Published: January 20, 2023

10.1 Introduction

This chapter provides guidance for the design of bus transit related infrastructure – referred to as transit facilities. Transit facilities include the spaces that are required for boarding and alighting activity for transit passengers, infrastructure needed for bus vehicles to service the waiting areas, and reserved travel lanes for exclusive transit operation. The following areas of transit facility design are discussed in this chapter:

• Principles – key design principles governing the design of transit facilities.
• Accommodating Transit Users – guidance for access to bus stops, accessibility, and the design of the passenger waiting area.
• Bus Stop Treatments – guidance for the placement, configuration, and dimensions of various types of bus stops.
• Integrating Bicycle Facilities with Transit – guidance for transit stops adjacent to bicycle facilities.
• Bus-Only Lanes – guidance for bus-only lanes.
• Bus-Bike Lanes – guidance for lanes for the exclusive use of buses and bicycles.

The design of streets that include transit operations should be coordinated directly with the transit agency. The information provided in this chapter specifically addresses the design of infrastructure in jurisdictions where the relevant transit agency utilizes typical 40 ft. and 60 ft. buses. However, the designs discussed can be applied to other types of transit vehicles using the principles and considerations discussed in this chapter. Similarly, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems often have system-specific requirements (e.g., higher transit platform heights, platform ticketing stations, real- time display boards, center-median platforms) that will be project specific and must be coordinated with the transit operator, but design principles presented in this chapter may still be applicable. Local agency guidelines should be used in jurisdictions where transit agencies have additional planning and design guidance for bus stops. This chapter does not discuss the design of light rail or trolley facilities.

10.2 Principles

10.2.1 Universal Design

Universal accessibility must be a priority for the design of transit facilities. Transit trips begin and end with either a pedestrian or bicycling journey and as such, design of bus stops and connections to bus stops must accommodate safe and comfortable facilities for people walking, using wheelchairs, mobility aids, bicycles, scooters, or other mobility devices. Placement of bus stop amenities, such as shelters and benches, require consideration of adjacent clear spaces for navigation.

Accessibility is discussed in detail in Chapter 4, but transit specific aspects are provided within this chapter.

10.2.2 Safety

Bus stop infrastructure should provide safe interactions for transit passengers and people walking, biking, and driving. Table 10-1 provides typical interactions at a bus stop and the design objective for protecting vulnerable users.

Table 10-1: Typical User Interactions at Bus Stops

Design considerations and dimensions to help achieve the objectives listed above are discussed in Sections 10.3 - 10.6.

10.2.3 Comfort

The design of bus stops affects the level of comfort felt by bus passengers and street users traveling through the area. Table 10-2 identifies the areas of bus stop design that affect comfort.

Table 10-2: Factors Affecting Comfort

10.3 Accommodating Transit Users

10.3.1 Pedestrian Access to Transit Stops

The portion of the transit journey between the start or end and the bus stop is just as important as the experience at the bus stop or on board the transit vehicle. Municipalities and transit agencies should work together to ensure that the pedestrian infrastructure in the area around each bus stop is sufficient for safe and comfortable access. Accessible paths should be available from all directions to the bus stop. Design guidance for pedestrian accessibility can be found in Chapter 4. The bus stop waiting area should be separated from the Pedestrian Through Zone to maintain accessibility for people waiting at the stop and traveling along the sidewalk.

At intersections with bus stops, safe pedestrian crossings must be provided for passengers crossing to and from bus stops on the other side of the street. Where mid-block bus stops are provided, appropriate pedestrian crossings help to ensure that pedestrians do not risk making unsafe crossings. See Section 4.4 for pedestrian crossing guidance.

10.3.2 Bicycle Access to Transit Stops

Safe and continuous bicycle facilities can effectively widen the catchment area of transit stops and can support transit trips that begin or end by bike. Some people who access transit by bicycle will need to lock their bikes at the transit stop, while others will bring their bike with them on the transit vehicle. Where access to transit is expected by bicycle, bike racks and/or bikeshare stations should be considered at or near the transit stop, and transit agencies should work to accommodate bikes on buses (see Section 6.3.9).

10.3.3 Bus Boarding and Alighting Area Accessibility

An accessible boarding and alighting area is required at every bus stop. Section R308 of PROWAG identifies the dimensions required for pedestrian access and maneuverability at bus stops with a specific focus on people in wheelchairs and using accessibility devices.

