Bus-only shoulder lanes draw national attention

Imagine. People in rush-hour traffic are smiling. They are on an express bus, moving quickly along the highway shoulder while cars in the regular lanes are bumper to bumper, stop and go.

A Metro Transit bus cruises down the shoulder past slower traffic on I-35W heading south from Minneapolis. The Twin Cities’ innovative use of “bus-only shoulders” has drawn national acclaim as a best practice for managing congestion.

“Bus-only shoulders” give transit users a distinct advantage, and the Twin Cities area is making extensive use of this innovative infrastructure. A study due later this year from the national Transportation Research Board (TRB) in Washington, D.C., will proclaim the Twin Cities a national model of success for this best-practice approach to managing congestion.

How successful? Beginning in 1991, local planners have steadily built a system of bus-only shoulder lanes that now total 220 miles on area highways and freeways. Thirty-six more miles will be added this year — the largest mileage ever added in a single year and more than double the 15 miles-per-year average to date.

“We are far ahead of any other metropolitan area in our bus-only use of highway shoulders,” said Aaron Isaacs, manager of facilities planning at Metro Transit, who was instrumental in developing the system.

“Our riders say they are very happy because their commute time is much more reliable and connecting trips are rarely a problem,” he said. “Before this program began, a bus ride might take 30 minutes one day and 45 minutes the next. Now riders know they’ll always keep pace with traffic, and often do better, and arrival times are more consistent.”

Isaacs said other metro areas like Atlanta, Miami and San Diego are just now beginning pilot studies similar to those done here in 1991-1992.

Bus-only shoulders now total 220 miles on area freeways and highways. Red lines show the locations of bus-only shoulders.

Bus-only access is cost-effective
Just 15 years ago, it was unthinkable to drive a city bus on a highway shoulder. But when planners from the Metropolitan Council and Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) began to brainstorm ways to reduce traffic bottlenecks and increase traffic flow, Isaacs wondered aloud, “Why not use the shoulder? After all, it’s already there and rarely used, and only then for a short time when someone’s car stalls,” he recalled.

A few obstacles had to be overcome. Highway shoulders had to be prepared to handle 40- and 60-foot buses loaded with five tons of passengers. Some shoulders had to be rebuilt or restored, and most storm sewer drains had to be raised to grade-level to smooth out the ride. New signage was necessary, as well as marketing the concept to decision-makers and the public.

During a pilot study — for safety reasons — transportation planners, bus drivers and the State Patrol came to an agreement about speed limits. Buses could drive a maximum of 35 mph on the shoulder, but not more than 15 mph faster than moving traffic. Those numbers have lasted.

Preparing shoulders for buses costs about $100,000 per mile, and the region has invested about $2 million per year to date — pennies on the dollar compared to building new lanes for traffic, or the cost of congestion in terms of lost time, income and the environment, planners said.

Program showed early promise
The first bus rolled down the shoulder of Hwy. 252 in Brooklyn Park in a 1991 pilot study that was carefully watched by MnDOT, the State Patrol and other agencies. Soon after, shoulders were prepared along Hwy. 47 in Fridley and Hwy. 61 in Newport. From the beginning, all three pilot tests were successful in terms of support from riders, planners, politicians and police.

The program took off after spring flooding closed a couple of low-lying bridges over the Minnesota River in 1993. “With those bridges out and traffic building to gridlock, MnDOT agreed to let our buses use the shoulder lanes over the Hwy. 77 Cedar Ave. bridge,” Isaacs said. “That decision was made on Friday, and we opened bus-only shoulder access on Monday morning. Almost overnight, the problem was resolved.

“MnDOT deserves a lot of credit for taking that chance,” he said. “They didn’t have to, but it turned out to be a big success.”

Shoulder use now widespread
City buses now have access to shoulders on virtually every major highway across the metro area, including some freeways and county roads. Buses are permitted to use shoulders around the clock, but mostly use them during rush hour when congestion is highest. Shoulders have also been used during traffic slowdowns caused by wet weather, snow, accidents or road construction.

Although Metro Transit accounts for about 80 percent of all riders in the region, virtually all express buses use shoulder lanes, including suburban “opt-out” service providers, contract buses administered by Metro Council, and private service on the Northstar commuter line in Anoka County.

Newer legislation provides shoulder access to charter bus companies, though so far none have used them. The Twin Cities’ area paratransit service, Metro Mobility, also was granted access to highway shoulders by the Legislature this year.

Planners anticipate that the program will grow for about five more years. By then, most essential highway shoulders will be incorporated into the system.

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