Supporting increased transit access to and from corridor destinations requires bus shelters, map/schedule kiosks and other facilities. For standard local bus service or BRT service operating in mixed-flow lanes with curbside stations, these transit-related facilities will be located in sidewalk areas. Sidewalk space is limited and these facilities have specific functional and spatial requirements.
Transit shelters, bicycle racks, and related facilities should be integrated into sidewalk design approaches. Sidewalk widening as recommended by the Guidelines allows flexibility to accommodate these elements. However, in many locations sidewalks will not be widened in the near term, if ever, yet these facilities will need to be accommodated.
Figures 5-18a through 5-18c depict a range of possible bus facilities and locations. For all conditions, a minimum 4-foot clearance between face of shelter and face of curb is assumed. Figure 5-18a shows an existing 8-foot sidewalk condition with no room for a shelter along a typical building frontage; Figure 5-18b shows a shelter on a 10-foot sidewalk adjacent to a non-storefront building with maintenance clearance behind and walking clearance in front; Figure 5-18c shows a shelter on a widened sidewalk area created by building setbacks or construction of a bus bulb-out.
Further discussion of elements and potential capital improvements associated with BRT, such as dedicated bus lanes and enhanced stations, is included in Chapter 7.
