Transit First: Culver City Washington Blvd Transit Lane Feasibility Study

Research Lead: Weicheng (Jeffery) Lu

UC Campus(es): UCLA

Problem Statement: The purpose of this graduate student research project is to explore and showcase transit lane design concepts to improve the efficiency and convenience of transit as a mobility option.

Project Description: Transit service in Culver City can be improved; it suffers from slow bus speeds, poor on-time performance, and—perhaps as a consequence—declining ridership. These indicators are exacerbated by congested traffic conditions as well as an under-investment in multi-modal infrastructure. To improve transit service in and through Culver City, the report presents four different design concepts. The first concept is the narrowest in scope and, perhaps, could be implemented most easily. It is a Westbound Only Bus Lane that could fill the pressing need for reliable morning peak period, peak directional trips. The other three concepts require larger efforts; however, they would contribute more substantially to broader visions that the city has for Washington Boulevard. The three mid-term and long- term interventions propose transit lanes in conjunction with bike infrastructure. They include a Westbound Only Bus Lane with Elevated Bike Lanes, Two-Way Bus Lanes with Elevated Bike Lanes, and Two-Way Bus Lanes with Elevated Bike Lanes and A Reversible Traffic Lane. Each of the four design concepts has different benefits and costs, including diverse effects on use of the street and on the larger community. The Westbound Only Bus Lane would improve transit service at the lowest cost relative to the other three options. The mid-term and long-term concepts require substantial budgets to fund roadway surface construction and sign/signal installation. The Two-Way Bus Lanes would greatly improve travel times and, therefore, likely increase ridership by approximately 40%, but they also would have effects on auto throughput due to the reduction in the number of general traffic lanes.

Status: Completed