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August 2000 New York State Department of Transportation TIER II ALTERNATIVES TESTED Four alternatives have been tested in this second (Tier II) evaluation phase of the LITP2000 Study. These alternatives were developed based on initial (Tier I) evaluations of potential transit and highway improvements and on preliminary Tier II evaluations of transit networks with high levels of service. Two of the alternatives focus on an extensive intra-Island express bus system with complementary roadway improvements. The other two alternatives focus on roadway improvements alone in order to help determine the importance of transit system expansion. The four alternatives are:
A crossing of Long Island Sound was evaluated in Tier I and found to have minimal impact on reducing peak period congestion. Therefore, it is not included in the above alternatives. If a study of a crossing is warranted, it would be via a separate effort, not LITP2000. All of the above alternatives include travel demand management measures (i.e., incentives to reduce drive-alone auto trips to work sites). Descriptions of the four alternatives are presented later in this paper. Information about value pricing and HO/T lanes can be found at http://www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/slp/conpric/conpric.htm, a web site operated for the Federal Highway Administration by the University of Minnesota’s State and Local Policy Program.
FUTURE BASE CONDITIONS Future traffic conditions forecasted for each of the above alternatives were compared to future base conditions forecasted for the year 2020. Future base conditions (the "No-Build Alternative") assume implementation of the Long Island Bus Study recommendations, the Nassau Hub Circulator, the LIRR East Side Access Project (i.e., LIRR access to Grand Central Terminal), the LIRR 2010/2020 operating plan, Travel Demand Management measures, and completion of the L.I.E. HOV lanes between Exit 32 at the Nassau-Queens border and Exit 64 in Suffolk County. Long Island Bus Study Recommendations Numerous proposals for modifying and expanding existing bus routes and operation of new routes were developed in the Long Island Bus Study. The proposals listed below encompass direct connections to unserved and under-served areas (gap closers), new services for specific travel markets (network enhancers), more frequent service and expanded hours of operation, and new feeder bus routes to LIRR stations. These proposals represent a major expansion of existing Island-wide bus service. Bus Route Gap Closers
Bus Network Enhancers
Service and Fares
BACKGROUND — TIER I EVALUATION Thirteen improvement options were developed in the Tier I evaluation phase of the LITP2000 Study based on the congestion management suggestions received from the general public, advocacy groups, state agencies, Nassau and Suffolk Counties, and Long Island towns. The 13 Tier I options included:
The improvement options were tested using the state-of-the-art LITP2000 travel demand and transportation system computer model developed for this study. Test results were discussed at the May 6, 1999 joint meeting of the LITP2000 Transportation Mobility and Technical Advisory Committees. Overall, the Tier I "idealized" transit option tested well. The "idealized" transit system included the following attributes:
The Tier I test results revealed the following conclusions concerning the development of alternatives for Tier II testing:
Following the May 6th meeting, the Tier I results were reviewed to identify the best performing elements of each option. These elements were used to help develop the integrated, multi-modal Tier II alternatives.
TIER II ALTERNATIVES The four alternatives tested in the Tier II evaluation phase are: Alternative 1 A new transit system with high levels of service consisting of express buses; also, selected roadway widenings consistent with town, county, and state suggestions, but only where the transit elements could not alone eliminate traffic congestion. The express buses would operate on bus priority lanes along sections of limited access roadways. The bus priority lanes would also permit high-occupancy vehicles with 2 or more people (HOV 2+), managed to maintain desirable travel speeds (45 to 55 MPH) for high volumes of person trips. Alternative 2 The same bus transit system as in Alternative 1, plus parking charges of $1.50 at work sites and value pricing (barrier-free, electronic tolls of $0.15 per mile during peak periods on all limited access roadways except for HOV 3+ users of HOV lanes). The bus priority lanes would also permit HOVs carrying 3 or more people (HOV 3+). This alternative also includes selected roadway widenings consistent with town, county, and state suggestions, but only where the transit elements, parking charges, and tolls could not alone eliminate traffic congestion. Alternative 3 Specific roadway widening improvements and roadway extensions in selected corridors, consistent with town, county, and state suggestions, as well as HOV 2+ lanes on the Southern State Parkway between Hempstead Avenue and Sagtikos Parkway. Alternative 4 Specific roadway widening improvements and roadway extensions in selected corridors, consistent with town, county, and state suggestions, and conversion of the Northern State Parkway to high-occupancy/toll (HO/T 2+) lanes (no charge for HOV 2+, but tolls for single-occupant vehicles (SOVs)) between the Sagtikos Parkway and connections to the LIE in Nassau County. Detailed descriptions of the alternatives follow.
