VTA LRT Efficiency December 10, 2012

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October 12, 2012Light Rail Efficiency Project, December 10, 2012

VTA Light Rail System

6.3.C 2

32,716 weekday ridership

42.2 miles, 62 stations

Light Rail Efficiency Projects• Board Adopted LRT Improvement Plan May 2010• Speed up system, open new markets, improve cost recovery• Improve connectivity to BART and other regional

services, increase ridership• Anticipate employment and population growth• Support new 49ers Stadium

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• Project began in September 2008, Board adopted mid 2010

• LRT is Phase 2 of the Comprehensive Operations Analysis

• Comprehensive evaluation of the existing light rail system -- focus on making the system as effective and efficient as possible

• Operations and capital improvements analyzed and tested

• Evaluation of the LRT system to handle projected passenger growth to the year 2018 and 2035

LRT Systems Analysis Background

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2010 Study Goals

• Increase Ridership• Calculate changes in ridership vs. No Build

• Speed up the System• Compute differences in average operating speed

• Spend Money Wisely• Check whether proposed scenarios lead to improved farebox recovery

ratio

• Be More Relevant to the Needs of the Valley• Review how specific ridership gains compare to Market Analysis

opportunities

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Downtown Transit Mall

Single Track

Merge Points

Light Rail System: Constraints

At-gradeIntersections

Future Transit Connections

Existing Transit Connections

Single Track

Traffic Signal Priority

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Market Analysis: Transit Competitive Factor & Core Network Area

< 2525 - 50

50 - 100

100 - 200

> 200

DestinationOrigin Both

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LRT Efficiency Project will increase return on LRT investment

VTA Salt Lake City Sacramento Denver Portland San Francisco0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

180,000

200,000

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Average Weekday Boardings LRT Route Miles

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We

ek

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LR

T R

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te M

ile

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1,0101,420 800 1,160Boardings per Mile:

Peer Comparison: VTA ridership low given scale of LRT system

460460

New 49ers Stadium Accelerates Need to Deliver Planned Improvements

Source: 49ers Stadium EIR, 2009/ AECOM, 2012

August 2014

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BART Extension creates new demand for transit feeder service on LRT and Bus Network: 60% Milpitas BART riders projected to arrive by transit; LRT’s Montague Station provides direct connection at Milpitas BART

Guadalupe Express

All-Day Express Service: Santa Teresa to Alum Rock– Major expansion of existing limited express service

Local service from Almaden to Mountain View– no transfers!

Winchester Line loops through downtown and turns back

Downtown Run-Around Track supports increased frequency,Maximizes Three-Car Train capacity on trunk routes

Run-Around Track Alternatives under consultation with City of San Jose and Community Stakeholders

Proposed

Current

Non-stop Service

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Tasman Express (Long T)

Establish new LRT Corridor to Connect with BART

New Line from Mountain View to Alum Rock • Express between Mountain View and Old

Ironsides in peak• Requires double tracking Mountain View and pocket track near Great America

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Current

Proposed

Double Track alternatives under consultation with Caltrain, City, and County

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N. First Street Speed Improvements, System-wide Transit Signal Priority

• Currently operating at maximum of 35 mph on N. First St, goal is 45mph

• Fencing corridor also improves safety

• System-wide Transit Signal Priority improvements will reduce transit travel times, funded by MTC Transit Performance Initiative grant 13

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2017Basic Service

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2014“New Normal”

Service

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2014Stadium Event

Service

Phase I LRT Improvements will:• Expand pilot Guadalupe Express service to all-day Express Service on Santa

Teresa to Alum Rock line• Establish new service from Almaden to Mountain View, with direct service

from Almaden to Downtown San Jose • Turn back Winchester service from Campbell in Downtown San Jose• Establish new special event service between Mountain View and Alum Rock;

prepare for future BART connection/Tasman Express line• Reduce travel times system-wide with speed improvement projects

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San Jose: Downtown Run-Around Track

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Preferred Improvement: Install new run-around track in either 1st or 2nd Street bus lane between St. James and St. John Streets

• Needed to implement increased LRT Service and to ensure transit riders do not experience delay on single-track segments

• LRT and bus lane will share former bus lane

• Consistent with City’s plans for transit priority on 1st and 2nd Streets; Avoids taking parkland

• Continuing in consultation with City of San Jose and local stakeholders

• Capital cost, Order of magnitude = $ 6.0 to 8.0 M

Illustration of Proposed Run-Around Track installed in existing Bus Only lane on 2nd St

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Conceptual DesignSan Jose: Downtown Run-Around Track

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New track will be the active line for southbound through trains when Winchester line lays over on the existing track.

Winchester Train Dwells for 5-7 minutes between Inbound and Outbound runs on existing Track at St James Station

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Almaden Train arriving from north while Winchester Train is laying over

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Almaden Train pulls into St. James Station on Run-Around Track, serves station and departs

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Santa Teresa Train pulls into St. James Station, serves station and departs

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Thank you for your time and feedback.

Sarah Syed, LRT Efficiency Project [email protected] 408-321-5572

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