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HIGHWAY RESEARCH

Number 83

Subject Classification Traffic Control and Operations

Committee TO-1 Parking

Change of Mode Commuter Transportation

In Metropolitan Milwaukee

by

Henry M. Mayer

(Committee sponsored study)

HIGHWAY itESEARCH BOARD

October 1968

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES - NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING 2101 CONSTITUTION AVENUE, N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20418

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Table of Contents

Routing •.........•..•••••.•••.•...••.••.••••.••.... Parking Lot Facility .....•••••.•.••...•.••.•••.•.•. Fares .•..•••••••...•.....••..•..••..••••••.•.••.... Promotion ..•••••••.••.••.••.. • ..•.....•.••••.•.•.•• Experience ..•••....•.•••.••••••••.•.......•..••••.• Summa.ry •••••••••••.••••..•••.......................

Figures & Tables (Appendix) •..•••.•.••..•.••••...•. Location Map showing facilities .•.•.••••••..•.. Bay Shore Parking Area •...••......•...•.••.•••• Mayfair Parking Area .•• •..•••.••.• ••..•.••••••• Timetable Information •••.•••.•.••.••...•.•.••.. Weekday Facility Traffic Volumes .•...•.••.••••• Table 1 - Prior Mode of Travel ••••••••••••••••• Table 2 - Automobile Ownership by

Automobile Availability ...•.•.•.•.•..••.••••. Table 3 - Trip Purpose "To" By Trip

Purpose II From 11 •••••••••• ~ ••••• · •••••••••••••••

Table 4 - Inbound Trip Origins and Outbound Trip Destinations by Distance from Shopping

page

3 3 4 4 4 , 6-12 6 7 7 8 8 9

9

10

Center . • • • . • • . • • • • • . . . • • • • • . • • • • . • • • • • • • • . • . . 11 Table 5 - Mode of Travel to Flyer Service

Bus Stop at Shopping Center ••.....••••••••... 11 Table 6 - Mode of Travel from Flyer Service

Bus Stop at Milwaukee CBD •.•••.•..••..•..•••. 12

List of Committee Members • • • . • . • . . . • . . • . . • • • • • • • . . . 12

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CHANGE OF MODE COMMUTER TRANSPORTATION IN METROPOLITAN MILWAUKEE

Henry M. Mayer Milwaukee & Suburban Transport Corporation

The Milwaukee and Suburban Transport Corporation operates two rapid transit bus routes making use of existing freeway roadways as the means of rapid travel. Both facilities are "park and ride" making use of outlying parking lots made avail­able by privately owned shopping centers. The rapid transit bus line operating between the Mayfair Shopping Center on the west side of Milwaukee to downtown com­menced operation in March of 1964. A similar service operating from the Bay Shore Shopping Center on the north side of town to downtown was commenced in November of 1965.

ROUTING

The Mayfair Shopping Center is located about two blocks from the Zoo Freeway in Milwaukee County and is about seven miles, airline distance, from downtown Mil­waukee. The Zoo Freeway makes a direct connection to the East - West Freeway which operates to the downtown business district. Buses operate nonstop from the time of leaving the shopping center until arriving on Wisconsin Avenue, the main down­town thoroughfare. Local stops are made on Wisconsin Avenue at about three block intervals. The round trip distance from parking lot to downtown terminal and re­turn is 20.4 miles. Round trip running time excluding layover is about 55 minutes.

The Bayshore Shopping Center is adjacent to the North - South Freeway; the entrance and exit ramps are about two city blocks distant. The North - South Free­way is completed for about a distance of 4 1/2 miles, or about one mile short of downtown Milwaukee, and buses operate on city streets between the freeway terminal and downtown. The Bay Shore Flyer also stops approximately every three blocks in the downtown area. The round trip distance from the shopping center parking lot to the downtown terminals and return is 14.2 miles. Round trip running time ex­cluding layover is about 40 minutes.

PARKING LOT FACILITY

The Mayfair Shopping Center is a very large development with parking space for over 8,000 automobiles. The shopping center management set aside an area for free­way flyer patrons which would hold about 450 automobiles. Originally the shopping center also furnished a shelter. This has since been replaced by a small fiber­glass waiting station provided by the Company. The space is provided with no charge to the auto parkers or to the transit company. The lot is maintained by the shopping center. The transit company, however, removes snow from the assigned area.

