at every station.
One Infrastructure = Lower Cost!
© 2014 by The Mission Group San Diego Quickway San Proposal—Diego Quickway Part I: Why? Proposal How? 34

35. The Quickway Proposal
is modeled on Brisbane’s
successful approach to
transit for a dispersed
metro area.
San Diego Quickway Proposal—© 2014 by The Mission Group Part I: Why? How? 35