An 8 ft. by 5 ft. space is required for transit rider boarding and alighting (see Figure 10-1). This space accommodates the deployment of a ramp from the transit vehicle and the space needed for a pedestrian to access the deployed ramp. If necessary, this boarding and alighting space can overlap with other spaces such as the Pedestrian Through Zone. The 8 ft. x 5 ft. space is required at the accessible boarding and alighting door of the transit vehicle; however, many transit vehicles have more than one door, and different vehicles may have different door spacing and operations (i.e., rear door loading vs front door loading). The different vehicles using the transit stop should be considered when locating and designing the accessible boarding and alighting area, but a firm and stable surface should be provided to accommodate access from all doors of the transit vehicle(s).

The preferred grade of the boarding and alighting area is 1.56 percent (2.0 percent max) perpendicular to the curb. Parallel to the curb the grade should match the grade of the roadway to the extent practicable, though 1.56 percent is preferable to serve as a suitable turning area for people in wheelchairs. Additional pedestrian accessibility guidance is provided in Chapter 4.

Figure 10-1: Passenger Boarding and Alighting Area and Accessible Connections

An accessible connection must also be provided between the pedestrian waiting area and the boarding and alighting area (Section 10.3.4). Figure 10-1 illustrates a passenger waiting area with a transit shelter that has been sized so that an accessible route is provided between both areas.

10.3.4 Passenger Waiting Area

The passenger waiting area is designated for people waiting to board and alight transit vehicles. This space can include shelters, benches, lighting, and other street furniture. Passenger waiting areas are typically situated within the following zones depending on the type of roadway:

Street designs should clearly separate transit passengers from vehicles in travel lanes and provide a comfortable area for waiting and accessing the boarding and alighting area.

The passenger waiting area design must meet accessibility guidelines, and the provided amenities should be based on the land use context, the frequency of transit service, the passenger demand at the stop, and desired facilities. Stops in more densely populated areas, with greater frequency and volume of use, and at major destinations are likely to need a larger footprint to accommodate the desired amenities, whereas stops that are used less frequently might only meet the basic requirements. The following sections provide considerations for some common context types.

The preferred grade of the waiting area should be 1.56 percent (2.0 percent max) perpendicular to the curb. Along the roadway, the grade of the roadway can be used to the extent practicable.

Table 10-3: Typical Location of Bus Stop Waiting Areas

Frequent Bus Stop

Wide Pedestrian Zone

In contexts with increased pedestrian activity and frequently used bus stops, the Pedestrian Through Zone and passenger waiting areas should be separated as much as possible and maximized in dimensions. This context is typically encountered in urban business districts or within town centers of municipalities. This type of stop may also be used in contexts with major activity centers such as schools, community centers, or health facilities. Where the pedestrian zone available is wider than 12-15 ft., the passenger waiting area can be placed in the buffer space in between the curb and the Pedestrian Through Zone.

A passenger waiting area that is 10 ft. wide perpendicular to the curb can accommodate a 4 ft. deep shelter facing towards the curb and a 6 ft. buffer in between the shelter and curb. A 5 ft. buffer is the minimum needed to accommodate the pedestrian access route and an ADA accessible turning space. The design should ensure that at least 5 ft. of space is also provided behind the shelter (waiting area) to accommodate the Pedestrian Through Zone, although wider is preferred given the context and higher pedestrian volumes (see Section 4.3.2).

A passenger waiting area that is 8 ft. wide perpendicular to the curb can accommodate the minimum requirements for the boarding and alighting area at the accessible transit door. A shelter can be accommodated if it either faces away from the curb or if it uses shelters with either limited or no sides to the shelter, though these designs must be coordinated with the transit operator.

The length of the passenger waiting area should be equal to the distance from the front of the bus to the end of the rear door of the bus. For a standard 40 ft. bus, this distance is typically around 30 ft. For a 60 ft. articulated bus, the length of the passenger waiting area should typically be around 50 ft. In all cases, these distances should be coordinated with the transit operator(s) to understand their vehicle fleet. Figure 10-2 shows an example of a Frequent Bus Stop waiting area with a wide pedestrian zone.

Figure 10-2: Frequent Bus Stop Waiting Area - Wide Pedestrian Zone

Constrained Pedestrian Zone

In contexts with high usage stops located where the width of the pedestrian zone is constrained, typically narrower than 12 ft., elements of the passenger waiting area can overlap with the Pedestrian Through Zone as long as accessible widths are maintained.

