Transit Technologies

Transit Technologies

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Vanpool Single rail track that operates in an elevated

configuration at speeds up to 45 mph

Fully-automated and grade-separated

Serves relative small area such as airports, parks of districts (downtown, for example)

Typically operated by private entities

Route length between 1 and 15 miles

Capital Costs: $140 to $200 Million/mile

Las Vegas MonorailDisney World Monorail

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Space Coast Area Transit Vanpool

VanpoolAverage Daily Ridership 7 to 15

Typical Route Length 15 to 35 milesStop Spacing 15 to 35 miles (1 to 3 stops per

route )Densities: Residential Low to ModerateDensities: Employees Low to Moderate

Capital Costs Negligible*Operating Cost $20 to $25 per vehicle hour

Defining characteristics - Provide shared rides in vans or buses between homes or a central location (park-and-ride lot) to a regular destination

- Vans used for public transit are typically owned by a public transit agency and riders are charged a weekly or monthly fare

LYNX Vanpool

City Bus

Link 436 N

67Link 28

Local/City Bus

Passengers per vehicle 40 to 75

Average Daily Ridership Varies

Typical Route Length Varies

Stop Spacing 500 feet to 1 mile (most common spacing is 1,000 to 1,200 feet)

Densities : Residential 3 du/acre

Densities: Employees 2 to 5 jobs/acre

Capital Costs Less than $1 million/mile

Operating Costs $85 - $130 per vehicle hour

Defining characteristics - Fixed route and fixed schedule

- Mix of federal and local funding

Express/Enhanced Bus

Albuquerque Rapid Ride Red Line

Up to 120 passengers per vehicle

Runs in mixed-traffic

Fewer stops; farther apart

Longer routes, connecting city centers to smaller suburban centers

May have enhanced stations

May have transit signal priority

Typically have strong branding and image

Regular buses or larger buses

Peak periods or all-day service

Capital Costs: $1-2 Million/mile

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Fort Lauderdale, FL

Orlando, FL

Express/Enhanced Bus

Passengers per vehicle Up to 120

Average Daily Ridership

Varies

Typical Route Length 15 to 35 milesStop Spacing Fewer stops, farther apartDensities: Residential 10 du/acreDensities: Employees 5 jobs/acreCapital Costs $1 to $2 million/mile

Operating Cost $85 - $130 per vehicle hourDefining characteristics

- Runs in mixed-traffic- Longer routes, connecting city

centers to suburban centers- May have enhanced stations- Typically have strong branding and

image- Regular buses or larger buses

Bus Rapid Transit

Average Daily Ridership 4,500 to 1M+

Typical Route Length 4 to 25 miles

Stop Spacing Dependent on land use

Densities: Residential 5 to 20 du/acre

Densities: Employees 30 jobs/acre

Capital Costs $4 to $40 million/mile

Operating Cost $95 - $150 per vehicle hour

Defining characteristics - Enhanced stations- Off-board fare payment- Branding- Transit signal priority- Can run in mixed traffic

or on exclusive lanes- Rubber tire vehicles with

modern design

Bus Rapid Transit

Cleveland Health Line

Orlando Downtown LYMMO 69

Elements of Bus Rapid Transit

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Corridor Based BRT

Fixed Guideway BRT

• Operates in mixed traffic• Frequent bi-directional

service on weekdays• Defined stations• Transit Signal Priority• Short headway times

• Operates in exclusive lane on >50% of alignment during peak periods

• Frequent bi-directional service on weekdays and weekends

• Defined Stations• Transit Signal Priority• Short headway times

*FTA BRT Categories

Elements of Bus Rapid Transit

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Corridor Based BRT*

Fixed Guideway BRT*

• Operates in mixed traffic• Frequent bi-directional

service on weekdays• Defined stations• Transit Signal Priority• Short headway times

• Operates in exclusive lane on >50% of alignment during peak periods

• Frequent bi-directional service on weekdays and weekends

• Defined Stations• Transit Signal Priority• Short headway times

BRT Standard Ranking CriteriaCriteria Available Points

BRT BasicsDedicated Right-of-Way 8Busway Alignment 8Off-Board Fare Collection 8Intersection Treatments 7Platform-Level Boarding 7

Service PlanningMultiple Routes 4Express, Limited and Local Services 3Control Center 3Located in Top Ten Corridors 2Demand Profile 3Hours of Operations 2Multi-Corridor Network 2

InfrastructurePassing Lanes at Stations 4Minimizing Bus Emissions 3Stations Set Back from Intersections 3Center Stations 2Pavement Quality 2

StationsDistances Between Stations 2Safe and Comfortable Stations 3Number of Doors on Bus 3Docking Bays and Sub-Stops 1Sliding Doors in BRT Stations 1

CommunicationsBranding 3Passenger Information 2

Access and IntegrationUniversal Access 3Integration with Other Public Transport 3Pedestrian Access 4Secure Bicycle Parking 2Bicycle Lanes 2Bicycle Sharing Integration 1

*FTA BRT Categories

Modern Street Car Exclusive Lanes or mixed traffic

Runs on embedded steel rail tracks

Typical station spacing is between ½ mile to 1 mile

Historic trolleys or modern street car

Short segments, can be 5 miles or less within urban core and neighborhoods

Typically slower in speeds than LRT


Seattle Streetcar

Portland Streetcar

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Portland, OR

Washington, DC

Modern Streetcar

Average Daily Ridership 5,000 to 25,000


Stop Spacing Between ½ to 1 mile




Operating Cost $170 - $300 per vehicle hour

Defining characteristics - Exclusive lanes or mixed traffic

- Runs on embedded steel rail tracks

- Short segments, can be 5 miles or less within urban core and neighborhoods

- Typically slower in speed than LRT

Light Rail Transit

MAX Green Line

Charlotte Blue Line

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Light Rail Average Daily Ridership 7,500 to 40,000


