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Douglas Street Busway BRT


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#21 Holden West

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Posted 02 December 2006 - 03:05 PM

A lot of urban bike lanes in Europe are enclosed by curbs, bollards or other physical barriers. Paris in particular does this a lot:



It's amazing to go to a place like Amsterdam and seeing [url=http://static.flickr.com/39/122161123_a0083b0a80.jpg?v=0:d4700]bikes, pedestrians, cars and trams[/url:d4700] all jumbled together harmoniously (pretty much, anyway!). It's like an intricately choreographed ballet.

Scooters? I don't know...they're too fast for the sidewalk and too slow for the bike lane. Sounds like just one more thing for bus drivers to watch out for.
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#22 gumgum

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Posted 02 December 2006 - 05:49 PM

They don't seem jumbled together harmoniously after you've just visited one of those coffee shops, believe me.

#23 Mike K.

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Posted 08 December 2006 - 10:58 AM

BIKES, BUSES BENEFIT
Gas tax rebate funds split between B.C. Transit and West Side Rail Trail


BY SANDRA MCCULLOCH Times Colonist staff

Those who commute by bikes and buses will benefit from a decision yesterday by the Capital Regional District board to split $11.3 million of gas tax rebate funds over five years between B.C. Transit and the proposed West Side Rail Trail that will connect the West Shore to downtown.

In passing the motion, directors pointed out that everyone benefits from reduced greenhouse gases when fewer single-passenger cars are on the road.

The directors decided against two other options that would have solely benefitted B.C. Transit or spread funds across transit, bicycle, pedestrian and roadway improvements.

After a morning discussion, the board members meeting in committee approved the 50-50 “compromise” option, later endorsed by a majority of the board. This means $5.65 million of the regional strategic priority fund will go to B.C. Transit and $5.65 million to the West Side Rail Trail and cycling strategy.

The transit money will ensure the success of the Douglas Street corridor project, designed to streamline bus service along the busy access route. The other funds will allow the region to complete the West Side Rail Trail and prepare a supporting cycling strategy ensuring the trail forms part of the transportation system.

“A compromise is good, because I was concerned about transit taking it all,” said John Luton, executive director of the Capital Bike & Walk Society, after the meeting.

“The West Side Rail Trail is very important and I want to see that supported, but I think [North Saanich Mayor] Ted Daly made some good points that we really haven’t established the regional role in supporting cycling and walking as transportation choices. “This is a project-focused decision.” Ron Drolet of B.C. Transit was delighted with the board’s decision despite the regional bus service not getting all the cash.

“The board was wrestling with all of the interests. I was sympathetic to the challenge of what’s the right balance between the various modes. What the board did today was acknowledge a very significant project for transit.”

The decision yesterday was part of the CRD’s TravelChoices Strategy, adopted in April 2005 as the region’s first transportation strategy.

It’s expected to become the foundation for future mega-projects such as mass transit systems.

The goal is to improve mobility and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

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#24 G-Man

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Posted 27 December 2006 - 02:05 PM

God could you imagine if we let these bureaucrats build LRT!!!

If it takes this long to lay a couple of rows of cement down Douglas Street i can't imagine what would happen with rail lines.


From the December meeting of Victoria Transit Commission

Status of median busway
In the feasibility review of transit priority options, a median busway was found to increase transit operating benefits by 55% over a ten year horizon compared to corridor operations with only central traffic control and active transit signal priority. The present value of total net benefits was increased by $12 million through the addition of the busway.

The Commission at its meeting of September 9, 2006 resolved to apply for funding to construct the median busway from Public Transit Agreement funds designated for enhanced transit infrastructure. This funding program has provided $5.1 million of the preliminary budget of $6.6 million needed to build the busway and add other service
enhancing features such as improved transit information and service identity features. Staff are finalizing the terms of the contract with UBCM and it is expected that these funds will be available to start the project early in the new year. Staff are also finalizing consulting contracts needed to undertake the preliminary design of the facility. There are many significant issues to be resolved in this process including station location, business access and parking, transfers to local transit, and accessibility issues.
A draft work plan has been developed for the project (Attachment 1). The work plan involves two major stages. The first completes the planning of the project including assessment of station locations and impacts, traffic assessment, transit operations plans and other significant site issues. The results of this first stage will be a detailed plan for consideration by the Ministry of Transportation, District of Saanich, City of Victoria and the Commission.
The remainder of the project develops the design details such as platform treatments, signage, detailed traffic operations plans. At the end of this stage, a design plan is available which will be used as the basis of a detailed design/build tender for construction.
It is estimated that the completion of the preliminary design stages of the project should be completed over the next nine months. Construction of the busway should proceed in 2008.

