Transportation

BUS TERMINALS

By JULIUS PANERO, Architect and Planning Consultant

INTRODUCTION

The growth and development of bus transpor-

tation has closely followed advances in auto-
motive technology and the improvement and
expansion of the national highway network.
The first bus routes were originated by individ-
ual entrepreneurs using converted passenger
automobiles. These routes were short and ser-
vice was generally unreliable . As the highway
network expanded and more suitable bus
equipment became available, these short, dis-
connected routes were merged into larger con-
solidated operations providing more reliable
through services over longer distances . Our
modern express highway system and the de-
velopment of more comfortable and efficient
high-speed buses have made bus transports-
tion the leading means of public transport in
the United States . Over the past decade bus
services have evolved into several general
operational categories and characteristic ter-
minal types.

TERMINAL TYPES

Intercity Bus Terminal

The intercity terminal is usually found in the
downtown core and is accessible directly by
local transit, taxi, and auto . It differs from
other terminal types in that it includes long-
haul service in excess of several hundred miles
and provides for a much greater number of bus
movements. Land costs normally dictate ver.
tical expansion capability in the denser city
areas. (See Fig. 1 .)
More elaborate "package express" facilities
are provided in the intercity terminal and a
greater amount of concession and rental space
is provided to defray higher terminal construc-
tion and operating costs.

Airport-City Bus Terminal

The airport-city bus terminal provides primar-
ily for the transportation of airline passengers
from an urban center to the major airports it
serves . Usually located in the urban center,
the terminal is accessible by local transit sys-
tems, taxis, and autos. Oriented to departing
and arriving flights, the terminal normally has
provisions for arrival and departing flight infor-
mation as well as preticketing and check-in
facilities .

Urban-Suburban Commuter Terminal

This type of facility may be located within the
downtown core, as a central passenger collec-
tion and distribution node, or on the periphery
of the core, as a rapid transit feeder station .
It is characterized by a diversified bus route
structure and high-turnover commuter-type
bus operations . Bus accessibility is an impor-
tant consideration . Grade separated access by
underpass or overpass connections and exclu-
sive bus lanes on connecting highways are Fig. 1 Terminal types. (a) Urban located intercity terminal . (b) Airport-city bus terminal. (c) Urban-suburban com-
desirable to maintain schedule efficiency . muter terminal . id) Suburban-interstate terminal .

