Date: June 1, 2020
Author(s): Mark Hansen
Abstract
Expanding the network of bus lanes in Los Angeles can alleviate slow bus speeds, which are caused by the fact that most buses share a lane with general traffic. Many corridors in the city feature curb lanes that allow traffic during peak hours, but restrict access to allow parking in the off-peak. Introducing a bus lane on these corridors during peak periods, instead of a travel lane, offers an opportunity to improve bus service while preserving parking outside of peak hours. This report examines bus performance along 75 miles of peak-hour parking restriction (PHPR) corridors to determine whether bus lanes could improve travel times for riders and increase net person throughput. I developed a novel methodology to scrape the real-time position of LA Metro buses from a publicly accessible application programming interface (API) and convert collected coordinates into accurate representations of bus speeds on PHPR lanes. Using two months of data, I describe the speed of buses on PHPR lanes and calculate the potential travel time savings provided by bus lanes. With these findings in hand, I draw on historical traffic counts and the planned person capacity of LA Metro bus service to weigh the potential benefits of bus lanes. I find that bus speeds and travel times on PHPR lanes will likely universally benefit from bus lanes. However, only one-half of studied corridors will see an increase in net person throughput with the addition of a bus lane, typically on corridors with more frequent bus service.
About the Project
This capstone project was completed in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Master of Urban & Regional Planning at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.