Abstract:
The #98 B-Line rapid bus service was planned to provide fast, reliable, and frequent bus service to connect Downtown Vancouver and Richmond City Center--a fast growing suburban business corridor. The #98 B-Line service covers a total distance of 16 km (10 mi) with 37 stations round trip spaced on average at approximately 1.0 km (0.6 mi) apart. Peak travel times were projected 39 to 42 min from previously 45 to 48 min travel times. The bus fleet consisted of 23 articulated buses operated at 6-min headway during the peak periods. In order to provide the #98 B-Line with more competitive travel speeds, transit priority measures were provided along the appropriate sections of the route. As a key transit priority measure, 2.0 km (1.2 mi) two directional median bus lanes were implemented on No. 3 Road between Westminster Highway and Sea Island Way in Richmond. The median bus lanes encompass 11 signalized intersections, 4 median bus stops in each direction, and many abutting businesses. This paper discusses the considerations of median bus lanes, the access management schemes along the corridor, traffic operations at signalized intersections to accommodate U-turn provisions, the intersection design with offset opposing left-turn bays, the treatments at the transition area to the median bus lanes, and the median bus stop design parameters.