Suburban Interstate Terminal
The suburban interstate terminal is a peripheral
type designed to avoid the traffic congestion
and heavy investment associated with central
city and/or airport terminal facilities .
The terminal is usually located adjacent to
interstate highway connections with major
cities or regional airports and in many in-
stances serves the increasing outlying "urban
sprawl" areas .
In an increasing number of cases terminals
of this type serve a commuter-type function
where the daily journey to work in the central
city may take as long as 2 hours .
Sometimes referred to as "park and ride"
terminals, because access is primarily by auto,
these facilities are provided with open, paved
parking spaces . Investment in waiting-room
and bus-berthing facilities is minimal . The
terminal is usually a one-story building of sim-
ple construction .
FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS PLANNING CRITERIA
General functional organization of the terminal
is determined by site configuration, the volume
and type of bus operations, and passenger and
bus traffic circulation . Although all terminal
types to some extent share common planning
problems, there do exist some significant dif-
ferences in design rationale .
One of the most complicated terminals is
the intercity type, since it is often found in a
dense, developed area in the heart of the cen-
tral city and its general configuration is too
often inhibited by existing construction and
high land costs . Moreover, the underlying
design rationale should maximize provisions
for short lines of flow and communication be-
tween ticketing and baggage functions and the
bus interface .
An island plan with the functional elements
radiating from the core allows for maximum
efficiency. Such a relationship would allow
the "waiting" areas to serve as the central
focal point, with all bus berth positions being
equidistant . As the terminal becomes more
linear in plan, functional elements begin to
lose their cohesiveness and often require
duplication .
Although the design of all terminal types
is largely dictated by bus and passenger vol-
umes, this consideration becomes even more
significant in the design of high-volume com-
muter bus terminals .
In such facilities the design is controlled
more by bus and passenger volumes, traffic
circulation, and the resultant space demands
for large numbers of bus berths, while baggage
handling provisions are minimal or nonexis-
tent . These space demands may dictate a ver-
tical, multiple-bus-level solution, with inter-
mediate passenger circulation concourses .
Traffic access, by direct exclusive highways
on the bus side and by feeder transit, auto,
and taxis on the passenger side are important
elements of this type of terminal .
Generally, with regard to the airport-city
terminal, the primary planning considerations
include provisions for efficient check-in facil-
ities, baggage handling, and flight information .
Moreover, counter space requirements are
usually more extensive and should include
weigh-in provisions and conveyors for han-
dling of baggage . Adequate provisions should
also be made for limousine, auto, and taxi
access .
The suburban interstate terminal is perhaps
the simplest of the terminal types . The most
Fig. 2 Flow diagram.
significant planning requirement is adequate
provision for parking . Many, if not most of
the passengers drive to the facility and park
their cars until their return in the evening,
while others may be driven to the facility and
discharged . In many instances access to the
terminal may also be via local bus service and
taxi .
It is essential, therefore, that the parking
facilities be located so as to minimize the walk-
ing distance to the terminal and that egress
and ingreg% be planned to avoid traffic conges-
tion along nearby arteries . If possible, some
covered walkways should be provided leading
from the parking field to the terminal building .
Since there will be movement of both vehi-
cles and passengers at the same level, pro-
visions must be made, for obvious safety rea-
sons, to separate the two as much as possible .
Terminal requirements should include pro-
visions for ticket sales, vending machines
and/or small snack bar, toilet facilities, office,
baggage and/or storeroom . (See Fig . 2 .)
Space Requirements
Public Seating Seating in any of the terminal
types may be provided in the form of a separate
waiting room or, in a more open plan, in the
form of a simple seating area within a larger
public space . This function should be directly
accessible to the concourse area and should
be provided with drinking fountains, trash bas-
kets, ash urns, and clocks .
The amount of public seating varies depend-
ing on individual circumstances, terminal type,
and economic priorities . As a general rule of
thumb, however, an allowance of one seat for
every three passengers would be adequate for
an intercity terminal . The passenger quantity
is calculated by multiplying the number of
loading berths by an average bus capacity of
between 35 and 37 people . A 10-berth load-
ing platform therefore, would result in terminal
seating of between 117 to 124 .
In a high-volume commuter terminal, seat-
ing accommodations may be reduced consid-
erably since in-terminal waiting time is much
less . This would also hold true for the subur-
ban interstate terminal .
Ticketing Facilities
The trend in ticketing facil-
ities in the modern terminal, regardless of
the type, is toward open counters in contrast
Transportation
BUS TERMINALS
to the antiquated caged windows . In the larger
