This paper discusses the preferential lane treatment established for buses through signing and striping the side reservation provided along with the design improvements that were implemented to enhance overall traffic circulation on Washington Street, a key north-south urban arterial roadway in the city of Boston, Massachusetts. Representative traffic signal control treatments are outlined for 15 signalized intersections along Washington Stret, and signal preemption for a bus rapid transit (BRT) system is detailed. The focus is on necessary modifications to standard design of the side bus reservation to meet community needs. On-street parking areas were developed adjacent to what otherwise would have been the outer bus lanes. This noted modification along with other community-influenced designs such as distance between BRT stations, the use of near- vs. far-side bus stops, and unsignalized crosswalk locations are outlined and discussed.
Abstract