UBC Theses and Dissertations

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UBC Theses and Dissertations

Inter-city bus terminal location criteria Cuylits, Edmond Reinier

Abstract

Since the initial development of inter-city transport, fixed stopping places serving inter-city common carrier modes have become established. Such stopping places include locations with specialized structures or terminals that facilitate the interchange process and link the access or egress journey to the line haul mode. Traditionally inter-city bus terminals have been situated in the central business district of metropolitan areas. However, the expansion of urban areas and the dispersion of urban activities into these areas would suggest that the traditional location of the bus terminals is no longer optimal. This thesis poses this question in the hypothesis which states: The optimal location for an inter-city bus terminal in an urban metropolitan area is one at or near that metropolitan area's central business district. In order to develop a definition for optimal location an examination is first made of inter-model competition and factors that affect demand. Time and cost are indicated in the literature to be of prime importance and their minimization encourages travel. As access and egress journeys form significant elements of the inter-city journey, the time and cost of these journey segments receive most of the attention in the literature surveyed. Measurements of these factors is discussed at length. As the inter-city terminal is the interchange point which links the access or egress journey to the line haul mode, a variation in the terminals' location will affect these journey segments. The optimal location is defined in terms of minimizing the access/egress journey times and cost in order to stimulate demand. However, demand oriented locations may have high land acquisition and operating costs that would negate the benefit of such locations and for this reason this aspect must be considered in the location evaluation. Finally, consideration is given to the consequences of such location on the present and future urban environment. These three criteria - demand, cost and urban impacts must be included in the evaluation of terminal location. It is concluded that a central location near the hub of the urban transit system is most desirable for main bus terminals. In the future, the importance of the central location will decline and a location on the transit system will become the most desirable. However, with the dispersion of urban patterns, it may be necessary, to add .suburban terminals which can best be located near major arterials and at points where suburban town centers should be encouraged.

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