DECIDE WHETHER TO ACCOMMODATE BIKES ONBOARD BRT VEHICLES MBTA will need to determine whether or not to accommodate bicycles on board the BRT buses. This could be achieved with external bike racks as on other buses in MBTA’s fleet or internal bike racks. Several U.S. BRT corridors allow bikes on board and provide internal bike racks for one to three bikes, including Eugene, Hartford, Los Angeles, and Richmond. Indianapolis’s Red Line and Oakland’s Tempo corridors also allow bikes on board.
PROVIDE BICYCLE PARKING AT BRT STATIONS Wherever possible, the BRT station design should accommodate secure bicycle parking. The type and capacity of bicycle parking may need to scale with the BRT station typologies (see Define Station Types) and with bicycling demand.
INTEGRATE SHARED MOBILITY WITH BRT STATIONS Providing shared mobility (e.g., bikeshare, scooters, TNCs) at or near the BRT stations will help improve first-/last-mile options for BRT passengers and may encourage more linked trips. There are several Blue Bike stations along the corridor, and their locations could possibly be adjusted to make them more convenient for passengers exiting or entering the BRT stations. As the cities of Everett and Boston consider permitting other shared micromobility services, it may be helpful to cordon off space near the BRT station entrances to eventually designate as parking for other dockless shared scooters and bikes.
TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT (TDM) STRATEGIES Transportation Demand Management aims to (1) encourage efficient travel modes (that consume less roadway space and energy per passenger-mile) to increase the efficiency of existing infrastructure and (2) shift trips by less efficient modes to off-peak times to reduce congestion.83 TDM strategies strive to reduce vehicles miles traveled by increasing the variety of travel options, providing incentives and information to encourage people to change their travel behavior, and reducing the physical need to travel with transportation-efficient land uses. Investment in a BRT corridor is itself a TDM strategy, as it provides a convenient and efficient alternative to driving. The cities of Everett and Boston can also implement TDM strategies that complement the transit investment to further shift travel choices and behavior. Strategies that increase the cost of less-efficient modes or reduce the available supply of roadway and parking infrastructure should be considered in conjunction with the BRT investment.
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Chapter 32 of the BRT Planning Guide includes an explanation of cost-based, supply-based, and supportive TDM strategies (ITDP 2021).
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