The Pedestrian Through Zone can be situated adjacent to the curb and should be a minimum of 5 ft. in width (4 ft., if appropriate passing areas and accessible turning areas are provided), although in areas with high volumes of pedestrian activity these minimum widths are likely to be inadequate (see Section 4.3.2). The 8 ft. by 5 ft. boarding and alighting area is likely to overlap with the Pedestrian Through Zone in this scenario. Passenger amenities can be situated between the Pedestrian Through Zone and the right-of-way line. This arrangement will lead to increased interactions between bus passengers and pedestrians within the Pedestrian Through Zone and should only be used within constrained areas and retrofit situations.

The length of the passenger waiting area should be equal to the distance from the front of the bus to the end of the rear door of the bus. For a standard 40 ft. bus, this distance is equal to 30 ft. For a 60 ft. articulated bus, the length of the passenger waiting area should be 50 ft. Figure 10-3 shows an example of a bus stop waiting area in a constrained environment.

Figure 10-3: Frequent Bus Stop Waiting Area - Constrained Pedestrian Zone

Basic Bus Stop with Amenities

Where bus stop usage is low or moderate, the stop infrastructure footprint may be smaller, but it can still be desirable to provide amenities to improve the comfort of transit riders. In situations where amenities such as shelters or benches are appropriate, they can be placed either within the buffer space (as shown in Figure 10-4) or behind the sidewalk (as shown in Figure 10-5).

Coordinate the design and placement of amenities with the need to provide intersection and driveway sight distances. This assessment may require shelters to be constructed without side, or with transparent sides, to maintain sight distances.

Figure 10-4: Basic Bus Stop Waiting Area with Amenities – Separated Sidewalk

Figure 10-5: Basic Bus Stop Waiting Area with Amenities – Sidewalk Adjacent to Curb

Basic Bus Stop

Where bus stop usage is low or moderate and shelter amenities are not desired, or where the footprint of the project area cannot accommodate a shelter, the stop design still needs an accessible boarding and alighting area and a bus stop sign. Figure 10-6 illustrates the scenario where the sidewalk is separated from the curb by a buffer space and the boarding and alighting area overlaps with the sidewalk. Designers should note the need for a second concrete pad at the rear door so that passengers alighting can step onto a firm and stable surface.

Figure 10-7 illustrates the scenario where the Pedestrian Through Zone is located adjacent to the curb and an extended boarding and alighting area is provided behind the sidewalk.

Figure 10-6: Basic Bus Stop Waiting Area - Separated Sidewalk

Figure 10-7: Basic Bus Stop Waiting Area – Sidewalk Adjacent to

Uncurbed Roadway

Bus stops on uncurbed roadways can be located within the roadside with flat obstruction-free connections for pedestrians. An 8 ft. by 5 ft. boarding and alighting area is still needed to facilitate accessible access and additional space can be desirable to serve as the waiting area, particularly along higher speed roads.

In some cases it may be desirable to provide a 6 inch high concrete pad in the shoulder as a raised transit stop to better accommodate boarding and alighting, to improve the comfort of waiting transit riders, and to avoid having pedestrians standing in an area of shoulder used for drainage conveyance. The preferred dimensions of a raised transit stop should be at least 8 ft. by 30 ft. exclusive of pedestrian ramps for changing elevations. A pedestrian ramp is needed on both sides of the raised transit stop to connect the platform to the shoulder elevation. These pedestrian ramps should not include detectable warning surfaces because the bottom of ramp facilitate a vertical transition in the Pedestrian Through Zone and not a roadway crossing. Designers should consider the speed of the road, the offset between the edge of travel lane and the raised transit platform, and the design of the approach ends of the platform to avoid introducing an unexpected vertical obstruction close to the travel lane. Ensure that curbs are appropriately tapered to avoid blunt edges and provide right clearance markers, if appropriate, to guide motorists away from the raised transit platform.

10.3.5 Bus Stop Amenities

The passenger waiting experience is impacted by which amenities are provided at a bus stop. The following table provides a list of common amenities and design considerations for each. The selection of each amenity depends on the context of the stop and usage. Some guidance on the selection process is provided within the Waiting Requirements section.

Table 10-4: List of Bus Stop Amenities

10.4 Locating Bus Stops

This section provides guidance for locating the bus stop zone. The bus stop zone is the paved area where a bus stops and the space that may be required for deceleration, acceleration, and merging into and out of the paved area. The placement and design of the bus stop zone within a street cross- section is dependent on many factors and can be designed to meet several objectives. There are two major aspects of bus stop design: stop placement and stop configuration. The design considerations and design requirements are discussed in Section 10.4.1 and 10.4.2.

