Buses

This research summary is part of the final deliverable for Report 2025-01, "Value of Dedicated Right-of-Way: Transit Service Reliability and User Impacts," published in February 2025.

The Minnesota Intercity Bus Study reviews and evaluates Minnesota’s existing intercity bus network, determines changes and improvements based on needs and service gaps, and provides policy recommendations to meet intercity bus needs. Intercity bus service is defined as regularly scheduled, fixed route, limited stop service for the general public that connects places not in close proximity and makes meaningful connections to the larger intercity network. This study is meant to guide Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) staff in their continuing effort to improve the state’s intercity bus program, and to provide thorough service and policy analysis for interested stakeholders, including service providers and the public.

The goal of this study was to analyze the economic regulation of passenger transportation in Minnesota, and in selected other states, to support the development of legislative recommendations by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). The report was prepared under contract to the MnDOT Office of Motor Carrier Services (OMCS).

In order to provide an even greater transit advantage for buses using the Pilot Knob Road ramp, Minnesota Department of Transportation initiated a study for an A.M. peak hour bus priority system. The goal for the priority system is to aid the bus in accessing the freeway faster, but not affect the traffic signal operation adversely for the proposed routing from the park and ride lot to the freeway entrance ramp. This report documents the process taken to determine the best type of priority system for this application. It includes the analysis of four types of priority strategies on the existing signal system plus different types of detection strategies. The affects on the existing signal system under each priority strategy are tabulated along with the affect on the bus delay. Also listed in the report are other things to consider to improve the operation of the signal system as a whole.

The Minnesota Intercity Bus Network Study reviews and evaluates Minnesota's existing intercity bus network/ determines changes and improvements based on intercity transportation needs and service gaps, and provides an operational plan and policy recommendations to meet intercity bus needs. This document contains five chapters, each of which outlines important components of this assessment. Where the first chapter outlines background information about the intercity bus industry and the current status of Minnesota's intercity bus program, the second and third chapters provide an inventory of existing intercity bus services and describe intercity transportation needs, respectively. The fourth chapter details a range of policy considerations and recommended changes to achieve an improved statewide intercity bus network. The last chapter describes potential future networks/ including improvements and new services for both the short- and long-term future. This study is meant to guide the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) staff in improving the state's intercity bus program, and provide thorough service and policy analysis on Minnesota's intercity bus network for interested stakeholders/ including service providers and the public.

The Commissioner of Transportation has directed the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) Metro Division staff to prepare this study. The purpose of this study is to determine the cost of constructing and operating an exclusive busway system by the Year 2020. The source of information used to identify corridors for inclusion in this study was the Metropolitan Council's Transit 2020 Master Plan (Transit 2020).

The I-35W Urban Corridor Demonstration Project was a test of the "Bus-On-Metered Freeway" concept. Access to I-35W was controlled by a computer coordinated traffic management system to provide a high level of service for the line-haul portion of the express bus trip on the freeway. Nine special bypass ramps provided preferential treatment for the express buses. The use of these same ramps for carpools was considered early in the planning stages of the project. It was decided not to proceed because of possible interference with the project evaluation. Following completion of many of the project tasks, this study was begun to assess the desirability and feasibility of providing preferential treatment as a means to promote formation of carpools. Factors considered included potential impact on the level of congestion, actual delay savings, potential delay savings, operational problems, costs, definition of a carpool and enforcement problems. Each metered ramp in the system was analyzed individually to determine if preferential treatment was feasible. The study concluded that preferential treatment was indeed feasible at six locations. A carpool definition of three or more occupants per vehicle is preferred. Implementation of preferential treatment at the Grant Street ramp is recommended, with a careful evaluation to be completed before the other five locations are initiated.

The purpose of the I-35W Urban Corridor Demonstration Project is to implement and evaluate the Bus-on-Metered Freeway System. The system concept includes the following elements: -metering of an urban radial freeway - a real-time surveillance, command and control system - extensive express bus service in the corridor - priority access to the freeway via exclusive bus ramps - provision of transit passenger amenities, i.e., bus shelters, signs, and park-ride facilities in the corridor Planning the project was completed in September of 1971 and the complete Bus-on-Metered Freeway System was operational on April 9, 1974. Express bus service was begun on a "step-start" basis in the fall of 1971; the vast majority of the express bus service was initiated on December 11, 1972.

The recommendation of this report is to proceed with development of the Bus-Metered Freeway System in the I-35W Corridor. Analysis of the concept, the engineering detail, the operations, and the cost indicates the feasibility of combining a freeway surveillance and control system (a proven concept) and freeway express bus system (a proven concept).

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) collaborates with Team Transit to increase transit use and improve the efficiency of the metropolitan highway system by allowing buses to use the designated shoulders to bypass traffic congestion. In this project, researchers evaluated the costs and benefits associated with bus-only shoulder projects and concluded the following: • Measured travel time savings on the bus-only shoulders are highly variable, but savings run as high as nine minutes per trip under snowy conditions. • 60 percent of respondents indicated that, on a typical day, the use of shoulders by buses resulted in travel time savings of about 5 minutes. • Bus regard bus-only shoulders as a use and positive addition to their commute trip. • The number of accidents directly relating to bus use of shoulders is very low. • The 10-foot minimum requirement for bus-only shoulders is marginally adequate. The study concluded that the use of the bus-only shoulder concept should continue, with an evaluation of additional projects on a case-by-case basis. The report also presents additional suggestions regarding guidelines and criteria for projects. This report is unpublished. 15 copies were produced and distributed.