The Bay Shore Shopping Center is a medium sized facility with parking facili­ties for about 2,500 automobiles. The shopping center set aside a section for free­way flyer users which could hold about 200 automobiles. The transit company fur­nished a modest waiting station similar to the Mayfair shelter. All maintenance including snow removal is done by the shopping center, and the parking space is provided free with no charge to the auto parkers or to the transit company.

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EQUIPMENT

Standard "new look" transit buses are used for both services. The Mayfair route was originally operated with buses capable of maximum speeds of 47 miles per hour. Since that time the buses have been modified to increase the maximum speed to about 53 miles per hour. Portions of the Mayfair Freeway Flyer route have maxi­mum speed limits as high as 60 miler per hour. The maximum speed limit on the North - South Freeway upon which the Bay Shore Flyer operates is 50 miles per hour. In either case, the buses have no trouble moving with the traffic and do not hinder traffic.

The only modifications made on the buses used in this service have been slightly larger fuel injectors which permit more power and a right-side view mirror to facilitate passing. Buses used in this flyer service are usually attached to school extras and, in any case, are not used exclusively in this operation.

Buses used are 53 seat with a standard "urban" seating arrangement. Standing is permitted but passengers are reluctant to stand.

FARES

Regul~r fares are charged plus a 5 cent cash premium. Any regular fare is accepted -- cash, tickets, weekly pass, school pass, transfer, plus the 5 cent pre­mium. In the case of the Mayfair Flyer, this results in a 40 cent cash fare as it is in a zone fare area -- regular fare of 30 cents - 5 cent zone fare and 5 cent premium. Bayshore has a 35 cent cash fare -- 30 cents regular fare plus 5 cent premium. With the purchase of strips of tickets the fare is 5 cents less in either case -- 35 cents on the Mayfair Flyer and 30 cents on the Bay Shore Flyer. Free transfers are issued. Both freeway flyer routes are financially successful.

PROMOTION

Both flyer operations were started with the distribution of specially printed public schedules on a house to house canvass in the immediate area. Ads describing the new service, schedules, routing, etc. were placed in the weekly suburban news­papers in the communities that would be served by the flyers. In addition to this paid publicity, there were in both cases substantial amounts of free publicity -­newspaper, radio and television. The Company started each Flyer with a "continen­tal" breakfast for the new riders -- juice, sweet roll and coffee -- and a free morning paper. This resulted in front page news stories and pictures and film clips on all TV stations. Periodically since then the newspapers report the prog­ress of the flyers as to the level of riding or for increases in service.

On the aI?,__niversary dates of the inauguration of the services, the Company has again offered a free "continental" breakfast for the morning riders and additional front page publicity has resulted. Publicity of this nature seems to encourage riding on both flyers even though the publicity is only about one of them. There has been no paid advertising since the inauguration of the service.

EXPERIENCE

The Mayfair Flyer started with 119 riders. way trips per day. The Bay Shore flyer started rently providing about 600 one way trips daily. routes is shown on a graph in the appendix.

/

Current riding is about 1,000 one with about 200 riders and is cur­

The trend of riding on the two

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Surveys of the users of the two services reveal the following facts:

a. Four out of five users are licensed drivers and two out of three have one or more automobiles available for use (see Tables 1 and 2).

b. Age distribution is a normal cross section of downtown employees with some high school and college students.

c. Home to work and home to school, and reverse, are almost the only trip purposes (see Table 3).

d. Of the users who formerly made this trip by either driving or as a bus passenger, over 60% had been auto drivers.

e. Of total inbound riding of 333 at Bay Shore and 418 at Mayfair, 119 cars were parked at Bay Shore and 157 at Mayfair.

f. 50% of the riders indicate that they have increased their shopping at the shopping center providing the parking because of this service.

SUMMARY

1. Standard city buses can operate safely and without hindering other traffic on city freeways.

2. Buses operated on the freeway can operate as fast as auto­mobile traffic, and when taking into account parking time, may provide a faster door-to-door service than the auto­mobile itself.

3. Passengers are willing to change mode, that is, transfer from an automobile to a bus in commuting to downtown. They do not appear to be as willing to transfer from one transit vehicle to another.