ALTERNATIVES 1 & 2 Alternatives 1 and 2 consist of the following elements: Alternative 1
Alternative 2
The express bus system, bus priority network, and roadway improvements are the common elements of Alternatives 1 and 2. This section describes the express bus system (i.e., planning level bus routes, operational attributes, and fare structure) and the bus priority network that were used for Tier II network coding and testing in the computer model. A list of the roadway improvements is included in Attachment B. Express Bus System The express bus system would be a seamless intra-Island system consisting of east-west and north-south bus routes with limited stops. It would be operated in addition to the existing local bus systems (i.e., LIBus, Suffolk County Transit, HART, NYC Transit) as well as in addition to any improvements recommended in the Long Island Bus Study. Low clearance transit vehicles would be utilized on the express bus routes that operate along portions of Long Island’s State parkways in order to safely pass underneath low clearance bridges. The express bus system would include the following components: Suffolk County Express Bus Feeder Routes - 34 express bus routes would operate throughout Suffolk County and travel to the Nassau Hub. The buses would collect passengers within local areas, then travel express with limited stops to Nassau County. No direct bus routes would operate between Suffolk County and Queens. The limited express stops would allow riders to transfer among routes. Nassau County Feeder Bus Routes - 13 feeder bus routes would supplement local bus service and provide increased access throughout Nassau County to the Nassau Hub area. Queens Bus Routes - 3 routes would connect the Nassau Hub area with New York City Transit subway stations in Queens. These routes would operate in the reverse commute direction only (i.e., eastbound during the AM peak period and westbound during the PM peak period). To avoid competition with existing LIBus routes, the Queens Bus Routes would operate "closed door" service within the New York City limits. That is; in the eastbound direction, the buses would only pick up passengers in Queens; westbound, the buses would only discharge passengers once they enter Queens. Other Bus Services — In addition to the above express bus routes, improvements to Suffolk County local bus service in the vicinity of Hauppauge would be warranted, and express bus services are recommended to serve Huntington Village and the Freeport and Amityville LIRR Stations. Express Bus System Routes The express bus routes are outlined below. Queens Express Bus Routes would connect the Nassau Hub area with New York City Transit subway stations in Queens. The routes are: Route QA from the State Route 24 (Hempstead Turnpike)/Interchange M5/Nassau Hub Transfer Station to the Main Street/Flushing station of the No. 7 Line and the LIRR. Route QB1 from the Stewart Avenue/Interchange M4/Nassau Hub Transfer Station light rail station to the Jamaica Center station of the E, J, and Z Lines. Route QB2 from the Stewart Avenue/Interchange M4/Nassau Hub Transfer Station to the Jamaica/169th Street-179th Street terminal of the F Line. Suffolk County Express Bus Feeder Routes would travel to the Nassau Hub area. The express bus feeder routes are divided into four "series" as follows: 100 series Long Island Expressway trunk system 200 series Deer Park Road/Jericho Turnpike trunk system 300 series Southern State Parkway/Sunrise Highway trunk system 400 series North-south cross island express bus routes The 100, 200, and 300 series would have an "A" routing and a "B" routing (e.g., Route 102A and Route 102B) to access the Nassau Hub. This would afford a choice of "one-seat" travel to all destinations. In the 100 and 200 series, "A" routes would operate from the intersection of State Route 110 and the LIE to the Nassau Hub via the LIE and the Meadowbrook State Parkway. "B" routes would operate from the intersection of State Route 110 and the LIE to the Nassau Hub via State Route 110, the Southern State Parkway, and the Meadowbrook State Parkway. In the 300 series, "A" routes would operate from the intersection of State Route 110 and the Southern State Parkway to the Nassau Hub via the Southern State Parkway and the Meadowbrook State Parkway. "B" routes would operate from the intersection of State Route 110 and the Southern State Parkway to the Nassau Hub via State Route 110, the LIE, and the Meadowbrook State Parkway. Only the 400 series routes would not serve the Nassau Hub area directly since they would provide north-south service. However, the 400 series routes would have a connecting 100, 200 or 300 series route operating direct service to the Nassau Hub area. 100 Series - These express bus routes would operate along the Long Island Expressway trunk route. After serving their designated collection/distribution area they would proceed to the Long Island Expressway and stop only at designated express bus stops until reaching the Nassau Hub. The routes’ collection/distribution areas are: Route 100 - Commack Route 101 - Edgewood and Pine Aire Route 102 - Central Islip (New York Institute of Technology would be served by this route) Route 103 - Hauppauge (Suffolk County Hauppauge Offices, New York State Office Building, Hauppauge Industrial Park, and Woodland Office Complex would be served by this route) Route 104 - Islandia and Lakeland Route 105 - Ronkonkoma Route 106 - Ronkonkoma (Ronkonkoma LIRR Station and Long Island MacArthur Airport would be served by this route) Route 107 - South Centereach and Farmingville (Suffolk County Community College Selden Campus would be served by this route) Route 108 - Holbrook and Holtsville Route 109 - East Commack Route 110 - Hauppauge (Suffolk County Hauppauge Offices would be served by this route) Route 111 - Smithtown Route 112 - Saint James and Lake Grove (Smith Haven Mall would be served by this route) Route 113 - North Centereach and North Selden Route 114 - Centereach Route 115 - downtown area of Port Jefferson (the route also serves the State University of New York at Stony Brook) Route 116 - Port Jefferson Route 117 - Long Island MacArthur Airport passenger terminal and the area along State Route 454 (Veteran’s Memorial Highway) 200 Series - These express bus routes would operate along the Deer Park Road/Jericho Turnpike trunk route. After serving their designated collection/distribution area, they would proceed to Jericho Turnpike or Deer Park Road and stop only at designated express bus stops until reaching the Nassau Hub. The routes’ collection/distribution areas are: Route 200 - Dix Hills Route 201 - Dix Hills Route 202 - Elwood and East Northport Route 203 - Commack 300 Series - These express bus routes would operate along the Southern State Parkway/Sunrise Highway trunk route. After serving their designated collection/distribution area, they would proceed to the Southern State Parkway or Sunrise Highway and stop only at designated express bus stops until reaching the Nassau Hub. The routes’ collection/distribution areas are: Route 300 - North Babylon Route 301 - West Babylon, North Babylon and Babylon Route 302 - West Brentwood Route 303 - Brentwood and North Bay (South Shore Mall would be served by this route) Route 304 - North Great River and Islip Terrace (Cohalan County and Federal Court Complex would be served by this route) Route 305 - East Islip Route 306 - Bohemia and Sayville Route 307 - Bayport and Patchogue Route 308 - North Patchogue and East Holbrook 400 Series - These express bus routes would provide north-south service in selected corridors. These express bus routes would not circulate within collection/distribution areas, but instead would connect with the 100, 200 or 300 series express bus routes to provide more travel flexibility and mobility. The 400 series routes are: Route 400 - This cross island express bus route would operate along both the Sagtikos State Parkway as well as the Sunken Meadow State Parkway. This express bus route stops are:
Route 401 - This cross island express bus route would operate primarily along County Route 97 (Nicolls Road). This express bus route stops are:
Route 402 - This cross island express bus route would operate primarily along County Route 17 (Carleton Avenue and Wheelers Road) and connect the South Shore Mall with the Suffolk County Offices in Hauppauge. This express bus route stops are:
[then via State Route 27 (Sunrise Highway) to]
[then via County Route 17 (Carleton Avenue) to]
[then via County Route 17 (Wheelers Road) to]
[then via State Route 111 (Wheelers Road) to]
Other Suffolk County Bus Service Elements In addition to the local bus system improvements recommended in the Long Island Bus Study, the following improvements in the vicinity of Hauppauge would be warranted:
Route S6A, which operates between Coram and Ronkonkoma, would be extended from Ronkonkoma to Hauppauge; Route S7A, which operates between Patchogue and Ronkonkoma, would be extended from Ronkonkoma to Hauppauge; and Long Island Bus Study Network Gap Closer Proposal No. 6, (new service between Central Islip and the State Route 110 corridor) would be extended from Central Islip to Hauppauge. Nassau County Feeder Bus Routes In addition to the local bus system improvements recommended in the Long Island Bus Study, service improvements in Nassau County would be warranted as part of Alternatives 1and 2. The extension and diversion of existing bus routes and Long Island Bus Study proposed bus routes to the Nassau Hub area would be provided along with a system of feeder bus routes to provide increased access to the Nassau Hub. The feeder bus routes would be designated "500 Series" bus routes. The 500 series bus routes would provide Nassau County travelers destined for the Nassau Hub with "one-seat" ride service. After serving their designated collection/distribution area, the buses would enter a limited access roadway and proceed to the Nassau Hub via the most direct route. The routes’ collection/distribution areas are: Route 500 - Inwood, Lawrence and Woodsburgh Route 501 - Valley Stream and Lynbrook Route 502 - Rockville Centre Route 503 - Freeport Route 504 - Floral Park and Elmont Route 505 - South Hempstead and Roosevelt Route 506 - Hempstead Route 507 - Mineola Route 508 - Great Neck Route 509 - Port Washington Route 510 - Glen Cove, Sea Cliff and Roslyn Harbor Route 511 - Oyster Bay and East Norwich Route 512 - Long Beach and Island Park Huntington Village Express Bus Routes New express bus routes (i.e., HVA and HVB) would operate between Huntington Village and the intersection of State Route 110 and the LIE via State Route 110. These routes would stop only at express bus stops along State Route 110. After reaching the intersection of the LIE and State Route 110, the "HVA" route would travel to the Nassau Hub via the LIE and the Meadowbrook State Parkway. The "HVB" route would reach the Nassau Hub via State Route 110, the Southern State Parkway, and the Meadowbrook State Parkway. LIRR Express Bus Shuttles A new "express shuttle" route (LIRR1) would connect the Freeport LIRR Station with the express bus stop at the intersection of the Southern State Parkway and Meadowbrook State Parkway. Another "express shuttle" route (LIRR2) would connect the Amityville LIRR Station with the express bus stop at the intersection of the Southern State Parkway and State Route 110. Express Bus System Operational Attributes System attributes include vehicle headways, capacities, and maximum running speeds. Bus headways are the time intervals between buses to meet the anticipated peak hour ridership. The route headways presented below were determined by reviewing the preliminary ridership forecasts of the bus routes initially tested with 10-minute headways.
Additionally, a transfer time (local bus to express bus system) of 2 minutes and a bus station dwell time of 30 seconds were coded in the model. A bus capacity of 45 people was coded in the model. To replicate a high level of service system, no standees would be permitted. Further development of Alternatives 1 and 2 may result in defining routes that could use lower capacity buses, primarily on the parkways with low clearance bridges. Maximum running speeds coded in the computer model are shown in Table 1.
Table 1 Maximum Bus Running Speeds
Fare Structure Fares are an important independent variable, like travel times, in the computer model used to estimate transit ridership. Two sets of fare structures have been used in the model, one for existing bus systems and one for the express bus system in Alternatives 1 and 2. Existing Bus Systems - Current transit fare structures include several payment options (e.g., single ticket, weekly or 10-trip tickets, and monthly pass). They offer different levels of convenience as well as discount features. The fares coded for the existing local bus systems were based on the current fare structure and also includes the following assumptions:
Express Bus System - Current local bus and LIRR fares were used as the basis for formulating the express bus system’s fare structure. The express bus system’s fare structure assumes that commuters who travel during peak periods would take advantage of discounted fares. The base charge established for intra Island (Nassau and Suffolk Counties) express bus system service would be $1.50 for the initial zone plus $0.50 for each additional zone, with free transfer privileges between express bus routes. Transfers between express bus system and non express bus system routes would have a $0.25 transfer charge. This represents an attractive fare structure that should encourage intra-Island travel on the express bus system. While attractive, the express bus system fare structure is consistent with charges on LIBus and SCT. The Suffolk Clipper, a premium express bus service, has a base fare of $1.50. Four fare zones have been established in Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties for the express bus system. Queens and Nassau County are each treated as single zones. Because of its size, Suffolk County consists of two zones. The zone boundary for Queens is the New York City limit. The Nassau County and Suffolk County #1 zone boundary is at Route 110. An overlapping zone is coded where Nassau County residents could make a one-zone trip on the express bus system to the Route 110 corridor. Similarly, residents of western Suffolk County could travel to the Route 110 corridor and have a one-zone trip. An overlapping zone boundary is also coded for Suffolk #1 and Suffolk #2 in the vicinity of Hauppauge. This would provide a single-zone trip for Suffolk County residents living to the east and to the west of this job center. Express bus system fares are shown in Table 2. The charge coded for service from Nassau County to Queens is $1.50. This fare is the same as for use of regular LIBus routes with MetroCard, so as to not penalize existing riders for using the express bus system. The service is coded for the reverse commute only (i.e., eastbound service during the AM peak period and westbound service during the PM peak period) and to not permit free transfer from the Queens subway to the express bus system.