Stop Spacing Between 1 to 3 miles




Operating Cost $300 - $450 per vehicle hourDefining characteristics - Electric powered rail cars

typically propelled by overhead wires (some battery sections)

- Can operate in mixed-traffic or exclusive ROW

- Dedicated stations; off-board ticketing

- Typically in urban centers and neighborhoods

Commuter Rail

Exclusive lanes

Diesel powered locomotives

Longer distance, “commuting” travel

Typical station spacing is 3 miles or more

Can cross streets but typically separated from roadway ROW

Typically shares or uses freight corridors


MARC Train, MD74

SunRail, FL

Commuter Rail Average Daily Ridership 2,500 to 9,000


Stop Spacing 3+ miles

Densities: Residential 1.3 to 35 du/acre



Operating Cost $1,250 - $5,500 per vehicle hour

Defining characteristics - Exclusive lanes- Diesel powered trains- Longer distance,

“commuting” travel- Typically shares or uses

freight corridors- Can cross streets but

typically separated from roadway ROW

Heavy Rail Typically consist of steel-wheeled, electric

powered vehicles operating in trains of two or more cars

Provides regional, urban type of service

Typical distance between stations in the urban core is less than one mile while in the periphery between 1 and 5 miles

Does not operate in roadway rights-of-way

Capital Costs: $50 to $250 Million/mileChicago “L” Train

Washington D.C. Metro

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Heavy Rail

Average Daily Ridership 60,000 or more


Stop Spacing Urban core: < 1 milePeriphery: 1 to 5 miles




Operating Cost $1,100 - $2,000 per vehicle hour

Defining characteristics - Steel-wheeled, powered by in-ground electrified third rail

- Provides regional, urban type of service

- Does not operate in roadway rights-of-way

Monorail Single rail track that operates in an elevated






Capital Costs: $140 to $200 Million/mileSeattle Center Monorail


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Walt Disney World Monorail

Monorail Average Daily Ridership Varies

Typical Route Length 1 to 15 milesStop Spacing Varies

Densities: Residential VariesDensities: Employees Varies


Operating Cost $800 to $1,100 per vehicle hour*

Defining characteristics - Single rail track that operates in an elevated configuration at speeds up to 45 mph

- Fully-automated and grade-separated

- Serves relatively small areas such as airports, parts of districts (i.e. Downtowns)

- Typically operated by private entities

*Limited information available due to the fact that most monorail systems are privately owned and operated

Gondola Single rail track that operates in an elevated






Capital Costs: $140 to $200 Million/mileMi Teleférico Gondola System, La Paz, Bolivia


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Ngong Ping 360 Gondola System, Hong Kong

GondolaAverage Daily Ridership 4,000 to 60,000Typical Route Length 0.5 to 4.5 milesStop Spacing Varies (up to 1.88 miles)Densities: Residential Low to HighDensities: Employees Low to High Capital Costs NA*Operating Cost NA*Defining characteristics - Aerial lift consisting of a large

number of relatively small (six to 15 passenger) gondolas that travel around a continuously circulating ropeway

- Carriers move at higher speeds along the line, but slow to a creep speed or stop for passenger loading and unloading

- Typically used in urban districts and recreation or tourist areas

Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) Small automated vehicles can

operate very quietly on grade separated, exclusive-use guideway at an average speed of 25-45 mph

Typically serve relatively small areas such as academic campuses and airports

Often used as a “last-mile” application in conjunction with other transit modes

Can operate at extremely low headways (as low as 2 seconds) to provide almost continuous vehicle availability

Typical capital cost per mile is $10 to $26 million

Heathrow Airport PRT, London, England

Morgantown PRT, WV

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Personal Rapid TransitAverage Daily Ridership 1,000 to 6,000Typical Route Length 2 to 10 milesStop Spacing VariesDensities: Residential VariesDensities: Employees VariesCapital Costs $10 to $26 million/mileOperating Cost NA*Defining characteristics - Small, automated vehicles that

operate quietly on grade separated guideways at an average speed of 25-45 mph

- Typically serve small areas such as academic campuses and airports

- Often used as a “last-mile” application in conjunction with other transit modes

- Can operate at low headways (as low as 2 seconds) to provide almost continuous vehicle availability

*Limited information available for PRT cost per vehicle-hour

MagLev (Magnetic Levitation) MagLev is relatively new and currently

has three public systems around the world (Japan, China, and South Korea)

Average top speeds are between 250-350 mph

Operations occur on a raised track above ground; cannot be paired with other transit types

Technology based on magnet attraction and repulsion; may have less track noise but more wind noise than other rail modes)


Shanghai MagLev

JR-MagLev in Japan

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MagLevAverage Daily Ridership 30,000Typical Route Length 4 to 600 milesStop Spacing VariesDensities: Residential VariesDensities: Employees VariesCapital Costs $100 to $650 million/mileOperating Cost $2,100 to $2,500 per vehicle mileDefining characteristics - Relatively new mode – currently

has three public systems around the world

- Average top speeds range between 250-350 mph

- Operations occur on a grade-separated track; cannot be paired with other transit types

- May have less track noise but more wind noise than other rail modes

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Transit Technologies