10.4.1 Stop Placement

The location of bus stops along a street is referred to as stop placement. Stops can be placed in the following locations:

• Far-side: The bus stop zone is placed for buses to travel through the intersection and stop on the far side of the intersection.
• Near-side: The bus stop zone is placed for buses to stop on the near side of the intersection prior to traveling through it.
• Mid-block: The bus stop zone is placed in between intersections.

Table 10-5 summarizes the advantages, disadvantages, and preferred use of each type of stop placement.

Table 10-5: Advantages and Disadvantages of Types of Stop Placement

The location of bus stops along a street depends on many factors and requires selection based on a transit agency’s design guidance and by the design characteristics of an individual location. For each of these placements, a bus stop may be in-lane or pull-out (see Section 10.4.2). Far-side bus stops are generally preferred for pedestrian safety benefits and operational benefits, but near-side and mid-block bus stops can also be suitable in certain conditions. Where mid-block bus stops are provided, appropriate pedestrian crossings should be provided to ensure that pedestrians do not risk making unsafe crossings (see Section 4.4).

10.4.2 Stop Configuration

The type of stop configuration depends on transit operation requirements, the area context, and the frequency of the service provided. For each of the stop configurations, the stop can be placed either far-side, near-side, or mid-block, depending on the specific needs of the location (see Section 10.4.1).

In-lane Bus Stop

In-lane bus stops allow buses to stop within a travel lane rather than being provided with a pull- out area. Vehicles in the same travel lane must wait for a bus to complete boarding and alighting activities. As no pull-in or pull-out maneuver is required, the designated space required for the bus stop zone includes space for the length of a bus and any buffers required from a crosswalk.

There are operational advantages when the bus does not have to wait for gaps in traffic to pull back into the roadway, such as keeping the dwell time low. This can be particularly beneficial in areas of low ridership and higher traffic volumes. See Bus Bulbs section below.

Table 10-6 and Figure 10-8 provide the minimum design dimensions for in-lane bus stops, though transit agencies or specific transit vehicles may require additional lengths for these configurations.

The design of far-side stops after a bus makes a left or right turn should be coordinated with the local transit agency to ensure that the bus fleet in operation can be aligned at the stopping area after the turn movement.

Table 10-6: Dimensions for In-lane Bus Stops

Notes:

For far-side stops, the rear buffer should be measured from the nearest edge of crosswalk to the rear of the bus when it is stopped in the stopping area.

For near-side stops, the front buffer should be measured from the nearest edge of crosswalk to the front of the bus when it is stopped in the stopping area.

Where a single travel lane is available in the direction of travel, additional space should be maintained for a vehicle to queue behind a bus.

A stopping area of at least 60 ft. should be used for 60 ft. articulated buses.

Dimensions assume at least two travel lanes are available in the direction of travel. For single travel lanes and vehicle turning template must be reviewed.

If crosswalks are provided adjacent to mid-block stops, the crosswalk should generally be location behind the bus stop and should be located based on the traffic control type and available sightlines, but should be no less than 10 ft from the rear of the bus when it is stopped in the stopping area.

Figure 10-8: In-lane Bus Stop Zone Dimensions

Bus Bulbs

A bus bulb is a variant of the in-lane bus stop as it is an extension of the curb into the parking lane (i.e., curb extension – See Section 4.5.4), allowing buses to stop within a travel lane for boarding and alighting activities against a curb. Bus bulbs can help reduce transit travel times by reducing the delay associated with re-entering travel lanes. Bus bulbs are typically used on lower speed roadways, with posted speed limits below 35 mph, but can be considered on any roadway with on- street parking.

The width of a bus bulb depends on the width of the adjacent parking lane. Where a parking lane width of 8 ft. is available, the 8 ft. by 5 ft. boarding and alighting area can fit entirely within the bus bulb. A portion of the passenger landing pad may overlap with the Pedestrian Through Zone in constrained locations.

Table 10-7 and Figure 10-9 provide the minimum design dimensions for bus bulbs.

The design of bus bulbs at far-side locations after a bus makes a right turn should be coordinated with the local transit agency to ensure that the bus fleet in operation can be aligned at the stopping area after the turn movement.

