URBAN CORRIDOR DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM: EXCLUSIVE BUS LANE - INTERSTATE 495-NEW JERSEY APROACH TO LINCOLN TUNNEL

DECEMBER 18, 1970 MARKED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EXCLUSIVE BUS LANE FOR EASTBOUND (CITY-BOUND) BUSES ALONG A 2.5 MILE STRETCH OF INTERSTATE 495 BETWEEN THE LINCOLN TUNNEL AND THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE. THIS EXPERIMENT WAS A PART OF THE U.S. STABLISHED QUICKLY AND AT A RELATIVELY LOW COST IN AN URBAN PROGRAM. THE PROJECT SERVES AS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW A SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT CAN BE AREA WHERE SEVERAL PLANNING AND OPERATING AGENCIES EXERCISE JURISDICTION. INCLUDED IA A DISCUSSION OF THE BUS ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND TRAFFIC-CONTROL DEVICES USED AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN WHICH WAS CARRIED OUT. SIGNIFICANT DATA ON THE PROJECT INCLUDE THE FACT THAT THE REVERSE-FLOW EXCLUSIVE LANE SHUTTLED THOUSANDS OF COMMUTERS DAILY AT A TIME SAVING VARYING FROM 10 TO 25 MINUTES. IN 1971, MORE THAN 206,000 BUSES AND 8.7 MILLION RIDERS USED THE LANE. DURING THE PEAK COMMUTING PERIOD AN AVERAGE OF 809 BUSES CARRYING 34,000 PASSENGERS USED THE LANE. FEW DELAYS WERE EXPERIENCED; DURING 1971 THERE WERE ONLY 25 STOPPAGES FOR SUCH DIVERSE REASONS AS ENGINE PROBLEMS, FLAT TIRES AND MECHANICAL CAUSES. THE SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT IS ESTABLISHED IN THE ANALYSIS OF COMMUTER RESPONSE SURVEYS, ETC. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT 2300 COMMUTERS HAVE BECOME BUS RIDERS SINCE THE LANE'S INCEPTION. /UMTA/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract FH-11-7646 UMTA-IT-06-0062-72-1
• Corporate Authors:

  Tri-State Transportation Commission

  100 Church Street
  New York, NY  United States  10007
• Authors:
  • Goodman, L
• Publication Date: 1972-7

Media Info

• Pagination: 38 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus lanes; Bus transportation; Buses; Commuting; Public transit; Reversible traffic lanes; Ridership; Traffic flow; Transportation planning; Urban transportation
• Subject Areas: Highways; Motor Carriers; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00226502
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Urban Mass Transportation Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: Final Rept
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 22 1974 12:00AM