TO: AC Transit Board of Directors
FROM: Michael A. Hursh, General Manager
SUBJECT: Update to Board Policy No. 501 - Bus Stops
ACTION ITEM
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
Title
Consider approving amendments to Board Policy 501 - Bus Stop Policy, which establishes standards for bus stop spacing, location, length, and accessibility.
Body
BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT:
There are no budgetary or fiscal impacts associated with this report.
BACKGROUND/RATIONALE:
Currently, Board Policy 501: Bus Stops - adopted on December 12, 1989 and amended in September 2005 - establishes standards for bus stops, including location, spacing, enforcement, and installation or removal. There have been no changes to this policy that reflect the District’s best practices with respect to bus stop standards since that last update in 2005.
In response, staff is proposing amendments to Policy 501: Bus Stops, to include Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stop spacing. Staff has also updated the policy to reflect Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and bus stop location requirements.
In addition to the updated policy, staff has prepared an update of Administrative Regulation 501A: Bus Stops, to reflect these changes and more clearly define roles and process for implementing bus stops.
There are many factors that determine bus stop placement. Overall, District staff will be able to make informed decisions - backed by the updated standards included in Policy 501: Bus Stops - when working with internal staff. Moreover, with the updated policy in place, recommendations and requests made about bus stops by District staff will hold more weight in decisions with local jurisdictions.
In updating Policy 501: Bus Stops, District staff received feedback through multiple organized meetings with Service Planning Staff, Long-Range Planning Staff, the District’s Traffic Engineer, the ADA Services Team, the Title VI Program Coordinator, Legislative Affairs & Community Relations, Marketing & Communications, Customer Relations, Scheduling, Safety Team, the Pole Crew, department directors and executives, the General Counsel, and the General Manager.
District planning staff presented these changes and received feedback at the following meetings:
• Bus Stop Policy Kick-Off Meetings,
• Bus Stop Committee (BSC),
• Service Planning and Operations Committee (SPOC),
• Drivers’ Committee,
• Accessibility Advisory Committee (AAC),
• General Counsel Meetings, and
• Executive Directors Meetings
ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES:
The advantage of adopting amendments to Board Policy 501 is to establish an updated set of basic standards for bus stop placement that District staff and local jurisdictions can reference.
There are no known disadvantages.
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS:
One alternative is to leave the policy as it is now; however, leaving the policy in its current form leaves out significant changes in how AC Transit handles stops moving forward and would limit the number of treatments available to the District and prevent the District from using updated stop spacing guidelines.
PRIOR RELEVANT BOARD ACTION/POLICIES:
GM Memo No. 05-176a - Recommendations for bus stop removals on Lines 40, 43 and 51, and the adoption of revisions to Board Policy No. 508.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Proposed Amendment to Board Policy No. 501: Bus Stop Policy
2. Current Version of Board Policy 501
Approved by:
Ramakrishna Pochiraju, Executive Director of Planning & Engineering
Denise C. Standridge, General Counsel
Reviewed by:
Robert del Rosario, Director of Services Development and Planning
Derik Calhoun, Director of Transportation
Cecil O. Blandon, Director of Maintenance
Michele Joseph, Director of Marketing and Communications
Claudia Burgos, Director of Legislative Affairs & Community Relations
Prepared by:
Carissa Lee, Transportation Planner