Where a mid-block bus bulb is provided, a safe pedestrian crossing should be provided at the location. To reduce the pedestrian crossing distance at the crosswalk, the curb may be extended at the crossing location. The distance required for the width of the crosswalk and the crosswalk buffer space should be added to the length of the bus bulb provided in Table 10-7.

Table 10-7: Dimensions for Bus Bulb Stops

Notes:

For far-side stops, the pull-in taper should be measured from the crosswalk to the rear of the bus when it is stopped in the stopping area, but in constrained areas the pull-in taper can be measured through the intersection.

For near-side stops, the pull-out taper should be measured from the crosswalk to the front of the bus when it is stopped in the stopping area, but in constrained areas the pull-out taper can be measured through the intersection.

A stopping area of 60 ft. should be used for 60 ft. articulated buses.

On single lane-lane roads, additional space should be maintained for vehicles to queue behind a bus.

If crosswalks are provided adjacent to mid-block stops, the crosswalk should generally be location behind the bus stop and should be located based on the traffic control type and available sightlines, but should be no less than 10 ft. from the rear of the bus when it is stopped in the stopping area.

Figure 10-9: Bus Bulb Stop Zone Dimensions for Near-Side, Far-Side, and Mid-block Stop Placement

Pull-out Bus Stop

In this configuration, a bus pulls out of the travel lane and into a designated bus stop location within an adjacent parking lane or into the roadside. After serving the stop, buses pull-out of the stop location and back into the travel lane. Pull-out bus stops can be placed within a parking lane or within the roadside as a bus bay. Pull-out bus stops may be appropriate where stopping in the travel lane is not desirable, such as in the following circumstances:

• Where the pull-out bus stop is used as a queue jump to bypass other vehicles.
• Where a designated timing point requires that a bus does not leave the stop until a scheduled departure time.
• Where the volume of boarding and alighting is significantly high and the dwell time will significantly impact other vehicles in the travel lane.
• Where the posted speed limit on the roadway is higher than 35 mph.

Pull-out stops must be designed to allow buses to turn into the pull-out space and be able to turn back out of the stop zone and merge into the travel lane. The space required for a bus to turn from the travel lane into the stop is called the pull-in taper and the space required to merge back into the travel lane is called the pull-out taper. In cases where the posted speed limit is 35 mph or higher, additional space for buses to decelerate after merging into the bus stop zone and accelerating before merging back into traffic may be appropriate. The pull-out stop lane width should be 11-12 ft. wide, but may be 10 ft. wide where posted speeds are less than 30 mph.

Pull-out bus stops can be found in two different contexts:

• Pull-out bus stop in bus bay – where the curbline or edge of pavement widens to accommodate a dedicated bus stop zone between the typical travel lanes and the sidewalk.
• Pull-out bus stop in parking lane – where a dedicated bus stop zone is provided within the area of an existing parking lane.

Bus Bay

Table 10-8 and Figure 10-10 provide the minimum design dimensions for a pull-out bus stop in a bus bay. Transit agencies may require changes to these dimensions.

Table 10-8: Bus Bay Design Dimensions

Notes:

Entering speed assumed to be 10 mph of through-speed at end of taper.

Taper lengths based on 12 ft. bus bay width. 10 ft. minimum is acceptable for speeds under 30 mph. Add 20 ft. to length of stopping area if used by 60 ft. long articulated buses.

Deceleration rate of 2.5 mph/sec is assumed.

Figure 10-10: Bus Bay Design Dimensions

Bus Stop Zone in Parking Lane

In areas with roadway speeds of 35 mph or less and parking lanes, pull-out bus stops can be designed into the parking lane. In this scenario the bus stop zone includes a pull-in taper, a pull- out taper, and the stopping area for the bus. Table 10-9 and Figure 10-11 provide the minimum dimensions for bus stop zones in parking lanes for far-side, near-side, and mid-block placements.

Table 10-9: Dimensions for Bus Stop Zone in Parking Lane

Notes:

For far-side stops, the pull-in taper should be measured from the crosswalk to the rear of the bus when it is stopped in the stopping area, but in constrained areas the pull-in taper can be measured through the intersection.

For near-side stops, the pull-out taper should be measured from the crosswalk to the front of the bus when it is stopped in the stopping area, but in constrained areas the pull-out taper can be measured through the intersection.

A stopping area of at least 60 ft. should be used for 60 ft. articulated buses.