4. Shopping centers have available parking space not used during peak commuter parking hours which can efficiently be used in a park-ride bus service, resulting in in­creased business for the shopping center.

5. Bus rapid transit making use of existing freeways can be financially successful and can convert auto drivers to bus riders.

Appendix, tables and figures follow.

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• 01,w111 st

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Vicinity Map - Mayfair, Bay Shore and Downtown (Milwaukee)

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FREEWAY FLYER PARKING AREA MAYFAIR

FREEWAY FLYER PARKING AREA BAY SHORE

MAYFAIR - DOWNTOWN FREEWAY FL YER EXPRESS BUS ROUTE NO. 41 STARTS MARCH 30

BAY SHORE- DOWNTOWN

FREEWAY FLYER

EXPRESS BUS ROUTE NO. 42

STARTS NOVEMBER 29

7Ae m,11~d Co. MILWAUMEE & SUBURBAN TRANSPORT CORPORATION

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Mayfair to Downtown and Return

MORNING • MAYFAIR to DOWNTOWN LEAVE ARRI\/[ A""RAl'IE

MAYFAIR 11th & WIS, CASS & WIS.

6:50 A.~ . 7:10 A,M. 7:21 A,M, 7:20 7:40 7:51 7:55 812 8:21 8 :25 8;42 8:51

AFTERNOON . DOWNTOWN to MAYFAIR LEAVE LEAVE ARRIVE

CASS & WIS. 101.h & WIS. MAYFAIR

4:15 P.M 4:26 P.M. 4:42 P.M. -1:40 4:51 5:07 5:10 5:24 5:40 5:40 5:54 6:10

Downtown to Mayfair and Return

A NEW

FREEWAY 'FLYER SERVICE FOR COMMUTERS

BETWEEN

BAY SHORE AND

DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE

FAST EXPRESS BUSES Vis the NORTH - SOUTH FREEWAY

SA VE UP TO 25 MINUTES

Park your c•r free In southwest com11r of B• y Shore Shopping Cenler, 13 Convenient Buli Slops to Downtown - (Look for FREE­WAY FLYER Bu5 Stop 5I11.ns)

LOW FARES Cesh - 30;

Ticket-one •s[ngle-fare ticket plus 5; cHh. •Buy 6 1iin1le fare t ickets tor $1.25.

Weekly Pass-$2.55 plus 5; cash per ride,

Cash and ticket fareli Include transfer prlvlle1es,

For information call 344-6711.

ANNOUNCING A NEW RUSH HOUR SERVICE

C0~1ft1UTEIS SAVE TIME! SAVE MONEY!

RIDE FAST, NON-STOP EXPRESS BUSES

THE FREEWAY FL YER ROUTE 41 STARTS MARCH 30

save up to tl5 minutes MAYFAIR to DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE

BAY SHORE DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE

to DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE to BAY SHORE Dally except Seturdey, Sunday end Holldays Deily except Saturdey, Sunday and Holidays

V . V LEAVE ARRIVE ARRIVE

'1 LEAVE LEAVE ARRIVE

BAV SHORE 5th & WELLS MASON &CASS CASS & WIS. 6th & WELLS BAY SHORE

6:45 A.M. ~""- I ";:: .. v-1 W '1:01 A.M.• · -1\1-3 A.M, 7:2!1 AM. '-

7:00 / 7:11 7:21 7:22 ""' 7:40

7:15 ~ ,, ... 7:55 --- ORIGINAL PUBLIC TIMETABLES 7'5~ 8:10 7:30

7,45 ( J. 7 c56 8:06 A ts:U/ ] i l l 8:25

8:00 '\e,u ~ U,i,)I\,. ,-· 8.28 8:•0

8:15 8:26 8:36 - 8:31 8:0 8:5S

8:30 8:41 8:51 •:16 P,M. 4:2• P,M. 4:37 P. M.

8 :.(5 8:56 9:06 ' •:32 4:40 ·4:53

9:00 9:11 9:21 4:47 4:56 !i:09

4:38 P, M. 4:50 P, M. 4:57 P. M. 5:03 5:12 5:26

4:54 5:06 5:13 5:19 5:28 5:42

5:10 5:22 5:29 5:35 5:43 5:57

5:27 5:39 5:46 5:51 5:59 6:12

!5:•3 5:5!1 6:02 6:07 6:15 6:27

Subject to Chan•e Wilhoul Notice.

