March_2022 - 18

Bus Rapid Transit
Designing to Cost
C-TRAN's first BRT line had a
resoundingly positive response
from the community. The area
wanted to quickly capitalize on
that groundswell to build a second
line.
" With the success of C-TRAN's
Fourth Plain BRT - the Vine -
there was such strong support
from our community partners,
elected officials and our riders
to move as quickly as possible to
expand BRT to Mill Plain and to
do so in a manner that best fits the
needs of that corridor, " said Randy
Parker, C-TRAN's BRT and regional
planning project manager.
HDR,
partner ing
with
C-TRAN, adhered to a rigid
budgeting process, evaluating
each item to determine if cost
savings could be realized. The
project used the Federal Transit
Administration (FTA) Capital
Investment Grant (CIG) project
justification warrants procedure
to streamline the application and
review process. This decision was
made even before planning began
to streamline delivery. This meant
that the design team targeted an
exact project cost, $50 million,
and had to design to budget.
The team remained laser-focused
on budget as they made design
decisions, keeping the scope
of the project narrow enough to
remain within budget while still
delivering a successful BRT project.
These decisions included:
HDR DESIGNED
a new nine-bay
transit center to
accommodate
Mill Plain
BRT and
future service
extensions.
* Strategically placing stations to
minimize utility impacts and
near pre-existing signalized,
protected pedestrian crossings.
* Lowering fleet costs through
C-TRAN's leveraging of a preexisting
state contract that provided
a discount.
* Reducing right-of-way costs
by shifting berthing at stations
farther into the street. This also
had the benefit of reducing the
frequency of buses hitting curbs
and damaging tires.
* Focusing improvements within
close proximity to stations to ensure
that the budget was directly
tied to BRT project costs.
* Increasing the average distance
between stations from a third of
a mile to half a mile. This was in
response to passenger requests
for faster service, but it also
meant lower station costs.
FTA
ADMINISTRATOR
Nuria Fernandez,
fourth from
left, attends a
groundbreaking
for the Mill
Plain BRT in
September 2021
after C-TRAN
won a Small
Starts grant for
the project.
Leveraging BRT
Investment for Broader
Corridor Improvements
In the Twin Cities, both the A and
C Lines were built in coordination
with significant roadway enhancements
planned and funded by local
partners. Early in the METRO D
Line design, the team recognized
the value of coordinating local priorities
for pedestrian, safety, lighting
and signal improvements in
one construction project focused
on BRT stations. The cost savings
for construction and the ability to
streamline design coordination
and construction oversight supported
this collaborative approach.
This can add complexity but provides
additional cost savings and
reduction in construction impacts
to stakeholders.
For example, the project
improved pedestrian safety all
18 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | MARCH 2022
http://www.MassTransitmag.com
March_2022

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