Figure 10-11: Pull-out Bus Stop Zone Dimensions

10.5 Integrating Bicycle Facilities with Transit

In locations with on-street bicycling facilities, bus stops should be designed to address interactions between bicyclists, transit riders, and transit vehicles. Three configurations can be used to manage bicycle and bus stop conflicts:

• Floating Bus Stop – the bike lane is located behind the bus boarding and alighting area requiring pedestrians to cross the bike lane between the sidewalk and the transit platform area.
• Constrained Floating Bus Stop – the bike lane ramps up to the curb height for the length of the transit stop and serves as a shared space for transit riders and bicyclists.
• Bicycle Facility Between Travel Lane and Bus Stop – the bus pulls into or through the bike lane space to access the bus stop.

10.5.1 Floating Bus Stop

In this scenario a transit platform is provided between the general purpose lane and the bike lane. It is referred to as a floating bus stop because the boarding and alighting area is separated from the rest of the sidewalk area by the bike lane. This scenario is preferred for bicyclists and transit operators because it effectively eliminates the conflicts between bicyclists and transit vehicles that are typical at conventional transit stop designs. This design also helps to maintain the Pedestrian Through Zone by separating the space for passenger boarding and alighting from the sidewalk area. This design is most typically used where separated bike lanes are provided along a street but can also be used with other bike lane configurations to eliminate the bus-bike conflict when the boarding and alighting volumes or volumes of bicyclists are high.

Figure 10-12: Far-side Floating Bus Stop with Intermediate-Level Two-Way Separated Bike Lanes

The bike lane behind a floating bus stop is a separated bike lane and should be designed according to the principles of Section 6.3.7. The elevation of the bike lane (at street-level, sidewalk-level, or intermediate level) will affect the design of curb ramps, the sidewalk, and floating bus stop platform to provide pedestrian access and meet accessibility guidelines. To address pedestrian desire lines, a curb ramp should be provided at each end of the floating bus stop, and where possible railings should be provided between the bus stop and bike lane to guide pedestrians to the intended crossing areas (see Shy Distance – Section 3.7.2). For floating bus stops at intersections, one of the pedestrian access points should be integrated into the intersection curb ramp design if practicable; Figure 10-12 shows an example of this configuration.

The floating bus stop area must be wide enough to accommodate the 8 ft. by 5 ft. wide boarding and alighting area, and the designer must carefully consider the placement of curb ramps, railings, and shelters to ensure this space is maintained. The bike lane alignment may shift farther from the roadway (as shown in Figure 10-13) in order to provide the necessary boarding and alighting area width. The bus stop must also be long enough to provide access for the front and rear doors of the bus. See DWG 10-1.1 and DWG 10-1-4 for additional design details.

Where a bus shelter is provided on a floating bus stop, sightlines between pedestrians and bicyclists must be maintained to ensure that bus passengers alighting the bus are visible prior to approaching the crosswalk across the bike lane. This often means providing shelters with transparent sides are recommended to help ensure that sightlines are maintained. Shy distances between the bike lane and shelter must also be considered (see Section 3.6.2).

Optional BIKES YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS sign (R9-6) and yield lines may be installed at the approach to uncontrolled crosswalks across the bike lane to reinforce that pedestrians have the right-of-way at the crosswalks. Engagement with pedestrians with disabilities is also recommended during the design process to discuss how the floating bus stop is intended to operate and discuss other design elements that can make the transit stop easier to locate and access.

Figure 10-13: Mid-block Floating Bus Stop with Intermediate-Level One-Way Separated Bike Lane

10.5.2 Constrained Floating Bus Stop

Where space is constrained and a full floating bus stop cannot be accommodated, and where boarding and alighting volumes are low, a portion of the boarding and alighting area may be shared with the bike lane. In this configuration, the bike lane ramps up to the height of the sidewalk and is maintained at this elevation for the length of the bus stopping area. In some cases, it will be desirable to end the bike lane and provide a bike ramp to transition to a shared use path at the transit stop.

If a constrained floating bus stop is used, it should include at least a 4 ft wide step-out area so that alighting passengers are not stepping directly into the bike lane. The bike lane width may be narrowed through the bus stop area to a minimum of 3 ft, but bike ramp widths must be at least 4 ft. wide at their narrowest point. See DWG 10-1.3 for additional design details.

