NEXTransit Downtown

NEXTransit Downtown is a project that was identified as a priority in PRT's NEXTransit Long-range Plan as a way to better understand the travel and usage patterns of buses as they traverse Downtown. As the hub of the transit system, it's important to ensure that Downtown's street infrastructure allows buses to be efficient, on-time, and consistent while providing riders a simple and safe experience whether Downtown is their destination or a connection point.

To get the plan moving forward, the team needed to first look backwards... Historic plans provide insight on how challenging it is to provide transit service within a grid that hasn't changed much since it was laid out in 1784. Competing goals all collide here: unclogging the core, providing walkable access to transit, making meaningful connection points, maintaining frequent and fast service, and serving all modes. All within a network that's made up of two clashing grids and narrow rights of way.

Each plan builds from the knowledge gained before it, even if the plan wasn't implemented. Following the completion of the West Busway in 2000 and East Busway extension in 2003, plans were initiated for the LRT extension to the North Side and for a full evaluation of the transit network (Connect09 Transit Development Plan). That plan looked at several alternatives for Downtown circulation, and while none were completely implemented, many parts of that plan were and contribute to the network we have today. Travel patterns are always changing, though, and after 2020, that has never been truer.

Before we talk about 2020, we need to go back to 1920. Flip through the slides to learn a bit about the history of Downtown transit studies.

The layout and design of a place has a big impact on how people move through it, use its infrastructure, and how they feel about being there. People perceive things like safety and connectedness based on the design of public places, even if they don't realize it. Here are some of the ways PRT and its partners have studied Downtown as a place recently.

Let's explore some basics about how Downtown's bus network functions. Then, we'll jump to the overall street network to understand the impacts that things like traffic volumes, curb use, street conditions, etc. can have on the transit experience.

The NEXTransit Downtown consultant team will utilize the maps and data we have collected (as well as the findings from previous studies/plans) to develop alternatives for better transit infrastructure, better safety features for pedestrians, and opportunities for streamlining the flow of buses (and traffic in general).

This winter, we'll summarize what we heard from Downtown transit riders, stakeholders, and other agencies and report back on our findings from the data and background research. As this project moves into its next phase (development of alternatives for implementation), we will work with everyone to ensure a common understanding of the problems and achieve consensus on moving forward together to solve them.

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