Table 2 Express Bus System Fare Structure
These fares have been defined for testing of Alternatives 1 and 2, rather than for a thorough fare analysis. The express bus system’s fare structure was developed to balance two possibly countervailing issues -- charges for intra-Island trips should be attractively priced and not penalize use of existing bus services where the fare is $1.50; and the fares should avoid competition with the LIRR for travel to NYC. The computer model assigns charges for rides on the express bus system based on the distance traveled. This avoids creation of a competitive situation with the LIRR in the model. Bus Priority Network Critical to the success in attracting ridership to the express bus system is the establishment of a bus priority network along the express bus routes. Establishment of such a network is necessary to allow buses to maintain high speeds and travel times competitive with the automobile. The network would consist of bus priority lanes on limited access roadways and bus priority measures along arterial roadways. The network also would include express bus stops and park and ride lots. Bus priority lanes would be constructed in the medians of the Southern State Parkway, Meadowbrook State Parkway, Sagtikos/Sunken Meadow State Parkway, and C.R. 97 (Nicolls Road), and the limited access portion of Sunrise Highway. Additionally, the existing Long Island Expressway HOV lanes would be re-designated as bus priority lanes and bus priority lanes would be constructed along the Northern State Parkway between the Meadowbrook State Parkway and its connections to the Long Island Expressway. Express buses could enter a bus priority lane on a limited access roadway by using existing on-ramps and then weaving across the mixed traffic lanes to the median bus priority lane. If warranted, the express buses could enter the bus priority lanes directly via new ramps constructed at existing cross streets. Based on the results of the computer modeling, there would be excess capacity in the bus priority lanes. The excess capacity would be available for vanpools and carpools. The extent of the peak period allowed for shared use with vanpools and carpools and the vehicle occupancy requirements would vary in the future to ensure that high speeds are always maintained by the express buses. Bus priority measures would be implemented along Route 110, Route 347, and other major arterials with express bus routes. The express buses would travel in mixed traffic along these arterials, but would be able to take advantage of priority measures such as traffic signal treatments and queue bypasses. These measures are described below.
The express buses would make limited stops along the priority network. The purpose of the stops would be to provide a seamless transit system by allowing transfers among the express bus routes for any direction of travel. Along Route 110 and Route 347, for example, the bus stops would be constructed at the curb lines. Along the Long Island Expressway, Southern State Parkway, and Sunrise Highway, for example, the bus stops would be constructed in the roadway medians adjacent to the bus priority lanes. Construction in the median would require, at some locations, widening of the right-of-way. Additionally, the stations could be located in proximity to existing cross streets to allow pedestrian access via stairs to the bus platforms from the cross street sidewalks. Park and ride lots would be constructed on the bus priority network to facilitate use of the express bus system. Existing lots along the Long Island Expressway also would be utilized, and expanded if necessary. The lots would provide opportunities for the system to be accessible by various modes of transportation -- the existing local bus systems, walking, drop-off curb zones, and driving. Additionally, the park and ride lots would serve as staging areas for vanpool and carpool formation for people who are unable to take advantage of the express bus system. Park-and-ride lots would be constructed at the following locations:
ALTERNATIVE 2 VALUE PRICING & PARKING CHARGES Alternative 2 includes all of the elements of Alternative 1 plus value pricing and parking charges at worksites. The purposes of testing these pricing elements were to determine their impacts on express bus system ridership and traffic on the roadway network. Value pricing consists of implementation of barrier-free, non- stop electronic payment of tolls on all of Long Island’s limited access parkways and highways. The tolls would be in effect during the morning and evening peak periods. The toll rate tested was $0.15 per mile. This would result in a toll of $2.25 for a 15-mile trip. The tolls would not apply to carpools and vanpools with three or more occupants. Parking charges at worksites were tested with a rate of $1.50 per day. This charge would apply to all vehicles, including carpools and vanpools. Tolls are unpopular on Long Island. A letter in opposition to tolls from the entire Long Island delegation to the New York State Senate was presented to the LITP Technical Advisory Committee at their June 13, 2000 meeting. The letter stated the following: "We are writing to express our unequivocal opposition to the concept of establishing tolls on any of Long Island’s Parkways. "We recognize that the members of the LITP 2000 Technical Advisory Committee are required by Federal Law to evaluate all potential strategies to facilitate travel in Suffolk and Nassau counties. Long Island’s population, unique geography, and environmental needs will require innovative solutions to meet our future transportation demands. It is important that the members of the Committee focus their valuable time and talents on only those potential improvements which are technically and environmentally feasible, fiscally responsible, improve transportation safety and enjoy strong public support. The placement of tolls fails every one of these important requirements. "Tolls on our Parkways are an unacceptable alternative that must be removed from any further consideration. We look forward to working with the Committee on more productive strategies to improve our region’s quality of life through common sense transportation solutions." The letter, dated June 12, 2000, was signed by Senators Caesar Trunzo, Owen H. Johnson, Dean G. Skelos, Kenneth P. LaValle, James J. Lack, Kemp Hannon, Carl L. Marcellino, Michael A. L. Balboni, and Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr.