intercity terminal, where more than one carrier
may operate, separate self-contained glass-
walled ticket offices may be provided, each
housing their individual open ticket counters .
The number of selling positions or agent sta-
tions varies with the individual operations
policy of the carrier and the particular terminal
type .
Perhaps the greatest number of selling posi-
tions are required in the intercity terminal . On
the average, one position should be provided
for each 25 to 30 waiting room seats . The lin-
eal feet of counter space depends on individual
carrier operation and the type of ticketing
equipment used and may vary between 3 to 5
ft per position and/or about 50 to 60 sq ft per
position . The height of the counter is usually
42 in .
In the airport-city terminal the ticketing
facilities are usually in the form of continuous
counters with a certain number of selling posi-
tions allocated to each airline . The length of
each position is determined by the type of
electronic equipment, TV equipment, and
scales to be housed and usually varies between
4 to 5 ft .
Baggage Boom Baggage room requirements
vary significantly with terminal type and op-
eration .
In the intercity terminal and the airport-
city terminal, the baggage handling problem
is more severe.
Ideally, in both cases, the sooner the depart-
ing passenger and his baggage are separated,
the better . In the airport-city terminal this usu-
ally occurs at the ticket counter where the bag-
gage is sent by conveyor directly to the loading
platform or to a staging area or baggage room,
where it remains before it is placed on board
the bus .
In the intercity bus terminal the baggage is
normally hand-carried directly onto the bus or
to the baggage room, and from there it is placed
on the bus . The baggage room should be acces-
sible from both the public area and the con-
course and have an area equal to about 10
percent of the total building or contain about
50 sq ft for each bus loading berth, whichever
is higher . The baggage room should also be
equipped with standard metal racks about four
or five tiers high for baggage storage .
A portion of the baggage room may be used
Transportation
BUS TERMINALS
for a package express service, which and
should function without interfering with con-
course traffic. A separate package express
counter should be provided . The length of the
counter depends on the scope of the operation,
which varies with each location .
Public Lockers and Telephones Lockers and tele .
phones are revenue producing, and the quan-
tities to be provided depend to a great degree
on their potential earning capacity .
Dispatch Oflice The dispatch office controls
all bus movement and consequently should be
located on the concourse so that it can ob-
serve all loading berths . The size of the dis-
patch office may vary anywhere from 50 to
150 sq ft .
Offices All terminals regardless of type require
a certain amount of office space. The specific
area to be provided depends on the terminal
size and type . Although usually offices for
the terminal manager, passenger agent, and
switchboard are sufficient, in larger terminals
more elaborate facilities are required .
Rental Space The amount of rental space to be
provided for stores, shops, concessions, ate .,
depends primarily on the earning potential
involved and the amount of space available .
By JOHN J. FRUIN, Ph .D.
PEDESTRIAN DESIGN FOR PASSENGER
TERMINALS
The design of pedestrian facilities for passen-
ger terminals is dependent on the category of
terminal and its pedestrian traffic patterns .
Commuter passenger terminals, with extreme
but short peak traffic patterns and repetitive
users, can be designed for lower standards
of service than long-distance terminals, where
the users are generally unfamiliar with the
facility and peak traffic levels may be sustained
over several hours. Detailed photographic
studies of the use of pedestrian facilities indi-
cate that maximum capacity coincides with
the most crowded pedestrian concentrations,
representing a poor design environment . Many
of the elements of aesthetic design are lost
in this type of crowded environment, as the
pedestrian becomes preoccupied with the dif.
ficulties caused by the close interaction and
conflicts with other persons. The challenge
to the terminal designer is to balance the space
requirements for a comfortable and aestheti-
cally pleasing human environment against the
space restraints caused by building configura-
tion and cost .
The most recent approach to the design of
pedestrian spaces has been the use of the
level-of-service concept. On the basis of this
concept, a qualitative evaluation is made of
human convenience at various traffic concen .
trations and this is translated into appropriate
design parameters . For example, it has been
found through detailed photographic analysis
that the maximum capacity of a corridor is ob-
From "Pedestrian Planning and Design,"
® (Copyright) by John J. Fruin, Ph .D .
tained when average area occupancies are
about 5 sq ft per person and human locomotion
is limited to a restricted, shuffling gait . Pedes-
trians require an average of more than 35 sq
ft per person in order to select their normal
walking speed and to avoid conflicts with
other pedestrians . Human locomotion on
stairs and the convenience and comfort of
pedestrian waiting areas is similarly related
to average pedestrian area occupancy .
Corridor Design
Minimum corridor widths are based on the
pedestrian traffic flow volume less appropriate
allowances for disruptive traffic elements
