A Selection Approach for BRT Parking Lots Nicolls Road Corridor Parking Study

Transcription

1 A Selection Approach for BRT Parking Lots Nicolls Road Corridor Parking Study Chirantan Kansara, P.E. Engineering Construction Design Planning 2018 ITE Northeastern District Annual Meeting Lake George, NY May 21-23, 2018

2 What is Bus Rapid Transit? As defined by FTA: Rapid mode of transportation that can provide the quality of rail transit and the flexibility of buses. BRT is an integrated system of facilities, equipment, services, and amenities that improves the speed, reliability, and identity of bus transit. BRT is, in many aspects, rubber-tired Light Rail Transit (LRT) with greater operating flexibility and potentially lower costs.

3 Components of BRT A Running Ways B C D E F Vehicles Stations Route Structure and Schedule Fare Collection Advanced Technology Graphic Source:

4 Components of Successful BRT System Dedicated Right-of- Way Integration with other Public Transportation Access to the Station Demand Profile Intersection Treatments Route Alignment

5 Significance of Parking for BRT Systems Parking lots are a strong link for intermodal transfer (AASHTO) Parking Lots shift single occupancy vehicles to higher occupancy modes (AASHTO) Parking lots can reduce parking demands where major destination has limited or expensive parking availability (NACTO) Significance of parking in a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) for successful implementation of BRT (NACTO)

6 Case study: Nicolls Road BRT, Suffolk County Nicolls Road corridor is proposed to be multimodal corridor which will include BRT system along with a parallel hiking/biking trail. Ronkonkoma LIRR Station 1 Approx. daily ridership of 17,300; expected to increase by 25% in the coming years. Currently, station has about 6,000 parking spaces; parking is still challenging. Nicolls Road BRT can potentially mitigate the increased parking demands at the Ronkonkoma LIRR station. Project Goal: To support BRT usage and Transit-Oriented Development; and decrease the dependency on automobiles within the study area. 1. RFP for Ronkonkoma Hub/Nicolls Rd Parking Analysis

7 Nicolls Road Corridor Nicolls Road connects the Ronkonkoma LIRR station, Stony Brook University, Suffolk County Community College Ammerman Campus, St. Joseph s College, and the Village of Patchogue. 17 BRT Stations are considered for the Parking Study (Ronkonkoma Hub & Portion Road Stations are not considered)

8 Nicolls Road BRT Parking Analysis Framework

9 Identification of User Potential Identify Parking User Potential Demographics and Employment Origin and Destination Survey Findings Stony Brook: Major Employment Center with 14K+ SBU Hospital employees Nearly 22K students attend Stony Brook University Patchogue: Downtown is experiencing revitalization with TOD Approx. 250 townhomes, 335 rental apartments and 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Ronkonkoma: Ronkonkoma LIRR station - one of the region s busiest commuter transit hubs Ronkonkoma Hub Mixed-Use development (1,400 residential units, 350,000 sq.ft. of commercial space and 185,000 sq.ft. of retail space) Potential Train-to-Plane connection between Train Station & LI MacArthur Airport.

10 Identification of User Potential Identify Parking User Potential Demographics and Employment 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 29% 4% Origin and 30% Destination Survey Findings 41% 20% 10% 0% Access Mode to Station (%) 15% 6% 75% Patchogue Ronkonkoma Stony Brook 19% 2% 25% 97% of the LIRR commuters during the AM peak either drove alone, carpooled, or were dropped off at the three LIRR station locations. Drove alone and parked Carpooled and parked Was dropped off Walked Took a bus Took the subway Took a taxi Rode a bicycle Other Source: LIRR 2013 Origin Destination Survey Data

11 Identification of User Potential Identify Parking User Potential Demographics and Employment Origin and Destination Survey Findings Many trips that are destined for the Ronkonkoma LIRR station originate in Ronkonkoma and neighboring communities. Source: LIRR 2013 Origin Destination Survey Data