DEVELOPMENT OF TIER II ALTERNATIVES 1 AND 2 An important component of the LITP analysis is the public transportation system since diversions from single occupant vehicles to transit reduce the demand on the roadway network. Further, the transit system has the potential to enhance mobility for those who do not drive or do not have access to an automobile. With these objectives, a range of long range transit proposals were tested sequentially wherein the results at each stage led to the formation of new or revised proposals. This sequential testing process was used to define the transit components of Tier II Alternatives 1 and 2. As noted earlier, the initial Tier I analysis examined an "idealized" transit system that afforded extensive coverage throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties, high operating speeds, and frequent service without the need to transfer. No specific transit mode was specified (i.e., rail or bus) since the focus was on identification of those segments that could attract sufficient patronage to warrant exclusive transit facilities. The "idealized" transit system represented a significant increase in service compared to that offered by Long Island’s existing bus systems. Based on the Tier I analysis of the "idealized" transit system, two preliminary high-level-of-service transit (HLT) networks were developed for initial Tier II testing. The two preliminary networks tested were:
The purpose of the initial Tier II testing was to determine the ridership potential of light rail transit and an extensive express bus system. Both HLT versions include the same travel markets and coverage. Descriptions of HLT Versions A and B are included in Attachment A. HLT system ridership forecasting was based on key predictor variables (out-of-pocket costs, travel time/speed, vehicle capacity, and service frequency) and fare structure (comparable to current bus fares and does not compete with the LIRR). HLT Version B performed better than HLT Version A. The express bus system in HLT Version B attracted about 40 percent more riders than the LRT/express bus system in HLT Version A. This was probably due to the need to transfer from the express feeder buses to the light rail system in HLT Version A. The express bus system in HLT Version B allowed for a greater number of one-seat rides than in HLT Version A. This is because buses can perform all three trip functions in HLT Version B (i.e., collection, line haul, and distribution), thereby reducing transfers and overall travel times for many riders. Additionally, the passenger demand is not consistent with high capacity LRT vehicles and intra-Island travel patterns are too dispersed for a fixed LRT system. Thus, Tier II Alternatives 1 and 2 both include the extensive bus system tested in HLT Version B with one exception. The initial ridership forecasts were reviewed to develop route headways that reflect ridership levels. The HLT Version B express bus system with the revised headways became the primary transit component of Tier II Alternatives 1 and 2. Other transit components included in both alternatives are the Nassau Hub people mover/circulator loop presently under study by Nassau County, all of the Long Island Bus Study recommendations, and the LIRR capital improvements. Alternative 2 also includes parking charges at work sites and value pricing. Alternatives 1 and 2 were coded into the computer model. After running the model and determining that the transit elements in Alternative 1 and the transit elements, value pricing and parking charges in Alternative 2 did not eliminate traffic congestion, roadway widenings were added to the network. The widenings were added only for those congested locations that are on the list of "desired typical sections" (i.e., roadway improvements suggested by the towns, Nassau and Suffolk Counties, and the NYS Department of Transportation, see Attachment B). All other congested roadway locations (i.e., those not on the list) were not included in the two alternatives. The roadway widenings are identical in Alternatives 1 and 2.
ALTERNATIVES 3 AND 4 Alternatives 3 and 4 consist of the following elements: Alternative 3
Alternative 4
These alternatives were tested to help judge the importance of transit expansion; i.e., to determine the effectiveness of roadway improvements and HOV lanes without any major transit improvements. The purpose of the HOV lanes in Alternative 3 was to test the potential increase in carpool formation. The purpose of the HO/T lanes in Alternative 4 was to test the potential increase in carpool formation while also allowing SOVs the opportunity to take advantage of any excess capacity on the Northern State Parkway by paying a toll. The tolls would be collected through implementation of barrier-free, non-stop electronic payment and would be in effect during the morning and evening peak periods. The roadway improvements are common to both Alternatives 3 and 4, as well as to Alternatives 1 and 2. Meetings were held with each of the Long Island towns in 1998 to obtain their vision of roadway improvements in their communities based on their growth assumptions and community quality of life. The towns provided suggestions for roadway improvements ("Desired Typical Sections"). Suggestions provided by Nassau and Suffolk Counties and the Long Island Region of the NYS Department of Transportation were added to the list of roadway improvements. The types of improvements included additional travel lanes, continuous center left-turn lanes, intersection widening, grade separations, HOV lanes, and roadway extensions. The goals of the improvements were to:
The list of suggested roadway improvements is included in Attachment B. The suggested improvements affect about 15 percent of the total State and County Systems’ route mileage on Long Island.
TIER II EVALUATION AND RESULTS Performance Measures Fourteen performance measures, developed with input from the Study’s Subcommittees and Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), were used to evaluate the effectiveness of Alternatives 1 through 4. These performance measures are all important considerations for congestion management, improvement of mobility, and conformance with air quality standards. In addition, the final Tier II evaluations will eventually include 2 additional measures that address the affordability of alternatives and 7 additional measures that address environmental concerns. These 9 additional measures will be added during the final evaluations which will be completed after meetings with local communities are held. Table 3 lists the performance measures. Each of the Study’s TAC members assigned a weight to each of the 14 performance measures related to effectiveness to help establish their relative importance for managing congestion. The following terms were used to define relative importance: most important (weight = 4); important (weight = 3); somewhat important (weight = 2); and least important (weight = 1). A final weight was computed for each performance measure by averaging the weights assigned by the TAC members. The final weights of the 14 performance measures ranged between 2.4 and 3.4, with eleven of them ranging between 2.8 and 3.2 (see Table 3). As borne out by the narrow range in weights assigned by the TAC, all of the performance measures defined for effectiveness are important for congestion management, improvement of mobility, and conformance