OPERATIONS PLANNING
1
The operations planning considers how to optimize BRT ridership, capacity, and service frequency. It involves understanding the existing travel demand and forecasting future demand of the proposed BRT services. The network of BRT routes is optimized and details of the BRT service plan are resolved, including BRT stop spacing, speed and capacity, and impacts on general traffic.6
DEMAND ANALYSIS Travel demand analysis involves considering where the existing public transport demand is concentrated and then estimating where there is potential future BRT demand. Some of the existing bus and rail demand between Everett, Boston, and surrounding areas is expected to transfer to a new BRT corridor. Some trips currently made on other modes may be drawn to the BRT, and finally the BRT services may induce some new BRT trips from Everett to new destinations. These elements combine to make up the forecasted BRT demand. The existing public transit demand is the most important factor in determining whether a corridor is appropriate for BRT.7 The existing transit riders using the corridor are most likely going to benefit from the BRT. Analysis of the potential BRT passenger demand between Everett and Boston is the foundation for subsequent corridor planning and design. The demand analysis will inform the infrastructure design, ensuring adequate capacity to efficiently handle future growth in ridership. The demand estimate will also dictate the vehicle size, fleet size, and BRT service plan.
DEVELOP AND REFINE EVERETT-BOSTON BRT DEMAND ESTIMATES There are six main steps to developing and refining the demand analysis for BRT between Everett and Boston: 1 Understand the existing public transport network; 2 Create a rapid demand assessment with passenger demand by link; 3 Use a travel demand model to create a more accurate BRT demand estimate; 4 Estimate the mode shift to BRT; 5 Determine the utility of the BRT corridor; 6 Quantify the risk and uncertainty of the demand analysis. 6
16
7
This operations planning section borrows heavily from the concepts in ITDP’s Online BRT Planning Guide. See Volume 2 for more detailed discussion of demand analysis, service planning, and corridor and station capacity (ITDP 2021). See Chapter 4 of the BRT Planning Guide (ITDP 2021) for more discussion about BRT travel demand analysis.
