www.mbta.com/betterbus Overview of the MBTA Bus Network • 10 MBTA bus garages • 175 directly-operated routes + 5 contracted bus routes 446,700 • 1,000+ MBTA buses daily trips • 1,500+ MBTA bus operators • Approximately half of all bus trips include a transfer About the Better Bus Project Evaluate the bus network against Goal: EVALUATE the January 2017 Service Delivery Policy. Understand the gap between today’s bus service and the Identify changes to each route to standards set by the January IDENTIFY better serve our bus customers. 2017 Service Delivery Policy. Outreach to communities, riders, Make recommendations to and municipalities to identify their OUTREACH needs and concerns. close the service gap that incorporates public engagement and municipal Develop plans and DEVELOP partnerships. recommendations. Begin to implement capital improvements in 2018 and service IMPLEMENT recommendations in 2019. Project Overview JAN 2018 JULY AUG – SEP SEP–OCT OCT–NOV DEC 2018 CONDUCT MARKET ANALYSIS IDENTIFY BUS IDENTIFY SERVICE IMPROVEMENT ADOPT BUS DEVELOP DEVELOP EVALUATE STRENGTHS, OPPORTUNITIES SERVICE PROJECT SCENARIOS AND VET WEAKNESSES, • SERVICE DESIGN IMPROVEMENT VISION (TIERS) SCENARIOS • SDP ISSUES, AND PLAN STANDARDS OPPORTUNITIES • TRANSIT PRIORITY EVALUATE EXISTING SERVICE STAKEHOLDER AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT Service Delivery Policy Objectives and Standards “More than a third of all MBTA trips are taken on buses. But an aging bus fleet, insufficient maintenance facilities, congested roads, and other problems – some of them beyond the MBTA’s control – means that these 446,700 daily riders, many of them of lower income and dependent upon bus service, frequently do not receive the service that they deserve or that would meet the MBTA’s own standards.” Focus40 State of the System Report, Bus. Service Delivery Policy The Service Delivery Policy was adopted in January 2017, establishing service delivery categories with targets that the Authority strives to achieve. Passengers should have a reasonable amount of personal Comfort space during their trips Passengers should be able to expect service to arrive when Reliability scheduled Passengers should be able to access transit within a Frequency reasonable waiting time Passengers should have confidence that service will operate Span during expected hours Coverage The geographic area where service is provided Improving Bus Service with Municipal Partnerships What municipalities can help What the MBTA can help with: with: Streets, signals, parking, curb Buses, bus stop placement management, sidewalk space, guidelines and management, intersections, enforcement bus schedules, fare payment structure Inform and Engage Watch for Take Opportunities Action PARTNERSHIP PROCESS Discuss Issues Connect with and Trade-offs Partners Transit Signal Priority Pilot Reduce time transit vehicles stop at traffic signals by: • Extending green-light-time or • Shortening red-light-time Transit Signal Priority helps: • Improve reliability • Reduce travel time • Increase network capacity • Enhance on-time performance 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Develop TSP software and pilot on TSP pilot corridors: Roll out to high individual signals ridership •Beacon Street, Brookline corridors •Commonwealth Avenue, Boston •Huntington Avenue, Boston •Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge •Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge/Watertown •Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington Bus Lane Project Examples Prospect St Somerville, MA Municipalities that are building, designing, or extending bus lanes: • Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge • Mt. Auburn St., Watertown • Mass Ave, Arlington • Broadway, Somerville • Broadway (extend), Everett • Washington St. (Roslindale), Boston • Salem St., Malden Broadway Everett, MA What Are Your Transit Priorities? Fix operational issues (reliability, missed trips, etc.) Provide more service USE OF RESOURCES vs. Improve existing routes, but preserve existing route structure Make major changes to routes and schedules MAGNITUDE vs. CHANGES OF Provide more service on existing routes Expand to new areas IMPROVE VS. vs. EXPAND Have some trips deviate off-route to serve special low volume destinations Keep trips on main route and have riders walk to low volume destinations ROUTE DEVIATIONS vs.