Transit Priority
MTC is working with transit agencies and with Caltrans, cities and counties to plan and implement transit priority infrastructure that increases the speed and reliability of Bay Area buses and light rail trains.
Transit priority is a toolbox of policies and infrastructure that help transit passengers get to their destination more quickly. Tools can include roadway design, traffic enforcement, new traffic signals and more.
Making transit faster and more reliable improves the customer experience and encourages more people to use transit. Investing in transit priority throughout the Bay Area roadway network helps meet the climate and equity goals of the long-range regional plan, Plan Bay Area 2050, and the Transit Transformation Action Plan.
Since 2012, MTC has invested over $100 million through the Transit Performance Initiative to improve speed and reliability on high-ridership transit lines throughout the Bay Area. MTC also is:
- Leading the design and delivery of transit priority projects along key highway and freeway corridors through the Forward Commute Initiatives.
- Providing funding and technical assistance for transit signal priority projects through the Innovative Deployments to Enhance Arterials (IDEA) program.
Actions & Work Plan Activities
MTC’s efforts in advancing transit priority in the Bay Area include the following initiatives:
Bus Accelerated Infrastructure Delivery (BusAID)
MTC is implementing a new program, Bus Accelerated Infrastructure Delivery (BusAID), which inventories operator-identified “hotspot” locations that regularly see transit delay or reliability issues.
BusAID funds the delivery of quick-build transit priority projects, investing in projects that maximize bus (and light rail) travel time savings and service reliability improvements for the most people as quickly as possible, while centering on the groups of people that depend on transit the most.
Setting Priorities
In 2023, MTC worked with each of the 20 Bay Area bus, light rail and streetcar operators to document the barriers to implementing transit priority and to inventory operator-identified hotspots.
To prioritize investments, the hotspots were scored with these criteria in mind:
- Locations where the delay could be reduced the most.
- Locations serving routes with higher ridership, more riders that are people of color and more riders with low incomes.
- Locations with transit routes that serve Priority Development Areas.
BusAID Program Schedule
In early 2024, staff will evaluate the highest-scoring projects to determine which are most ready and appropriate to implement.
The first BusAID-funded projects could break ground in 2025 and be completed as early as mid-2026.
| BusAID Phase | Date |
|---|---|
| Operator Interviews and Hotspot Inventory | Summer-Fall 2023 |
| Scored Hotspot List | Winter 2023-2024 |
| Feasibility/Readiness Assessment and Funding Recommendations | Spring-Summer 2024 |
| Project Advancement | Mid-2024 Onward |
Staff Contacts
Joel Shaffer, MTC
Transit Priority Program Manager
Phone: 415-778-5257
Email: jshaffer@bayareametro.gov
Mika Miyasato, AC Transit
Principal Transit Priority Planner
Phone: 510-891-7138
Email: mmiyasato@actransit.org
Regional Transit Priority Policy
MTC is developing a Regional Transit Priority Policy to foster more efficient and effective delivery of transit priority projects and programs in the Bay Area.
MTC sponsored a workshop in December 2023 to kick off the development of the policy with transit agencies, city/county and Caltrans staff, and transit advocates.
An ad-hoc Policy Development Working Group will meet in early 2024 to support development of the draft Regional Transit Priority Policy and supporting documents.
Staff Contacts
Joel Shaffer, MTC
Transit Priority Program Manager
Phone: 415-778-5257
Email: jshaffer@bayareametro.gov
Mika Miyasato, AC Transit
Principal Transit Priority Planner
Phone: 510-891-7138
Email: mmiyasato@actransit.org
Forward Commute Initiatives
MTC is leading the design and delivery of transit priority treatments along key highway and freeway corridors with the Forward Commute Initiatives.
Bay Bridge Forward includes transit priority infrastructure investments (for example: transit signal priority, bus queue jump lanes, HOV lane extensions, bus-on-shoulder lanes and interchange reconfigurations) as well as HOV lane policy changes (including occupancy requirements and hours of operation) to make transit faster and more reliable.
Projects such as the West Grand Avenue Bus and High Occupancy Vehicle Lane have already been completed. Others are in the planning and design stages.
Transit priority treatments include roadway design, operations, and traffic enforcement that can help transit vehicles avoid traffic congestion, reduce delays at signals, and move more predictably on all types of roads. These can include:
- Transit Lanes: lanes dedicated exclusively for transit vehicles, either full-time or during days/times with peak traffic congestion.
- High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes: lanes dedicated to transit vehicles and other high-occupancy vehicles, either full-time or during days/times with peak traffic congestion.
- Transit Signal Priority (TSP): modified traffic signal timing so transit vehicles encounter a green light or reduced wait times at intersections with traffic lights/signals.
- Queue Jump Lanes: lanes exclusively for transit vehicles and HOVs to bypass traffic queues at intersection approaches or freeway on-ramps. Queue jump lanes are often paired with TSP.
- Transit Stop Placement & Spacing: locations for transit stops that minimize delay and optimize stop frequency (to balance convenient stop access with efficient operations). Examples of improved locations might be the far side of intersections with traffic lights, or the near side of intersections controlled by a stop sign.
- Transit Stop Design: designing stops to reduce delays to transit vehicles (such as using boarding islands or bus bulbs/curb so buses do not have to pull in and out of the traffic lane during passenger loading/unloading).
- Traffic/Parking Regulations & Enforcement: regulations to speed transit travel (including turn restrictions for non-transit vehicles, tow-away zones and other curb management along transit routes), paired with automated or manual enforcement to ensure effective transit priority (such as on-bus cameras that can cite vehicles blocking transit-only lanes or bus zones).
MTC collaborates with regional and statewide partners to help make transit priority projects more efficient and effective in the long term. This includes working with transit agencies and local cities and counties to draft a Regional Transit Priority Policy, and partnering with Caltrans transit staff to review state policies and procedures.
In 2022, Caltrans District 4 formed a new planning office dedicated to advancing transit and active transportation efforts in the Bay Area. This expanded staff roles and capacity for transit planning and created more opportunities to streamline state policies and procedures related to transit priority. This includes review of the statewide Director’s Policy on Transit Priority and Focus, anticipated in 2024.
MTC is a partner on the Caltrans Bay Area Transit Plan, a first-of-its-kind district-level plan, to be finalized in 2025. It will identify transit priority infrastructure needs and access improvements on the state highway system.