INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN
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This section describes the steps for planning the BRT corridor busways, stations, intersections, and garages.48 While specific roadway and station design considerations are presented for each segment of the corridor, this section does not address detailed civil engineering or construction, which are beyond the scope of this roadmap.
ROADWAY AND STATION CONFIGURATIONS ROADWAY CROSS-SECTION As an older city with narrow streets, Everett’s task of incorporating BRT along the Broadway corridor is difficult. North of Revere Beach Parkway, Broadway is only 65 feet wide between property lines and just 42 to 44 feet wide between curbs. In considering how to accommodate BRT lanes on the Everett corridor, ITDP has made several assumptions, including: (1) changing the curb lines is not feasible, since it would require a full-depth reconstruction of the roadway and associated drainage, and (2) widening the road is unacceptable, since it would encroach upon street trees and the pedestrian environment. This roadway width of 42 feet to 44 feet requires significant compromises to prioritize transit and accommodate other users, especially since there are no nearby parallel roadways in the corridor. Dedicated BRT lanes that are physically separated from general traffic provide the best protection for buses from delays caused by mixed traffic.49 Low barriers like curbs can still be mounted by buses or emergency vehicles, but they discourage other vehicles from entering the bus-only lanes. In Boston, the choice of BRT lane separator should take into consideration snow removal operations.
BUSWAY CONFIGURATIONS In general, best practices dictate, and ITDP recommends, aligning the dedicated BRT lanes to the center of the roadway (see Figure 4) rather than the curb to deliver the highest-quality bus ridership experience. Centeraligned BRT lanes help reduce bus delays at the curb and from right-turning vehicles at intersections.
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This BRT infrastructure section borrows heavily from the concepts in ITDP’s Online BRT Planning Guide. See Volume 6 for more detailed discussion about detailed busway and station configurations, design principles, calculations (ITDP 2021). ITDP 2016.
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