From Miami to Boston, cities across North America are looking for ways to accelerate and improve transit projects more than ever before. Our latest research report, Fast-Tracked: A Tactical Transit Study, was just released today by the Transportation Research Board of The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. It’s a comprehensive look into projects that use low-cost materials and accelerated timelines to expand transit. Projects included show improved transit speed, access, and ridership at a fraction of both the cost and time of conventional projects. This is a first of its kind study that focuses on how North American cities are increasingly turning to the Quick-Build methodology to expand transit options, improve existing service, and increase ridership.
Tactical transit projects are those that are implemented within 1-2 years of inception, and cost under $200-300,000. Projects were divided into three categories based on their intended outcome: speed and reliability, access and safety, and rider experience. Among the most notable findings were:
- 6.7 miles of new, dedicated bus lanes piloted, with an average project timeline (conception to implementation) of 11 months
- Projects in the Speed + Reliability category saw transit travel time savings from 20%-50%, with the most common savings being 20%-30%.
- Projects in the Access + Safety category showed increases in ridership of up to 17%.
The report details 20 bus and streetcar “Tactical Transit” projects that showed improvements to speed, access, ridership, and rider experience. Whether it’s transporting commuters faster from A to B, reconfiguring a roadway to increase safety for all users, or making simple improvements to provide a more comfortable ride, these projects produced positive results in the short-term, while longer term planning continues.