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#25 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 27 December 2006 - 02:56 PM

It seems to me that tripling of the frequency of busses down Douglas during rush hours, and doubling other times would serve the same purpose.
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#26 renthefinn

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Posted 29 December 2006 - 02:29 AM

I say they should just build the train and quit wasting their time with the stupid buses!

#27 Mike K.

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Posted 29 December 2006 - 02:04 PM

Yeesh, one year to accomplish what should have been accomplished a year go?

Transit knew it would receive funding and transit knew that it had to plan this stuff out. Instead BCT waits two years so construction, material and other costs increase over two years.

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#28 G-Man

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Posted 05 January 2007 - 01:05 PM

Watch Those Buses

By Brennan Clarke
Victoria News
Jan 05 2007

Smart signals to speed up commute

If you’re looking for a way to make every green light on Douglas Street during rush hour this year, try staying abreast of the nearest BC Transit bus.

This month, BC Transit will begin testing a high-tech signal management system that allows buses on the busy commuter route to “communicate” with computerized traffic lights.

Computer chips installed in the buses advise the traffic lights they are approaching. The lights respond by turning green or staying green until the bus has passed through the intersection.

The system isn’t slated to be fully running until March 1, but BC Transit spokesman Ron Drolet said motorists may see a difference sooner than that.

“It will be noticeable to the eagle-eyed motorist. They might notice the lights turning green faster and staying green longer,” Drolet said. “It’s designed for buses, but the models show we will get better traffic movement overall.”

The $2.9-million project is being funded by a $2 million federal-provincial grant secured by the City of Victoria two years ago, along with about $900,000 in capital set aside by BC Transit.

Drolet called the computerized lights “the first step toward building a transit corridor” between downtown Victoria and Town & Country shopping centre.

“That’s the platform you need anyway for the physical stuff that comes later,” Drolet said. “You can’t implement one of these bus priority projects when you don’t have the lights in sync.”

The transit corridor project calls for two of Douglas Street’s six lanes to be dedicated to buses. The lanes would be separated from regular traffic by curbs or fences, with crosswalks connecting centre-lane bus stops to roadside walkways. Last spring, BC Transit applied for a $5.15-million grant to build the corridor, through a new federal program aimed at funnelling gas tax revenues back to municipalities for “green” infrastructure projects.

Drolet said indications are the grant will be approved.

“I can’t make the announcement for them, but I can tell you the application has met all of the criteria, so we’re expecting some good news on that soon,” Drolet said.

The project’s total cost will be about $6 million. Drolet said BC Transit plans to cobble together the remaining funds from various sources.

If all goes according to plan, work will begin on the corridor by the end of this year, Drolet said.

mailto:bclarke@vincews.com

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#29 rayne_k

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Posted 23 January 2007 - 07:17 PM

I realise that this is probably more geared towards larger cities - like Vancouver with it's B-Line system - but this looks to be an interesting nod to bus systems for some cities:

http://www.uitp.com/home/index.cfm

The International Association of Public Transit will be having it's Bus Conference in Bogota (last ones were in Brisbane and Maastricht) - highlighting the Transmilenio bus system I suppose. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TransMilenio

Wonder if Translink will be sending anyone? I think they should... I think that this is great option where nimbys are too loud and powerful - or money tight. [

#30 G-Man

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Posted 24 January 2007 - 09:20 AM

Here is the Douglas Street BRT update from last VTC meeting:

[url=http://www.bctransit.com/regions/vic/news/commission/pdf/cmtg-ri-366.pdf:e7d7e]Douglas Priority Project[/url:e7d7e]

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#31 Mike K.

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Posted 24 February 2007 - 06:56 PM

Buses to take centre of Douglas
$5 million in federal gas tax money to put transit in middle lanes


BY BILL CLEVERLEY Times Colonist staff

More than $5 million in federal gas tax money was doled out yesterday to B.C. Transit to build dedicated bus lanes in the centre of Douglas Street between downtown Victoria and Saanich Road.

Under the $6.6-million plan, the two centre lanes of the six lanes along much of Douglas will become busonly lanes. Stations will be built along the route, in the centre of the road, for passengers to catch the buses.

B.C. Transit, which will pay for the rest of the project, says the lanes will give buses a leg up on traffic.

“If you can go 50 kilometres an hour even in rush hour, except for stopping at two or three stations compared to what you’re doing now [it will be faster],” said Mike Davis, B.C. Transit manager of planning and scheduling. “We’re finding it’s a real grind at four o’clock getting from Pandora up to Saanich Road and then you get into the mess on the highway.”

Davis said the transit corridor is being designed as closely as possible to a plan for light rail transit done in 1996, so that when funds become available tracks can be laid and electrical cables strung.

