Oakland Park Boulevard Transit Alternatives Analysis

Completed for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the AA focused on developing a premium transit service that would improve schedule reliability and travel time while encouraging transit-oriented development to create a mobility hub in this busy corridor.

A mobility hub allows people to seamlessly connect with multiple modes of transportation from one safe environment. TYLin evaluated transit alternatives that incorporate several of the most successful policies and program initiatives for enhancing transit operating environments. Mobility hubs and passenger service and safety improvements are at the core of such strategies.

An essential component of this AA was to evaluate the land use character and amenities that shift as the corridor passes through the communities of Sunrise, Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, Oakland Park, and Fort Lauderdale. Each community has their own distinct future visions.

TYLin services included multi-modal transportation analyses, transit service planning, transportation and socioeconomic market analyses, environmental assessments, and transit, bicycle, and pedestrian design and cost estimating. The AA concluded with a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Initiation Package that incorporated the FTA Justification Criteria and the FTA Capital and Operating Cost models for annualized cost estimates.

The Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization unanimously endorsed the short- and long-term recommendations from the TYLin team. Several elements, including pedestrian and bicycle facilities, bus stop relocations, revised service schedule, queue bypass lanes, transit signal priority, and bus stop islands were implemented or are advancing into programming and design.

Project Highlights:

• TYLin evaluated travel patterns, assessed existing bus service and the potential to reduce vehicular travel demand, and provided public outreach to build consensus.
• The project produced Bus Islands, an innovative concept for a relatively low-cost branded bus stop.
• TYLin examined Business Access & Transit (BAT) Lane and Light Rail Transit alternatives from traffic impact, transit ridership demand, and operations perspectives.
• The team prepared a full financial plan and cost-benefit analysis to meet FTA’s requirements.
• TYLin utilized advanced microsimulation technology and multiple regional travel demand models to analyze transit demand, operational impacts, and project benefits.