12 Identification of User Potential Identify Parking User Potential Demographics and Employment Origin and Destination Survey Findings Significant number of trips including employees and students in the corridor are destined to the SUNY Campus. Source: LIRR 2013 Origin Destination Survey Data

13 Identification of Potential Parking Lot Locations Identify Potential BRT Parking Lots Identify Potential Parking Lot Locations using Aerial photos Evaluation of Identified Potential Parking Lots for Feasibility/Priority Initial Screening of High-Feasibility Potential Parking Lots At least 2 potential parking areas were identified for each of the 17 proposed BRT stations, using Aerial photography and local knowledge. Selection process considered high level characteristics that are conducive to high lot utilization Distance from station Accessibility for pedestrians, bicyclists and motor vehicles Current use of site

14 Identification of Potential Parking Lot Locations Identify Potential BRT Parking Lots Identify Potential Parking Lot Locations using Aerial photos Evaluation of Identified Potential Parking Lots for Feasibility/Priority The evaluation considered: future planned developments and the ongoing status of the Preliminary Engineering Phase with regard to the BRT alignment and the BRT station locations. Lease and Purchase options were considered for potential parking lots. Initial Screening of High-Feasibility Potential Parking Lots

15 Ranking System for Feasibility Evaluation Ranking Identify System for Parking User Feasibility Potential Evaluation Develop Ranking Criteria and rank the Potential Parking Lots Conduct Data Collection / Field Observation Recommend Sites for Further Studies Category Indicator Weight Geographic and Transit Factors Site Factors Proximity to BRT Station 2 Ridership 1.5 Opportunity for Transit-Oriented Development 1 Traffic Volumes 1 Lighting/Security 1.5 Walkability 1.5 Vehicle Accessibility 1.5 Condition of the Pavement 1 Minimum Number of Vacant Spots 1 Existing Zoning 1 Condition of Land 1

16 Ranking Identify System for Parking User Feasibility Potential Evaluation Field Observation / Data Collection Parking Lot Capacity and Occupancy counts Observations on Parking Regulations, Site Conditions Develop Ranking Criteria and rank the Potential Parking Lots Lease Conduct Data Collection / Field Observation Recommend Sites for Further Studies

17 Ranking Identify System for Parking User Feasibility Potential Evaluation A total number of 400 parking spots were proposed to be developed at the recommended 6 lease and 2 purchase lot locations. Develop Ranking Criteria and rank the Potential Parking Lots Conduct Data Collection / Field Observation Recommend Sites for Further Studies

18 Ranking Identify System for Parking User Feasibility Potential Evaluation Develop Ranking Criteria and rank the Potential Parking Lots The proposed BRT route and parking lots have the potential to offset up to 400 parking spaces at Ronkonkoma, Stony Brook and Patchogue LIRR stations. Conduct Data Collection / Field Observation Recommend Sites for Further Studies

19 Concluding Remarks Potential parking demand should be taken into consideration while planning BRT stations. Commuters may use existing streets if no off-street parking in provided near the station, which could lead to concerns from residents and businesses about reduced available parking. Development proposed near stations also could create additional demand for parking, which must be accommodated. (especially in downtowns which are undergoing revitalization) It is imperative that BRT Stations in high auto-centric communities (as in Nicolls Road Corridor) provide sufficient parking, so that auto-dependent riders can have easy access to the BRT. Well planned parking along the BRT corridor, with easy and safe access to BRT stations has the potential to mitigate increasing parking needs at intermodal hubs and major activity centers, decrease vehicle miles travelled (VMT), and associated environmental impacts.

20 Q&A 1. Why are Ronkonkoma Hub & Portion Road stations not considered for parking study? 2. Which data can be used to identify user potential for parking demand? 3. Benefits of leasing versus purchasing property for BRT parking? 4. What are the important factors that can be considered to evaluate the feasibility of a proposed parking location? 5. What are the potential benefits of providing parking at BRT stations, in a suburban context?