Why median stations are better

Where are median stations proposed?

The Better BRT plan calls for a median bus station on Route 29 in Four Corners. There will be two stations: a northbound and a southbound station, each with platforms on the right side of the bus. This configuration allows local buses, which only have right-side doors, to also use the same stations, if it is deemed feasible. The stations would be accessed by existing crosswalks across Route 29 at the two University Boulevard intersections.

The southbound station on Route 29 between University Boulevard westbound and University Boulevard eastbound (view looking south).

The northbound station on Route 29 between University Boulevard eastbound and Lanark Way (view looking south).

An overview of both Four Corner Stations (view looking north).

Median stations are used on busy roads throughout the country without incidents. Median stations meet United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) engineering safety regulations. Median stations are found in widespread use in Cleveland, Ohio on the Healthline and in the Eugene, Oregon area on their Emerald Express BRT system.

Another median BRT station in Eugene, Oregon.

Median stations are a win-win for transit and automobiles

Placing stations and bus lanes in the median are generally more effective than on the curbs, because doing so separates buses from general traffic. Drivers won’t have to wait behind stopped buses, and buses won’t have to compete as much for space with cars.

The capacity, reliability, and performance of curbside busways can be hampered by vehicles obstructing the right lane, such as right-turning vehicles, stopped taxis and rideshare (e.g. Uber/Lyft) vehicles, delivery trucks, garbage collectors, and mail trucks. Median busways on the other hand, are only affected by left-turning vehicles (the solution to avoiding those conflicts is explained here).

But don’t median stations force people to cross the street to get to the bus?

Some people claim that median stations are dangerous because people would have to cross the street to access the station. This claim demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of how transit works because people would need to cross the street regardless of whether a bus stop is on the curb or in the median, as shown in the video below, which compares the current bus service at Four Corners to the proposed Better BRT configuration.

But wouldn’t median stations expose people to high-speed traffic?

Some people claim that median stations are dangerous because people the stations would be in between fast moving cars. Bus stops on the curb as well as most of the existing sidewalks on Route 29 are also next to fast-moving cars, so that’s not really a fair argument. Additionally, the travel lane immediately in front of a median station stops would be restricted to buses only, so passengers waiting at a median station would actually be less exposed to high-speed vehicles than passengers waiting at a regular bus stop on the curb.

Photo of car crashed into bus shelter on sidewalk. — Safety concerns about median stations are misplaced, because stations on the sidewalk can be just as dangerous. Photo by KPIX CBS San Francisco.

The median stations at Four Corners proposed in the Better BRT plan could be specially designed to protect riders and ensure a comfortable experience. The stations would be approximately 16 feet wide, which is twice as wide as the existing sidewalks in the immediate area. The median stations would provide more than adequate space to accommodate waiting passengers, benches, ticket stations, ADA ramps, and other amenities. Transparent walls behind the station could physically shield passengers from the wind and sounds of passing vehicles, while also providing a physical barrier to enhance the perception of safety. The rendering below of the York Region’s “Viva” BRT system illustrates what the stations at Four Corners might look like.