THE DESIGN OF BUS-RAIL TRANSIT FACILITIES

The reasons for integrating bus and rail services are given and the physical aspects of station design, and the operational integration relevant to design are considered. The special aspects of bus/light rail integration are also discussed. The article emphasizes the need for integration of different modes of transit, especially bus and rapid transit. The elimination of transfer charges will help in the area of fare coordination. Schedules can also be coordinated without any capital investment and could lead to operating cost savings. Any short-term loss in revenue will be made up by increasing patronage. Efficient station design can follow. Existing rapid transit systems should improve amenities at the transfer point. A major improvement would be to add direct (bus-to-paid area) transfer areas and common fare collection systems. New systems such as those in Atlanta, Miami, Baltimore, Buffalo and Washington, D.C., should give top priority to bus/rail coordination.