Design of the corridor — including station locations, bike lanes, business access, parking, signs, and pedestrian and vehicle safety — is underway. Designs will be presented to Victoria and Saanich councils this fall with construction to start in 2008, said Ron Drolet, B.C. Transit senior vice-president of customer service.

The new bus lanes are the second phase of the Douglas Street transit priority project. By the end of next month, B.C. Transit will have completed the $3-million first phase that has equipped buses and traffic signals along Douglas with equipment that will allow them to “talk” to each other — thus enabling transit drivers to reduce their wait times at lights.

Over the next five or 10 years, B.C. Transit hopes to develop priority rights-of-way for buses from downtown Victoria to Langford, the Saanich Peninsula and the University of Victoria.

Priority lanes such as those on Douglas Street could be adopted in congested areas, Davis said.

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#32 G-Man

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Posted 25 February 2007 - 08:33 AM

It blows my mind that they are still not actually doing this. I went to a public open house for this over a year ago. They had plans there! Real plans. I mean the whole implementation is under 20 million dollars for two complete BRT routes but instead we have to wait for it to be phased in over the next 10 years. This is disgusting. They could have the whole system ready in 1 year with the money from the province. Even now the first phase is still not done and the second phase will not even be started till next year! What a friggin joke! Vancouver is getting 2 x 1 billion dollar transit lines and we cannot even have service equivalent to their 3 BRT lines dones in less than 10 years!!

A little math comes up with 952 dollars percaptia is being spent on the two transit lines. An equal spending in Victoria over the same time period would 333 million dollars. Yet we cannot even get 20 million for BRT to be built.

Alright that is my transit rant for the month.

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#33 m0nkyman

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Posted 25 February 2007 - 08:57 AM

LRT to the western communities should be the target for ten years out, not a half-assed Bus Not-So-Rapid Transit.

This is so weak.

#34 G-Man

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Posted 25 February 2007 - 09:01 AM

They should be planning to have complete BRT with stations built and have it running to Swartz bay and the airport by the time the olympics comes around but current schedule does not complete the penninsula line until 2012 or 14.

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#35 m0nkyman

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Posted 25 February 2007 - 10:58 AM



#36 Icebergalley

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Posted 25 February 2007 - 11:40 AM

LRT to the western communities should be the target for ten years out, not a half-assed Bus Not-So-Rapid Transit.

This is so weak.



Now LRT is into it's 11't year since the routing studies were done in 1996.

Had the powers that decide got going on LRT 5 years ago, much of the planning and engineering would have been done and what ever was agreed to could have started..

My fear with the BRT is that it will just keep on running on rubber tires and fossil fuel and nickle and dime the transportation system to death...

Once it's in place will the people and the powers that decide be willing to have the service disrupted while it is retrofitted for modern street cars on rail with an electric propulsion.. This is a 25-30 year old solution from Ottawa...

#37 Icebergalley

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Posted 25 February 2007 - 11:52 AM

A little math comes up with 952 dollars percaptia is being spent on the two transit lines. An equal spending in Victoria over the same time period would 333 million dollars. Yet we cannot even get 20 million for BRT to be built.

Alright that is my transit rant for the month.


And, with capital projects, you don't need the whole 300 - 400 Million today..

You need a commitment to a plan, know where your going, budget the cash flow to do the job, so that you don't sit by, and nickel and dime the system to death on an annual basis by throwing cash at problems....

With a commitment to a plan you can promise that the short term problems will go away when the construction of an integrated transportation (transit) system is completed...

#38 m0nkyman

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Posted 25 February 2007 - 12:01 PM

This is a 25-30 year old solution from Ottawa...


That should read "This is a 25-30 year old failed idea from Ottawa...". One that I predicted fifteen years ago. The congestion in the core of Ottawa is unsustainable and BRT does not alleviate, rather it adds to the problem. Bottom line. Transit needs to dig in the core, and it needs to do it before it's necessary, because by the time it's necessary, it's too late.

#39 Mike K.

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Posted 25 February 2007 - 12:52 PM

Can 5,000 potential riders that live in the western communities support a $400+ million LRT to their low-density suburbs? Perhaps in 20 years, but not now.

BRT operated along dedicated rights of way will be sufficient for the ridership and population we have between the core and the west.

How does Seattle's underground downtown busway perform? Are there any major problems with it?

From nycsubway.com

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#40 m0nkyman

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Posted 25 February 2007 - 12:56 PM

Can 5,000 potential riders that live in the western communities support a $400+ million LRT to their low-density suburbs? Perhaps in 20 years, but not now.


And how long do you think it will take to get the LRT planned, pushed through the various city councils, the rights of way put together etc. ?

The time to start is now.

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