Design Guidelines for Accessible Floating Bus Stops

Abstract: Floating bus stops are bus stops adjacent to protected bike lanes frequently featuring a platform for passenger boarding and alighting. While these types of bus stops eliminate conflicts between bicyclists and buses, they introduce conflict between bus riders and bicyclists, as bus passengers have to cross an active bike lane to board or after alighting from the bus. This is particularly challenging for passengers with visual impairments. Currently, few jurisdictions have developed specific design guidelines for floating bus stops, and existing guidelines vary in content. There is also a lack of studies examining the relationship between floating bus stop design elements and accessibility. As these stops become more common, addressing this research gap becomes increasingly urgent. The objective of this research is to: 1)
Investigate bus rider and bicyclist behavior and interactions at floating bus stops, and 2) Propose design improvements and guidance to enhance accessibility and reduce conflicts between bicyclists and bus riders of all abilities.

This study conducted an inventory analysis of 56 floating bus stops in the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority service area through field visits and limited LiDAR scans. A literature review of transit and bicycle infrastructure design guidelines provided insight into best practices. Focus groups with transit riders from the disability community highlighted accessibility challenges, while input from professionals and city officials added lessons learned from existing implementations. A field study using LiDAR and video cameras captured pedestrian and bicyclist behavior at five floating bus stops in the Greater Boston area.

This research synthesized the information obtained through the literature review, focus groups, professional community outreach, and the behavioral analysis to develop floating bus stop design recommendations to enhance safety and accessibility. The recommendations focus on separating bicycles and transit riders, managing bicycle speeds, and enhancing wayfinding. Full-width platforms, fencing, and varied pavement materials improve safety, while bike lanes can be narrowed, diverted, or elevated to slow bicyclists. Aligning crosswalks with boarding areas, adding tactile surfaces, and providing clear signage enhance wayfinding, supported by audible bus announcements for visually impaired passengers. A step-by-step assessment procedure and LiDAR-based data collection is also proposed to facilitate system-wide assessment of floating bus stop safety and accessibility.

Overall, this research provides a clear understanding of the challenges faced by visually, hearing, and mobility-impaired transit riders at floating bus stops. It summarizes global best practices for integrating separated bike lanes with bus stop infrastructure, analyzes bicyclist and transit rider behavior at various floating bus stops to understand their interactions, and develops design guidelines to improve the safety and accessibility of floating bus stops.