Technical Papers
Oct 12, 2012

FreewayConomics: Design and Benefit-Cost Analysis of Bus-Only Shoulder Express Service

Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 139, Issue 5

Abstract

Bus-only shoulders (BOS), which allow transit buses to bypass congested freeways and arterials during rush hours, are a key cog in the ground transportation machine in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. In the Twin Cities, the Minnesota Department of Transportation has invested in 476 km of certified BOS. Traditional BOS benefit-cost analyses fail to justify the investment in Twin Cities BOS, yet the network in the Twin Cities continues to expand. This paper will explain the local investment in BOS, the real benefits associated with BOS, how to design BOS service, and how the incremental investment in technology to support BOS operations produces even greater return on the BOS investment.

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Acknowledgments

This research, conducted at the University of Minnesota, was sponsored by the ITS Institute with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation through the University Transportation Centers program.

References

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Journal of Transportation Engineering
Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 139Issue 5May 2013
Pages: 503 - 514

History

Received: Jan 31, 2012
Accepted: Oct 10, 2012
Published online: Oct 12, 2012
Published in print: May 1, 2013

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Authors

Affiliations

Craig Shankwitz [email protected]
MTS Systems Corporation, 14000 Technology Dr., Eden Prairie, MN 55344; formerly, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Univ. of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 111 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455. E-mail: [email protected]

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