such as columns, newsstands, stairways, win-
dow shoppers, etc. Where the corridor is also
used as a waiting area to accommodate stand-
ing pedestrians, the maximum potential accum-
ulation and safe human occupancy of the cor-
ridor should be determined . (See "Queuing
Areas," below.) The maximum practical flow
through a corridor is approximately 25 persons
per foot width of corridor per minute (PFM) .
The flow volume that allows for the selection
of normal walking speed and avoidance of
traffic conflicts is equivalent to 7 PFM (or
less). This standard would be used in passen-
ger terminals that do not have severe peaking
patterns or space restrictions . Where severe
repetitive peaks and space restraints occur,
such as in a commuter terminal, the more
stringent standard of 10 to 15 PFM may be
used . This standard allows the attainment of
near-normal walking speed but does result in
more frequent traffic conflicts with other
pedestrians.
Entrances
The criteria utilized for corridor design can
be roughly applied to the design of doors. The
maximum capacity of a free-swinging door is
approximately 60 persons per minute, but this
capacity is obtained with frequent traffic dis-
ruptions and queuing at the entrance section .
A standard of 40 persons per minute would
be representative of a busy situation with occa-
sional traffic disruptions. Where free-flowing
traffic is desired, a standard of 20 persons per
minute should be adopted.
Stairs
Human locomotion on stairs is much more
stylized and restricted than walking because
of the restraints imposed by the dimensional
configuration of the stairs, physical exertion,
and concerns for safety . As with corridors,
capacity flow is obtained when there is a dense
crowding of pedestrians combined with re-
stricted, uncomfortable locomotion . The maxi-
mum practical flow on a stair is approximately
17 persons per foot width of stairway per min-
ute (PFM) in the upward or design direction.
An average of about 20 square feet per person
or more is required before stair locomotion
becomes normal and traffic conflicts with
other pedestrians can be avoided . This is equiv-
alent to a flow volume of about 5 PFM. This
standard would be used in terminals that do
not have severe peaking patterns or apace
restrictions . In commuter terminals, the more
stringent standard of 7 to 10 PFM would be
acceptable. Riser height has a significant im-
pact on stair locomotion . Lower riser heights,
7 in . or less, increase pedestrian speed and
thus improve traffic efficiency . The lower riser
height is also desirable to assist the handi-
capped pedestrian .
Queuing Areas
A number of different pedestrian queuing situ-
ations occur in terminals which affect their
functional design . Linear queues will occur
where passengers line up to purchase tickets
or board buses. Care must be taken that these
lines do not disrupt other terminal functions .
The length of a linear queue may be estimated
on the basis of an average per person spacing
of 20 in . The presence of baggage has little
effect on this spacing because baggage is
placed on the floor either between the legs or
at the sides. Bulk queues may occur within
a passenger terminal where passengers are
waiting for bus arrivals or other services .
Where no circulation through the queuing
space is required, area occupancies as low as
5 sq ft per person may be tolerated for short
periods. This allows standing pedestrians to
avoid physical contact with each other. Where
movement through the queuing space is re-
quired, such as in a passenger waiting con-
course, an average area of 10 or more sq ft
per person is required . Human area occupan-
cies below 3 sq ft per person result in crowded,
immobile, and potentially unsafe queues, par-
ticularly where pedestrians may be jostled
off platforms.
Escalators and Moving Walks
The high costs of escalators and moving walks
present difficult design quality decisions. The
units are generally designed close to their
practical operating capacities even though
this practice causes pedestrian delays and
queuing . Escalator and moving walk manu-
facturers will rate the theoretical capacity
of their units on assumption of uniform step
or space occupancies, but detailed photo-
graphic studies of pedestrian use of these
units show that, even under the most crowded
conditions, pedestrians will leave vacant step
positions or gaps, thus reducing effective
capacity . This is caused by the pedestrian's
own personal space preferences and momen-
tary hesitation when boarding these units, par-
ticularly when they operate at higher speeds .
This had led to the use of a nominal or prac-
tical design capacity of 75 percent of the theo-
retical as shown in Table 1 .
TABLE t Nominal Capacity-Escalators and
Moving Walks
Capacity, persons per minute
T ype of unit Speed-90 fpm Speed-120 fpm
32-in. escalator . . . . . 63 84
48-in . escalator . . . . . 100 133
24-in . walk . . . . . . . . . . . 60
30-in . walk . . . . . . . . . . . 1 20
Stationary stairs should be located in close
proximity to escalators and inclined moving
walks to allow for their alternative use in cases
of mechanical failure. With a rise below 20 ft,
pedestrians will also make alternative use of
these stairs if escalator queues become too
long . With high-rise applications above 20 ft,
virtually all pedestrians will use the escalator,
causing long queues and delays in the heavier
traffic applications . Space for pedestrian traf-
fic circulation and queuing should be allocated
at all lending areas.
 Transportation

