APPENDIX A: BENEFITS Introduction Quantitative Benefits of Street Furniture

Transcription

1 Introduction Great Streets are a careful combination of architecture, land use, transportation, urban design, landscape, and culture- all in the right quantities and at the right scale. Great streets are under-pinned by great placemaking. By providing excellent infrastructure including lighting, furniture and art; streets can become places for people to linger and stay, enjoying the public realm and creating the type of livable streets that Seattle strives for. By upgrading our transit shelters and information displays in Seattle through the coordinated street furniture program, we encourage a safe and comfortable environment that can better support all the benefits of great streets and a great Center City. This appendix is an overview of some of the quantitative and qualitative benefits of street furniture and a coordinated street furniture program. Quantitative Benefits of Street Furniture Updates to the streetscape, especially to transit stops can have positive effects for transit riders as well as for the local community. These outcomes include easier and safer pedestrian access to transit, improved transit 1

2 experience and personal economic value, increased transit ridership, and economic benefits to local businesses. Increased Ridership One of the challenges that transit agencies face in attracting new ridership is the ability of potential riders to get to the transit stop. Desirable pedestrian infrastructure on the route to the transit stop can include sidewalks, curb ramps, street lighting, street crossings, and resting places. Once at the stop most passengers prefer to wait in conditions of comfort, cleanliness, safety and protection from the weather. These comfort and safety elements are particularly important for older passengers who may have trouble with mobility. When street furniture especially bus shelters with walls, roof, and seating is added to transit stops, it has been found that passengers particularly notice the presence of the amenity and that this can increase ridership by more than double at an improved stop. Bus stop amenities enhance the transit experience and encourage increased ridership frequency. Studies have found that adding shelters to bus stops is one of the primary amenities that transit riders would like to see added to their stops. Along with shelters, desirable amenities include; benches, garbage receptacles, vending machines, appropriate signage, lighting, and information kiosks. It is important to note, however, that bus stop amenities are best and most utilized by riders when clustered together. This clustering means that benches should be under shelter, near light, arranged so the bus information is not blocked by someone seated, etc. so that the amenities which have individual benefit can have a far greater combined benefit. As with bus stops, transit stations realize increased ridership following improvements. Denver, CO s remodel of Union Station helped to increase third quarter transit ridership by 6.3%, 0.75% of which was bus ridership. With the assistance of the Project for Public Spaces, Plainfield, 2

3 NJ renovated the Netherwood train station resulting in a 40% increase in ridership. It has also been proven that artistic enhancements to transit stations will increase ridership. This is demonstrated in cities such as Buenos Aires, AR, Naples, IT, Vancouver, B.C. and New York, NY. Value of Time A well designed bus stop with excellent amenities can increase the value of a transit riders commute time. A Transportation Research Board study shows that the time spent in public transportation could have a higher value for passengers than time spent driving because they are able to use transportation time for work rather than commute alone. While this applies to time on the bus, it also applies to stop amenities like shelters, benches and information kiosks. So long as the wait time is sufficiently comfortable and protected it can also be used productively, there is wait utility while a wait at a stop with fewer amenities may constitute a wait disutility. Wait disutility, which could be standing on a full bus rather than sitting and working, discourages while wait utility encourages ridership. Information kiosks help transit riders to plan for least wait time, shelters and benches give comfort and space to work if desired during the wait. 3

4 In addition, a study has found that having a shelter alters people s perceived wait time and signage that tells the rider when the next bus will arrive makes the bus seem faster, even if the actual wait time has not changed at all. Economic Benefits for Business A NYC DOT report found that urban design interventions cause people to linger in the space for longer, and that this in turn encourages visitors to spend more time and eventually money at local businesses. Using several case studies that last approximately 3-4 years NYC DOT was able to conclude that the urban design interventions they make in neighborhoods do indeed have significant, positive economic impacts for local businesses. Beyond simply making the transit experience better for riders, transit stop improvements can make positive economic impacts on the community. Innovative and strategic bus stop shelter placement and design can create a thriving area that promote(s) neighborhood vitality. Other Benefits Perception of safety and security Improved transit shelters and kiosks with appropriate lighting can also promote the perception of safety and security. This can extend the hours of street activity that promotes social interactions into the evening. This can snowball by supporting longer retail hours. Visibility of retail The design guidelines for transit shelters for Coordinated Street Furniture in Seattle recommends transparency that can provide better sightlines for both personal security and support on-site retail signage by providing better visual clarity than the existing patterned glass panels. In addition, providing walk-through access from both the front and the back of the shelter, patrons have easy access to both retail behind the sidewalk and access to arriving 4

