Transit Priority Expectations – Cost-Effectiveness and Service Provision Impacts

There are multiple methods to improve transit priority, however, there is no standardized method to measure or predict these benefits across transit agencies and project types nationwide. This research aims to evaluate the impacts of transit priority infrastructure on cost-effectiveness and service provision. Specifically, it will examine how investments in transit priority measures—such as dedicated bus lanes, signal priority, and stop consolidation—affect transit operating costs, service reliability, and overall efficiency. Caltrans currently holds an archive of General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) and GTFS-Realtime derived transit speed and reliability data for most transit service across California, which the research team will be able to use in their analysis. To ensure the research results are applicable not just to one region or agency, researchers are also encouraged to pursue datasets from other agencies, including but not limited to the Chicago Transit Authority, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Through this research, transit agencies will be able to assess the potential benefits and trade-offs of implementing various transit priority strategies. State Departments of Transportation, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, and other local and regional stakeholders could then use an evidence-based approach to estimate the cost-effectiveness and service effects of potential transit priority measures based on existing data such as transit speed and reliability, land use, and road network characteristics. All of which can result in transit riders enjoying a faster, more frequent service through more efficient use of existing operating funds and increased investments in transit service are tied to transformative outcomes.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=6005
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $250,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  Project H-65

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Transit Cooperative Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001

  Federal Transit Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Schoby, Jamaal

• Start Date: 20251208
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cost effectiveness; Level of service; Operating costs; Public transit; Reliability; Traffic signal priority; Travel time
• Geographic Terms: California
• Subject Areas: Economics; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01973732
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project H-65
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Dec 8 2025 7:58PM