with air quality standards. The overall average of all the weights was 3.0. To determine if there were meaningful differences in the range of weights, a statistical procedure called "Analysis of Variance" was used. Based on the analysis, the performance measures were not significantly different in relative importance. Therefore, two evaluations were performed in the Tier II evaluation: one using the overall average weight of 3.0 assigned to all of the effectiveness performance measures; and one using the final TAC assigned weights. Evaluation Methodology As noted above, there are 14 performance measures to determine the effectiveness of the Tier II Alternatives. Of these 14 measures, 11 are quantifiable, 2 are qualitative, and 1 is independent of the alternatives. The LITP2000 travel demand and transportation system models were used to calculate the 11 quantifiable performance measures for the alternatives, see Table 4. The two qualitative measures are "assessment of potential to increase non-motorized travel" and "reduce expected number of accidents on roadway network." It was assumed that non-motorized travel would increase with an increase in the degree of transit offered in an alternative. It was assumed that accidents would decrease as a function of the decrease in vehicle miles of travel and the decrease in congestion (vehicles hours of delay). The independent measure is "assessment of potential to reduce long-haul goods movement by truck." This measure is independent of any alternative because the LITP feasibility study for a truck/rail intermodal facility at the Pilgrim State Hospital site in Town of Islip is presently underway. Year 2020 forecasts for each of the quantifiable effectiveness performance measures for Alternatives 1, 2, 3, and 4 were compared to the year 2020 forecast for the Base Condition (No-Build Alternative). The percentage changes between the No-Build Alternative and each of the four alternatives for each effectiveness measure were calculated, see Table 4. Based on the percentage changes, a scoring system was developed to account for the ranges in how well the alternatives are forecast to manage congestion as follows:
The scoring was done as follows: First, for a particular measure, the range of performance across all alternatives showing improvement (that is, change in the right direction) was divided into four equal parts referred to as "quartiles." Second, the quartiles were scored from "1" (representing the least amount of change in the right direction) to "4" (representing the greatest amount of change in the right direction). Third, the change produced by each alternative within the range was given a score of from 1 to 4 depending upon which quartile it fell within. Conversely, a score of "0" was given if the change did not fall within the range (representing change in the wrong direction). For example: if the change produced by an alternative fell into the first quartile (lower part of the range), the alternative was given the score of "1" for the performance measure; while if the change fell into the fourth quartile (highest part of the range), the alternative was given the score of "4" for the performance measure. This was done separately for each quantifiable performance measure. The effectiveness of each alternative was determined by multiplying the quartile score (1, 2, 3, or 4) by the respective performance measure weight and then summing all the performance measure scores. Table 3: Tier II Evaluation Criteria and Performance Measures Effectiveness of Alternatives Effectiveness of each alternative was determined by summing the scores of the effectiveness performance measures. The higher the sum, the more effective an alternative would be in managing congestion and improving mobility, compared to the Base Condition (No-Build Alternative). The maximum score that can be obtained is 156 using the overall average 3.0 weight for all measures, or 153 using the final TAC assigned weights. The results of the scoring are shown in Tables 5 and 6 -- Table 5 using the overall average weight of 3.0 for each performance measure, and Table 6 using the final TAC assigned weights. The sum of the effectiveness scores for each alternative is presented below. The ranking of the alternatives is identical using either weighting system and the scores are not appreciably different in either case.
Evaluation Results
Travel Characteristics Typical weekday morning peak period travel characteristics covering bus, carpool, and drive alone person trips are presented in Tables 7 and 8. Table 7 shows trip forecasts for 2020 base conditions compared to 1995 base year trip estimates, while Table 8 shows trip forecasts for Alternatives 1 through 4 compared to 2020 base condition forecasts. Air Quality The air quality analysis involved estimation of area-wide burdens generated by the transportation network for three pollutants: carbon monoxide (CO); nitrous oxide (NOx); and volatile organic compounds (VOC). Long Island is an air quality non-attainment area for ozone. The precursors of ozone are nitrous oxides and volatile organic compounds. The estimated emission burdens for the 1995 base year and the projected emission burdens for the 2020 base condition and the Tier II alternatives are shown in Table 9. Table 5: Effectiveness of Alternatives Table 6: Effectiveness of Alternatives Table 7 Typical Weekday Travel — Base Conditions 6 to 10 AM Person Trips Originating in Nassau and Suffolk
Table 8 Typical Weekday Travel — Alternatives 1, 2, 3, & 4 6 to 10 AM Person Trips Originating in Nassau and Suffolk
* Percent change compared to 2020 Base Condition
Table 9 Air Quality CO, NOx, & VOC Emissions (Tons per AM Peak Period, 6 to 10 AM)
DISCUSSION OF TIER II RESULTS The Tier II results revealed the following concerning the effectiveness of Alternatives 1 through 4:
Alternative 1 best manages future traffic congestion and scored the highest overall effectiveness score compared to Alternatives 2, 3, and 4. Based on these results, the consultant team recommends advancing Alternative 1 to the next phase of refinement and evaluation. A potential 20-year staging plan for Alternative 1 could include the following:
NEXT STEPS The next step is to obtain guidance from the Technical Advisory Committee on what alternative should be advanced as the preferred alternative for further refinement and analysis. Upon refinement of the alternative in a draft plan, the plan will be reviewed with the public at community meetings.
ATTACHMENT A DESCRIPTION OF HIGH-LEVEL TRANSIT VERSIONS A & B
HIGH-LEVEL TRANSIT VERSIONS A & B This attachment describes the planning level routes, operational attributes (i.e., vehicle headways, capacities, and speeds), and fare structure that were used for initial Tier II network coding and testing of high-level transit (HLT) Versions A and B. HLT Versions A and B were developed to test light rail transit and an extensive express bus system. These two preliminary networks were tested using the LITP2000 travel demand and transportation system computer model. The travel demand model examines each travel mode in terms of travel times and costs to provide estimates of ridership demand for each element of the HLT system. The purpose of the testing was to obtain preliminary forecasts of transit ridership for the two networks. The ridership results were used to help define the transit components of Tier II Alternatives 1 and 2.
