TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Michael A. Hursh, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
SUBJECT: Board Policy 501 Update
BRIEFING ITEM
AGENDA PLANNING REQUEST: ☐
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Receive a report on the process and guiding principles for updating Board Policy 501 governing the District’s bus stops.
Staff Contact:
Ramakrishna Pochiraju, Executive Director of Planning & Engineering
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
Goal - Convenient and Reliable Service
Initiative - Service Quality
AC Transit currently operates across more than 20 cities and unincorporated areas in Alameda County and the East Bay, serving a network of 5,600 bus stops throughout its service area. Bus Stops represent the “front door” to AC Transit’s service and decisions regarding their placement and condition affect riders’ access to the service as well as the operation of the service itself. The Policy was last updated in 2019 and staff are updating the policy to reflect the latest in best practices, and customer and operational needs to ensure it is consistent with District goals and bus stop-related activities.
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no budgetary impact associated with updating the bus stop policy beyond regular staff time. This work falls within the boundaries of routine staff work responsibilities and can be completed using existing staff capacity. If the updated policy results in broad changes to the District’s bus stops, those changes could result in a future capital cost.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
Board Policy No. 501: Bus Stop Guidelines, sets forth AC Transit’s guidelines for future bus stop placement regarding spacing, location, and accessibility. The policy is due for its five-year update to clarify bus stop policy elements and reflect the most recent goals of the District, aligning with the needs and preferences of AC Transit riders. Specifically, the goals of this update include making the policy more customer-focused, addressing safety concerns that affect bus stop placement, ensuring rider access to the District’s service network, improving operations, and easing navigation between different bus stop related documents (including the Bus Stop Furniture Guidelines, Administrative Regulation 501A, Transit Supportive Design Guidelines, and more).
This Policy update will be informed by the following Guiding Principles (in no particular order):
• Safety: Ensuring the safety of riders, operators, and pedestrians by implementing measures to mitigate risks and hazards at bus stops. This includes bus stop placement in well-lit areas with clear signage and designated waiting areas to prevent incidents and enhance security.
• Comfort: Enhancing the comfort of riders by creating welcoming and pleasant environments at bus stops. This involves providing amenities such as seating and shelter to offer respite from weather elements and facilitate a more enjoyable waiting experience. Also ensuring cleanliness and aesthetic enhancements can contribute to a positive rider experience at bus stops.
• Accessibility: Ensuring that bus stops are strategically located to serve the needs of riders, with consideration given to proximity to residential areas, employment centers, schools, and other key destinations. Evaluating bus stop placement with consideration for the needs of diverse rider demographics, including seniors, families and children, and individuals with disabilities or mobility challenges.
• Feasibility: The feasibility of a bus stop location hinges on critical factors such as ADA compliance, visibility, sidewalk conditions, and supporting land uses. Community input plays a pivotal role in this assessment, as local residents, businesses, and organizations offer valuable insights into the practicality of the proposed bus stop placement. Their perspectives help gauge factors such as accessibility, safety concerns, and impacts on their daily lives. Positive community input can bolster the feasibility of a bus stop placement by affirming its alignment with local needs and preferences. On the other hand, community opposition or concerns may signal potential challenges or unaddressed issues, causing staff to reconsider the viability of the proposed bus stop placement.
• Reliability: Optimizing the reliability of bus service at the bus stop level involves implementing measures to minimize wait times and provide consistent service for riders waiting at bus stops. This includes optimizing bus stop placement and design to facilitate efficient boarding and alighting processes, reducing dwell times, and streamlining rider flow. In addition, staff will need to strategically develop policy around the spacing of bus stops to find the balance between rider accessibility and service reliability.
These principles were developed after a review of peer transit agencies’ bus stop policies and recommended approaches by transportation associations including the American Public Transit Association (APTA) and National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO). The updated policy will aim to provide clear guidance for bus stop design and placement decisions.
In addition to following these Guiding Principles, staff will develop a decision-making process for evaluating changes to bus stops, so that the policy is clear on which bus stop criteria are necessary to follow and which are more for guidance.
In terms of process, the Service Planning team will be collaborating closely with internal stakeholders across the District, with a particular focus on the Bus Stop Committee. This committee comprises AC Transit cross-functional team members from various departments including Safety, Transportation, Operations, Marketing and Communications, Legal, Legislative Affairs and Community Relations, Maintenance, Scheduling, Supervision, Service Planning, and Long-Range Planning. The group will provide suggestions on changes to the existing policy, insight into what works and doesn’t, and feedback on drafts.
Staff will also conduct community and external outreach to engage relevant stakeholders and partners, and ensure their viewpoints, feedback, and priorities are incorporated into the updated bus stop Policy.
The Policy update timeline is divided into five key phases:
1. Create the project charter, conduct a peer review of other agencies’ bus stop policies, develop guiding principles, and gather internal feedback. The project charter is an internal staff document that guides the policy development process. (Feb-Mar 2024).
2. Develop the Draft Policy based on internal stakeholder feedback (Mar-Apr 2024).
3. Gather internal and external stakeholder feedback and incorporate feedback into the Draft Policy (Apr-Jun 2024).
4. Bring the Draft Policy to the Board of Directors for feedback (Jun 2024)
5. Finalize the Policy by incorporating feedback from the Board and present the final Policy for the Board of Directors for consideration and approval (Jul 2024).
The project is currently in Phase 1, which is focused on gathering internal feedback, conducting peer reviews of transit agencies and relevant stakeholders to learn best practices, and developing the Guiding Principles to help inform the Policy update. This report serves as an informational update to the Board, as the process of reviewing and updating the existing policy begins.
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:
Advantages - Updating the Policy allows the District to provide bus stops that better serve riders, prioritize their needs, and improve the rider experience while aligning with the Guiding Principles of Safety, Comfort, Accessibility, Feasibility, and Reliability. The updated policy will also provide a more effective framework for evaluating bus stops and decision-making for AC Transit staff.
Disadvantages - While we do not anticipate any disadvantages with the Policy update, the updated Policy may present new tradeoffs and unforeseen challenges during the bus stop placement decision-making process.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS:
The only alternative to updating the policy is to continue to use the existing policy; however, the District strives to update Board Policies every five years and there have been discussions about bus stop-related issues that are not covered by the current policy. Therefore, staff elected to move forward with updating the policy.
PRIOR RELEVANT BOARD ACTION/POLICIES:
Board Policy 501: Bus Stop Guidelines
Administrative Regulation 501A: Bus Stops
SR 19-201: Bus Stop Policy Update
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Staff Presentation
Prepared by:
Samah Itani - Assistant Transportation Planner
Approved/Reviewed by:
Robert del Rosario, Director of Service Development and Planning
Ramakrishna Pochiraju, Executive Director of Planning & Engineering
Linda A. Nemeroff, Board Administrative Officer/District Secretary