Metrobus Transit Study.pdf - City of St. John's

St. John’s Transportation Commission (Metrobus) 2011
Market Assessment and Strategic Directions Study – Part D: Strategic Directions
At the Village Shopping Centre, the primary concerns are the inadequate platform size and the
excessive queuing/time loss in getting buses back on the road. Three rows of buses are parked at
this terminal, with only one row adjacent to a platform. A new design would accommodate all buses
on a single platform. The location of the terminal is ideal due to the proximity to the mall entrance
and the close proximity to the surrounding arterial road network. Transit signal priority features at
the mall exit (at Hamlyn Road) and at Topsail Road should be considered to reduce delays and
improve reliability.
Since transfer locations are fundamental to system design and the capacity requirements are well
understood, it is recommended that Metrobus initiate feasibility studies, in cooperation with the
property owners, to establish improvement opportunities at each location. It should be noted that if
the prominence of the Avalon Mall as a transfer facility is reduced (as per Section 10.2), the number
of bays in the existing facility may be appropriate and the study would focus on circulation and
transit priority measures.
MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY TERMINAL
The Memorial University Terminal is located at the entrance of the University Centre on Arctic
Avenue. Buses pull right to the front door of the building, allowing passengers to wait inside the
building for their next bus. There are some pedestrian and vehicle conflicts at this location which
can slow down buses, however, no incidents were reported by drivers. Consideration, however,
should be given to making this a ‘bus only’ location, and to relocate areas for passenger drop off and
pick ups.
A challenge for Metrobus with this terminal location occurs when outbound buses make a left turn
at the intersection of Arctic Avenue and Clinch Crescent. This intersection is a one-way stop, with
the freeflow on Clinch Crescent. Buses waiting for a gap in traffic can be delayed for several
minutes, particularly during the peak period due to traffic from the Health Sciences Centre.
Consideration should be given to signalize this intersection or put a transit priority measure in place
to reduce overall bus delay.
It is therefore recommended that Metrobus work with the University on restricting vehicle access to
the terminal and work with the City on potential transit priority measures at Clinch Crescent. Such
improvements will be even more critical if the proposed U-Pass initiative is implemented.
If the Memorial University node is determined to be a more effective transfer point than the Avalon
Mall, Metrobus should work with the University on assessing a suitable location for a transfer facility
in the 2-3 year time frame, or at such time that a U-Pass agreement with the University is initiated.
DOWNTOWN TERMINALS
Downtown St. John’s has three major transfer points. These are Military & Forest, Freshwater &
LeMarchant, and St. John’s Convention Centre (Water Street and Waldegrave Street). A number of
stakeholders and members of the public consulted during this study indicated some confusion about
where to access a bus in the downtown. Each terminal is located near the edge of the downtown.
While seven routes access the downtown area, only three of these routes traverse through the heart
of the downtown area (Routes 3, 6 and 10). This creates the potential need for an additional transfer
or a longer walk than many passengers are willing to take (particularly during inclement weather
conditions).
The challenge with the downtown is that there are few opportunities to build a more centralized
terminal due to the limited land availability. The streets within the downtown are also fairly narrow
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