HLT VERSION A This version consists of a light rail transit (LRT) system with express bus feeder routes. LRT System The LRT system would consist of four segments as follows:
The following three light rail routes were coded:
Express Bus System The HLT express bus system consists of express bus feeder routes with limited stops. It would be operated in addition to the existing local bus systems (i.e., LI Bus, Suffolk County Transit, HART, NYC Transit) as well as in addition to any improvements recommended in the Long Island Bus Study. Low clearance transit vehicles would be utilized on the express bus routes that operate along portions of Long Island’s State parkways in order to safely pass underneath low clearance bridges. The express bus system would include the following components: Suffolk County Express Bus Feeder Routes - 34 express bus routes would operate throughout Suffolk County and feed the light rail transit system. The buses would collect passengers within local areas, then travel express with limited stops to the light rail system. The limited express stops would allow riders to transfer among routes. Nassau County Feeder Bus Routes - 13 feeder bus routes would supplement local bus service and provide increased access throughout Nassau County to the light rail system. Queens Bus Routes - 3 routes would connect the light rail system with New York City Transit subway stations in Queens. These routes would operate in the reverse commute direction only (i.e., eastbound during the AM peak period and westbound during the PM peak period). To avoid competition with existing LIBus routes, the Queens Bus Routes would operate "closed door" service within the New York City limits. That is; in the eastbound direction, the buses would only pick up passengers in Queens; westbound, the buses would only discharge passengers once they enter Queens.
Express Bus System Routes The express bus routes are outlined below. Queens Express Bus Routes would connect the light rail system with New York City Transit subway stations in Queens. The routes are: Route QA from the State Route 24 (Hempstead Turnpike)/Interchange M5/Nassau Hub Transfer Station light rail station to the Main Street/Flushing station of the No. 7 Line and the LIRR. Route QB1 from the Stewart Avenue/Interchange M4/Nassau Hub Transfer Station light rail station to the Jamaica Center station of the E, J, and Z Lines. Route QB2 from the Stewart Avenue/Interchange M4/Nassau Hub Transfer Station light rail station to the Jamaica/169th Street-179th Street terminal of the F Line. Suffolk County Express Bus Feeder Routes would feed the light rail transit system at two key stations -- the Long Island Expressway Interchange 49/State Route 110 station and the Southern State Parkway Interchange 32/State Route 110 station. The express bus feeder routes are divided into four "series" as follows:
100 series Long Island Expressway trunk system 200 series Deer Park Road/Jericho Turnpike trunk system 300 series Southern State Parkway/Sunrise Highway trunk system 400 series North-south cross island express bus routes Only the 400 series routes would not serve the light rail transit system stations directly since they would provide north-south service. However, the 400 series routes would have a connecting 100, 200 or 300 series route operating direct service to a station on the light rail transit system. 100 Series - These express bus routes would operate along the Long Island Expressway trunk route. After serving their designated collection/distribution area they would proceed to the Long Island Expressway and stop only at designated express bus stops. All 100 series routes would operate to and from the Long Island Expressway Interchange 49/State Route 110 light rail station. The routes’ collection/distribution areas are: Route 100 - Commack Route 101 - Edgewood and Pine Aire Route 102 - Central Islip (New York Institute of Technology would be served by this route) Route 103 - Hauppauge (Suffolk County Hauppauge Offices, New York State Office Building, Hauppauge Industrial Park, and Woodland Office Complex would be served by this route) Route 104 - Islandia and Lakeland Route 105 - Ronkonkoma Route 106 - Ronkonkoma (Ronkonkoma LIRR Station and Long Island MacArthur Airport would be served by this route) Route 107 - South Centereach and Farmingville (Suffolk County Community College Selden Campus would be served by this route) Route 108 - Holbrook and Holtsville Route 109 - East Commack Route 110 - Hauppauge (Suffolk County Hauppauge Offices would be served by this route) Route 111 - Smithtown Route 112 - Saint James and Lake Grove (Smith Haven Mall would be served by this route) Route 113 - North Centereach and North Selden Route 114 - Centereach Route 115 - downtown area of Port Jefferson (the route also serves the State University of New York at Stony Brook) Route 116 - Port Jefferson Route 117 - Long Island MacArthur Airport passenger terminal and the area along State Route 454 (Veteran’s Memorial Highway) 200 Series - These express bus routes would operate along the Deer Park Road/Jericho Turnpike trunk route. After serving their designated collection/distribution area, they would proceed to Jericho Turnpike or Deer Park Road and stop only at designated express bus stops. All 200 series routes would operate to and from the LIE Interchange 49/State Route 110 light rail station. The routes’ collection/distribution areas are: Route 200 - Dix Hills Route 201 - Dix Hills Route 202 - Elwood and East Northport Route 203 - Commack 300 Series - These express bus routes would operate along the Southern State Parkway/Sunrise Highway trunk route. After serving their designated collection/distribution area, they would proceed to the Southern State Parkway or Sunrise Highway and stop only at designated express bus stops. All 300 series routes would operate to and from the Southern State Parkway Interchange 32/State Route 110 light rail station. The routes’ collection/distribution areas are: Route 300 - North Babylon Route 301 - West Babylon, North Babylon and Babylon Route 302 - West Brentwood Route 303 - Brentwood and North Bay (South Shore Mall would be served by this route) Route 304 - North Great River and Islip Terrace (Cohalan County and Federal Court Complex would be served by this route) Route 305 - East Islip Route 306 - Bohemia and Sayville Route 307 - Bayport and Patchogue Route 308 - North Patchogue and East Holbrook 400 Series - These express bus routes would provide north-south service in selected corridors. These express bus routes would not circulate within collection/distribution areas, but instead would connect with the 100, 200 or 300 series express bus routes to provide more travel flexibility and mobility. The 400 series routes are: Route 400 - This cross island express bus route would operate along both the Sagtikos State Parkway as well as the Sunken Meadow State Parkway. This express bus route stops are:
Route 401 - This cross island express bus route would operate primarily along County Route 97 (Nicolls Road). This express bus route stops are:
[then via State Route 25A to]
[then via County Route 97 to]
Route 402 - This cross island express bus route would operate primarily along County Route 17 (Carleton Avenue and Wheelers Road) and connect the South Shore Mall with the Suffolk County Offices in Hauppauge. This express bus route stops are:
[then via State Route 27 (Sunrise Highway) to]
[then via County Route 17 (Carleton Avenue) to]
[then via County Route 17 (Wheelers Road) to]
[then via State Route 111 (Wheelers Road) to]
Other Suffolk County Service Elements In addition to the local bus system improvements recommended in the Long Island Bus Study, the following improvements in the vicinity of Hauppauge would be warranted:
Route S6A, which operates between Coram and Ronkonkoma, would be extended from Ronkonkoma to Hauppauge; Route S7A, which operates between Patchogue and Ronkonkoma, would be extended from Ronkonkoma to Hauppauge; and Long Island Bus Study Network Gap Closer Proposal No. 6, (new service between Central Islip and the State Route 110 corridor) would be extended from Central Islip to Hauppauge.
