TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Salvador Llamas, General Manager/Chief Executive Officer
SUBJECT: AC Transit International Quick Build Project
BRIEFING ITEM
AGENDA PLANNING REQUEST: ☐
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider receiving the Before/After Project Implementation Analysis Report on the AC Transit International Quick Build Project.
Staff Contact:
Ramakrishna Pochiraju, Executive Director of Planning & Engineering
Body
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE:
Goal - Convenient and Reliable Service
Initiative - Service Quality
Transit Quick Build projects improve the rider experience by improving transit operations and reliability for specific locations where there is an acute need.
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this briefing report.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
International Boulevard has historically seen dangerous driving, collisions, fatalities, and excessive speeds along most of the corridor from 16th Avenue to 107th Avenue in Oakland, according to data and observations from the City of Oakland’s Department of Transportation (OakDOT). Since the TEMPO Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) began operation on August 9, 2020, these behaviors have continued and include illegal use of the center-running transit lane, speeding, illegal left turns, illegal U-turns, and queue cutting. Data supporting these observations are presented in this report.
The International Quick Build Project (Project) implemented surface treatments, including red paint, lane channelizers, and supplemental signage, at various locations along the BRT corridor. The Project also evaluated the effectiveness of deterring illegal and improper use of the transit-only lane, enhancing transit operations and reliability, and improving safety along the corridor. The evaluation is summarized in the attached report, which assesses conditions along International Boulevard in February 2024, before implementation of Quick Build treatments, and in February/May 2025, after implementation of Quick Build treatments. The report also summarizes conditions during an interim period in December 2024, when data were collected at 34th Avenue, 37th Avenue, and 40th Avenue prior to the installation of three speed cushions in the transit-only lane by OakDOT.
Data collection for all periods of the day included tube counts, field observations, and on-board transit observations to assess trends and magnitude of improper use of the transit lane, speed distribution, illegal turns, extent of queue cutting, and other improper traffic movements.
The Quick Build improvements implemented in this project significantly reduced non-transit volumes in the transit-only lanes, resulting in an 83% reduction in total transit lane volume. As a result of fewer non-transit vehicles in the transit lanes, average speeds in the transit lane decreased by nearly 5 miles per hour (mph). The percentage of vehicles in the transit lane traveling more than 10 mph above the speed limit before and after the project were 22% and 6%, respectively. The lower non-transit volumes and reduced speeding by violators in the transit lane have reduced conflicts for buses, improving overall operations of the Line 1T - Tempo Bus Rapid Transit.
Next Steps
Based on the positive outcomes of the Quick Build improvements, AC Transit anticipates administering a follow-up project to install a second phase of speed-reduction, illegal-turn-reduction, and transit-lane-violation-deterrence measures. The future phase will consider and evaluate channelizers in sections that did not receive treatments in this first phase, speed-reduction elements, and additional transit-lane paint and signage treatments. AC Transit and OakDOT will continue to partner on forthcoming projects along the corridor to collect collision and casualty data and confirm that the Quick Build improvements sustained improved safety on the corridor through overall vehicle speed reductions.
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:
There are measurable advantages with the installation of delineators and additional striping/signage along the corridor to discourage the illegal use of the transit lane. Together with OakDOT, staff were able to implement these transit improvements with minimal impacts and tradeoffs and with the measurable benefit as demonstrated on the Tempo Corridor. Outside of cost and ongoing maintenance, staff do not see any disadvantages to the Quick Build Project.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS:
There is no alternative analysis associated with this briefing report. Staff could have adjusted the quantity and type of roadway treatments; however, in conjunction with OakDOT, we determined the appropriate treatments given their effectiveness in other applications, the amount of capital funding available and the minimal impact to transit operations and the customer experience.
PRIOR RELEVANT BOARD ACTION/POLICIES:
• Staff Report 21-241 - Funding from the ACTC Comprehensive Investment Plan and the MTC Quick Strike Program
• Staff Report 22-107 - Authorization to issue an Invitation For Bid (IFB) for Construction Services associated with the Quick Build Project
• Staff Report 21-241 - Funding from the ACTC Comprehensive Investment Plan and the MTC Quick Strike Program
• Staff Report 22-107a - Delegation of one-time authority to award and execute a fixed price construction contract for the Quick Build Projects
• Board Policy 465 - Procurement Policy
ATTACHMENTS:
1. AC Transit International Quick Build - Before/After Implementation Analysis by KHA
2. International Boulevard Quick Build Initial Evaluation Findings
Prepared by:
Wil Buller, Traffic Engineer
Approved/Reviewed by:
Ramakrishna Pochiraju, Executive Director of Planning & Engineering
Aaron Vogel, Chief Operating Officer
Robert del Rosario, Director of Services Development & Planning