The bus stop and bike lane space must be obstruction free. A BIKES YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS sign (R9-6) and yield lines should be provided prior to the bus stop zone. Where a transit shelter is provided within 3 ft of the bike lane, it should typically face away from the bicycle lane so that the accessible turning space does not overlap with the bike lane, to discourage pedestrians from immediately crossing the bike lane from the shelter, and to channelize pedestrians toward the boarding and alighting area.

If a bike lane is maintained through the bus stop area, provide detectable warning surfaces between the bike lane and sidewalk for the length of the bus stop and across the tops of the bike ramps at each end of the bus stop. A directional indicator may be considered in the sidewalk area, located adjacent to the detectable warning surface, to orient pedestrians with vision disabilities to the location of the boarding and alighting area (see Section 4.3.3 and DWG 10-1.4).

Engagement with pedestrians with disabilities is recommended during the design process to discuss how the shared stop is intended to operate and discuss other design elements that can make the transit stop easier to locate and access. Engagement with the general public is also recommend, along with supplemental signs and markings to reinforce that pedestrians should not stand in the bike lane and instead wait in the passenger waiting area until their bus arrives.

10.5.3 Bicycle Facility Between Travel Lane and Bus Stop

In most conventional bike lane locations, and for some constrained separated bike lane locations, the bus stopping area may need to be shared with the bike lane space. In this scenario buses stop within the bicycle facility. This situation should be discouraged in cases where bus headways are 15 minutes or less. A dotted white lane line should be provided along the length of the pull-in taper, stop area, and pull-out taper. BUS and bike lane or shared lane pavement markings may be considered for use within this shared space to communicate to transit drivers and to bicyclists that this is a shared space. At locations with high volumes of bicyclists, green-colored pavement may be considered. See Figure 10-14.

In a Pull-Out Bus Stop configuration, the bus may pull through the bike lane to access the bus stop area. In these situations, the bike lane lines should be dashed for the total length of the stop area and the pull-in and pull-out tapers (see Section 10.4.2); however, if boarding and alighting volumes are very low, the bike lane lines may remain solid through the bus stop.

Figure 10-14: Bicycle Facility Between Travel Lane and Bus Stop

10.6 Bus-Only Lanes

Bus-only lanes designate the use of a travel lane for exclusive bus use. Bus lanes can improve transit speeds significantly by separating buses from general purpose traffic. Travel lanes reserved exclusively for buses should be 11-12 ft. wide.

Bus-only lanes should be accompanied with a BUS LANE sign (R3-5gP). The sign may be side- mounted or overhead-mounted where possible.

A Bus Only pavement marking shall be positioned laterally in the center of the bus lane (OMUTCD Section 3D.01). The markings may be spaced as close as 80 ft. apart on city streets or as far apart as 1,000 ft. on freeways.

The lane marking requirements for bus-only lanes are described in the OMUTCD in Section 3D.02. Table 10-10 provides a summary for bus-only lanes on the right or left side of the roadway or general purpose lanes.

In some instances, the bus lane may allow for right-turns (or left-turns if bus lane is on left side of a one-way street) to be made from the bus lane. When this occurs, non-bus vehicles are typically restricted to only turning movements and cannot travel for an extended length in the bus lane. Signage and pavement markings should be used to communicate this operation to vehicles and the bus lane paint may be dashed rather than solid in areas where other vehicles are permitted.

If a bus-only lane is provided on a street that does not include other bicycle facilities, it will likely be used by bicyclists because there are typically fewer motor vehicles using this lane. Because the bus-only lane is for the exclusive use of transit vehicles, if the bus-bike operation is expected and desired, designers should instead consider a bus-bike lane (see Bus-Bike Lane section below).

Table 10-10: Standard Edge Line and Lane Line Markings for Preferential Lanes

10.7 Bus-Bike Lanes

Bus-bike lanes are a shared lane for the exclusive use of transit and bicyclists. Bus-bike lanes may be considered on streets that do not include other on-road bicycle facilities. Bus-bike lanes have the challenge that they do not alleviate the bike-bike conflicts discussed above, so in congested conditions buses typically cannot pass slower-moving bicyclists and bicyclists typically can only pass buses at bus stops if gaps are available in the general purpose lane.

Bus-bike lanes may be appropriate on lower-speed streets where bus schedules would accommodate buses operating at speeds of 20 mph or less, and where transit headways are 4 minutes or more. They may also be useful on one-way streets where a counterflow bus lane is provided.

If a bus-bike lane is provided, it should include pavement markings indicating Bike Bus Only, or Bus Only along with shared lane markings.