Nassau County Feeder Bus Routes In addition to the local bus system improvements recommended in the Long Island Bus Study, service improvements in Nassau County would be warranted as part of HLT Version A. The extension and diversion of existing bus routes and Long Island Bus Study proposed bus routes to LRT stations in Nassau County would be provided along with a system of feeder bus routes to provide increased LRT access. The feeder bus routes would be designated "500 Series" bus routes. The routes’ collection/distribution areas are: Route 500 - Inwood, Lawrence and Woodsburgh Route 501 - Valley Stream and Lynbrook Route 502 - Rockville Centre Route 503 - Freeport Route 504 - Floral Park and Elmont Route 505 - South Hempstead and Roosevelt Route 506 - Hempstead Route 507 - Mineola Route 508 - Great Neck Route 509 - Port Washington Route 510 - Glen Cove, Sea Cliff and Roslyn Harbor Route 511 - Oyster Bay and East Norwich Route 512 - Long Beach and Island Park
Highway Improvements to Accommodate Transit The following highway improvements would be necessary to accommodate the LRT and express buses in HLT Version A:
HLT VERSION B HLT Version B serves the same travel markets and provides the same coverage as HLT Version A. This version consists of the express bus routes described in HLT Version A. However, the LRT would be replaced with extensions of express bus routes (i.e., the express buses would also operate along the LRT segments described in HLT Version A). HLT Version B would provide many travelers with one-seat rides. Bus Routes The following modifications are necessary to accommodate the HLT Version A express bus system in HLT Version B:
The HLT Version B express bus system was used to define the express bus system for Tier II Alternatives 1 and 2. Highway Improvements to Accommodate Transit The following highway improvements would be necessary to accommodate the express buses in HLT Version B:
HLT VERSIONS A & B - OPERATIONAL ATTRIBUTES HLT vehicle headways, capacities, and maximum running speeds coded in the computer model are shown in Tables 1, 2, and 3. TABLE 1 VEHICLE HEADWAYS
TABLE 2 VEHICLE CAPACITIES
TABLE 3 MAXIMUM VEHICLE RUNNING SPEEDS
HLT VERSIONS A & B — FARE STRUCTURE Fares are an important independent variable, like travel times, in the computer model used to estimate transit ridership. Two sets of fare structures have been used in the model, one for existing bus systems and one for HLT Versions A and B. Existing Bus Systems - Current transit fare structures include several payment options (e.g., single ticket, weekly or 10-trip tickets, and monthly pass). They offer different levels of convenience as well as discount features. The fares coded for the existing local bus systems were based on the current fare structure and also includes the following assumptions:
HLT System - Current local bus and LIRR fares were used as the basis for formulating the HLT system’s fare structure. The HLT system’s fare structure assumes that commuters who travel during peak periods would take advantage of discounted fares. The base charge established for intra Island (Nassau and Suffolk Counties) HLT service would be $1.50 for the initial zone plus $0.50 for each additional zone, with free transfer privileges between the LRT and HLT express buses and between HLT express bus routes. Transfers between HLT and non HLT routes would have a $0.25 transfer charge. This represents an attractive fare structure that should encourage intra-Island travel on the HLT system. While attractive, the HLT fare structure is consistent with charges on LIBus and SCT. The Suffolk Clipper, a premium express bus service, has a base fare of $1.50. Four fare zones have been established in Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties for the HLT system. Queens and Nassau County are each treated as single zones. Because of its size, Suffolk County consists of two zones. The zone boundary for Queens is the New York City limit. The Nassau County and Suffolk County #1 zone boundary is at Route 110. An overlapping zone is coded where Nassau County residents could make a one-zone trip on the HLT system to the Route 110 corridor. Similarly, residents of western Suffolk County could travel to the Route 110 corridor and have a one-zone trip. An overlapping zone boundary is also coded for Suffolk #1 and Suffolk #2 in the vicinity of Hauppauge. This would provide a single-zone trip for Suffolk County residents living to the east and to the west of this job center. HLT system fares are shown in Table 4. The charge coded for service from Nassau County to Queens is $1.50. This fare is the same as for use of regular LIBus routes with MetroCard, so as to not penalize existing riders for using the HLT system. The service is coded for the reverse commute only (i.e., eastbound service during the AM peak period and westbound service during the PM peak period) and to not permit free transfer from the Queens subway to the HLT system.
TABLE 4 HLT SYSTEM FARE STRUCTURE
These fares have been defined for initial testing of HLT Versions A and B, rather than for a thorough fare analysis. The HLT system’s fare structure was developed to balance two possibly countervailing issues -- charges for intra-Island trips should be attractively priced and not penalize use of existing bus services where the fare is $1.50; and the fares should avoid competition with the LIRR for travel to NYC. The computer model assigns charges for rides on the HLT system based on the distance traveled. This avoids creation of a competitive situation with the LIRR in the model. HLT VERSIONS A & B — PARK AND RIDE LOTS The system of express buses and light rail transit lines would be accessible by various modes of transportation -- the existing local bus systems, walking, drop-off curb zones, and driving. To accommodate some drivers who wish to utilize the HLT system, park-and-ride lots would be constructed at key locations. These locations are:
ATTACHMENT B ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS TESTED
Table: Suggestions for Roadway Improvements (Alternatives 1, 2, 3, & 4) |
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