5 transit vehicles, making the entire stop area more usable by expanding the viable waiting area. Pride of place Seattle s Center City is a growing national and international center for commerce, entertainment, and the arts; while increasing residents have provided a stronger sense of ownership and place through strong neighborhoods including Belltown and South Lake Union. Wayfinding Updated and consistent transit shelters can help visitors and locals orient themselves within the city. Public informational displays, deisnged well and strategically placed can become nodes of interest and provide both structural and digital Conclusion Improvements to the streetscape and to the wait time for transit users have overall positive effects on rider experience, ridership frequency and local businesses. People are more likely to use public transit that they can easily access and feel safe and comfortable waiting for. Safety and comfort of wait time increases the wait utility, giving public transit a greater time value than commuting alone. Finally, streetscape improvements around transit stops encourage walking and more time spent on the pedestrian right of way. Time spent walking to or waiting on the street encourages people to patronize local businesses, and in turn can boost the local economy. In addition, indeterminite benfits like pride of place, perception of safety, and wayfinding all contribute to better streets and a greater, more livable Center City for Seattle. 5

6 Hess, D. (2009). Access to Public Transit and Its Influence on Ridership for Older Adults in Two U.S. Cities. Journal of Transport and Land Use JTLU, 2(1), Transportation Research Laboratory. (2004). The Demand for Public Transport: A Practical Guide. Berkshire, UK: Balcombe, R., Mackett, R., Paulley, N., Preston, J., Shires, J., Titheridge, H., White, P. Hess, D. Access to Public Transit and Its Influence on Ridership for Older Adults in Two U.S. Cities. 3. Stover, V. & McCormack, E. D. (2012). The Impact of Weather on Bus Ridership in Pierce County, Washington. Journal of Public Transportation, 15(1), Talbott, M. (2011). Bus Stop Amenities and Their Relationship with Ridership: A Transportation Equity Approach, Received from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. (AAT ) Transit Cooperative Research Program. (1999). The Role of Transit Amenities and Vehicle Characteristics in Building Transit Ridership: Amenities for Transit Handbook and The Transit Design Game Workbook. Washington, DC: Project for Public Spaces & MultiSystems, Inc. Talbott, M. (2011). Bus Stop Amenities and Their Relationship with Ridership: A Transportation Equity Approach, Received from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. (AAT ) State of Florida Department of Transportation. (2003). Safer Stop for Vulnerable Customers. Tallahassee, FL: Tucker, L. E. Transit Cooperative Research Program. (1999). The Role of Transit Amenities Workbook. Washington, DC: Project for Public Spaces & MultiSystems, Inc. (33). Patterson, T. (2015). Five Signs America is Falling in Love with Public Transit. CNN. Retrieved from Project for Public Spaces. 10 Benefits of Creating Good Public Spaces. Retrieved from SubArtsSF. Community Livability. Retrieved from American Public Transportation Association. (2009). Economic Impact of Public Transportation Investment. Weisbrod, G. & Reno, A. National Cooperative Highway Research Program. (2001). Guidebook for Assessing the Social and Economic Effects of Transportation Projects. Washington, DC: Forkenbrock, D. & Weisbrod, G. Lindeke, B. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Bus Stops (and More). MinnPost, October New York City Department of Transportation. (2013). The Economic Benefits of Sustainable Streets. New York, NY: NYC DOT. Law, P. & Taylor, B. D. Shelter from the Storm: Optimizing Distribution of Bus Stop Shelters in Los Angeles. Transportation Research Record, 1753,