The N.C. Department of Transportation and its partners recently completed a study aimed at making it easier for people to get where they’re going using public transportation.
Freeway And Street-based Transit – or “FAST” – prioritizes transit efficiency and reliability while improving mobility for all roadway users. This approach can be tailored to meet transit agencies of different sizes.
The Freeway And Street-based Transit study makes recommendations for improving North Carolina roads for buses so people can rely on public transportation to get to work, education, shopping and recreational activities.
While the study was focused on the Research Triangle area, it also included statewide recommendations for transit improvements to meet the needs of transit systems statewide.
Read the Study
Study Recommendations
Bus Rapid Transit
Creating a Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, system that gives priority to buses on roads at intersections and at dedicated bus lanes. BRT would enable buses to get commuters to their destinations quicker by bypassing rush-hour traffic, for instance.
Bus On Shoulder System (BOSS) & other road enhancements
Beefing up features already being used such as the Bus on Shoulder System in which certain buses are allowed to travel on the shoulders of designated interstates and highways to keep them on schedule.
Transit signal priority, etc.
Adding transit signal priority and queue jumps at intersections so buses would be able to bypass stopped traffic and access specially designated lanes so they can stay on time.
Increasing bus stops & stations
Increasing the number of bus stops and stations with near level boarding so people can board buses faster.
What Action is NCDOT Taking?
NCDOT recently updated its
Complete Streets policy to more fully
incorporate public transportation, and is actively revising the State Roadway Design Manual to include transit-supportive infrastructure elements supported by the results and objectives of the FAST study.