BUS TERMINALS

By JULIUS PANERO,
Architect and Planning Consultant

BUS GEOMETRICS

Bus Date Bus geometrics, or the physical

dimensions and maneuverability of the bus,
determine the width of roadways, shapes of
platforms, column spacing, ceiling heights,
and other aspects of bus-level design . The
apparently insignificant detail of the right-side
loading of buses often restricts terminal design
possibilities.

Swept Path When a bus turns normally, it al-

ways turns about a point which is somewhere
on the center line of the rear axle . This is true
whether motion is forward or backward .
The turns required to accomplish the move-
ment and positioning of buses are variable and
differ considerably with the equipment encoun-
tered. The turning template provides a con-
venient graphic method to determine minimum
clearances required . (See Fig . 3.)

ROADWAY RAMPS

Bus Roadway Widths Ten-foot-wide single lanes

will suffice for 8-ft-wide equipment. Eleven-foot
lanes are preferable where ample terminal
space is available and especially to accom-
modate equipment 8 ft wide, the use of which
steadily is increasing .
Double-lane runways, enabling standing
buses to be overtaken by other buses, provide
a great advantage over one-lane runways
SWEEP PATH 40' BUS 90 ° TURN because of the increased flexibility of opera-
tions that is made possible .
For the purpose of merely overtaking another

Fig. 3 Bus data .

Transportation

BUS TERMINALS

CLOCKWISE MOTION COUNTERCLOCKWISE MOTION

ISLAND BUS RAIL TRANSFER STEPPED PARALLEL

SINGLE
(b) PARALLEL LOADING
Fig. 4 Bus loading plans .

PLATFORM TYPES
Parallel Loading
" Requires excessive amount of space .
" Buses must usually wait until first bus
exits.
" Large terminal requires pedestrian under/
overpass facilities to protect passengers while
crossing lanes .
Right-Angle Loading
" Disadvantages include :
1 Outswinging bus door which forms a
barrier around which passenger must pass .
2 Bus maneuvering difficult .
Straight Sawtooth Loading
" Efficient-employed where lot is compara-
tively narrow and deep .
" Passenger has direct approach to loading
door .
" Baggage truck can operate between buses
for side loading .
Radial Sawtooth Loading
" Most efficient buses swing into position
along natural driving are.
" Space required at front is minimum-wide
space at rear making maneuvering easy .
(See Fig. 4.)

Fig. 5 Bus roadway widths .
bus or row of buses having no appreciable tail-
out, double-lane runway widths should be at
least 20 ft and preferably 22 ft, especially if
extra-wide equipment is to be accommodated
-immediately or in the future . However, for a
flexible operation under which departing buses
may pull out from the platform around a stand-
ing bus, the runway width and the amount
of lineal space at the platform for the pull-out
maneuver are directly related . This relationship
is indicated by Fig . 5, from which it is seen, for
example, that a 40-ft bus having a 16-ft clear-
ance ahead actually uses 22 ft of runway width
for the pull-out . This would indicate, for prac-
tical purposes, a runway width of at least 24
ft . Also, a total minimum berth length of 40 ft
plus 16 ft, or 56 ft, would be required . Obvi-
ously, the shorter the berth length allowed, the
wider the runway must be, and vice versa .
Ramping Where roadway ramping down or up,
at entrances or exits to runways is necessary,
care should be taken to avoid sharp grade
changes which will result in discomfort to pas-
sengers or rough treatment of equipment,
particularly when heavily loaded . Here again,
where this factor is involved, tests should be
made with buses and allowance made for pos-
sible future vehicles having a longer wheel-
base and overhang . Because of the longer
Transportation
BUS TERMINALS
wheelbase of buses, critical attention should
be paid to the vertical clearance where a sag
curve exists, since required bus clearance will
be greater . Where buses are to enter terminal
buildings, doorways and other structures
should allow sufficient side clearance to permit
free movement of vehicles and to avoid damage
and delay . Door headroom should be at least
12 ft for typical equipment, allowance being
made for any use of the terminals by deck-and-
a-half or double-deck buses . Actual dimensions
of equipment to use the terminal should be
checked before fixing critical dimensions .
Minimum side clearance to all structures along
the roadway should be at least 12 in .