AVERAGE WEEKDAY FREEWAY BAYSHORE AND

FLYER PASSENGER MAYFAIR ROUTES

VOLUMES FOR

1750

1500

~ z i 1250

• Ill

en .., 2 :, J g

1000

7!50

500

250

0

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AMJ

M YI Al~ IFFEI WlY ,L

.... V

,__ 1,,,o-

i.,-

JASOND J FM AM ,J

1964 -1965

TC 'I'. L I A SI 0 E N~ I M~Y AIR F ~E E\ A FLIYE ~! - --- -,

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,_ ,_ . E •--

,... lt., l,,,'

. ·---'_., V'

B• y ,.., R ..... fl El W, y F y R~ •

V V

V

JASON OJ FM A M J JASONDJ FM AM J J A S <:>NO 1965-1966 1966-1967 1967

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Table 1

MODE OF TRAVEL PRIOR TO FLYER SERVICE BY AUTO DRIVER STATUS

MAYFAIR

Train Auto driver status Auto driver Auto passenger Bus or Taxi Total

Licensed 182 34 152 7 375 Unlicensed 0 3 60 1 64 Not indicated _Q _Q _3 _Q _3

TOTAL 182 37 215 8 442 a

BAYSHORE

Train Auto driver status Auto driver Auto passenger Bus or Taxi Total

Licensed 140 28 88 2 258 Unlicensed 0 14 40 0 54 Not indicated 1 _J_ 4 _Q J

TOTAL 141 43 132 2 318b

a Does not include 109 respondents who did not make the trip before Freeway Flyer Service began nor 6 respondents who did not answer this question.

b Does not include 57 respondents who did not make the trip before Freeway Flyer Service began nor 10 respondents who did not answer this question.

Table 2

AUTOMOBILE OWNERSHIP BY AUTOMOBILE AVAILABILITY

MAYFAIR

Automobile Automobile owned Automobile availability Yes No Total available at time Yes 343 0 343 of trip

No 176 24 200

TOTAL 519 24 543a

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BAYSHORE

Automobile Automobile owned Automobile availability Yes No Total available at time Yes 228 0 228 of trip

No 127 1..1 141

TOTAL 355 14 369 b

a Does not include 8 respondents owning automobiles but not indicating availability of the automobile nor 6 respondents not indicating auto ownership.

b Does not include 2 respondents owning automobiles but not indicating availability of the automobile nor 10 respondents not indicating ownership.

Table 3

TRIP PURPOSE "TO" BY TRIP PURPOSE "FROM"

MAYFAIR - 1966

Trip purpose Work Home School Other ~

Work 17 353 3 10· 383

Home 345 0 39 9 393

Scthool 2 13 0 0 15

Other · _1 3 -1. _Q _5

TOTAL 365 369 43 19 796 a

BAYSHORE - 1966

Trip purpose Work ~ School Other Total

Work 8 2.12 2 8 230

Home 224 0 50 2 276

School 5 5 0 1 11

Other _Q _l -1. .i _9

TOTAL 237 218 53 18 526 b

a Does not include 16 respondents who did not indicate one or both trip purposes.

b Does not include 42 respondents who did not indicate one or both trip purposes.

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Table 4

INBOUND TRIP ORIGINS AND OUTBOUND TRIP DESTINATIONS BY DISTANCE FROM SHOPPING CENTER

MAYFAIR - 1966 BAYSHORE - 1966 Accumulated Accumulated

Miles Trips percent Trips percent

0 - 1.0 124 15.8 133 26.2

1.1-2.0 266 49.8 169 59.6

2.1-3.0 192 74.2 47 68.8

3.1-4.0 77 84.1 71 82.8

4.1-5.0 51 90.6 20 86.8

5.1-6.0 9 91.7 16 89.9

Over 6.0 _.§.§. 100.0 _g 100.0

TOTAL 784a 507

a Does not include 28 respondents at MAYFAIR in 1966 and 61 respondents at BAYSHORE in 1966 who did not indicate precise locations of inbound trip origins and/or trip destinations.

Table 5

MODE OF TRAVEL TO FLYER SERVICE BUS STOP AT SHOPPING CENTER

Mayfair a

Auto driver 179

Auto passenger 139

Walked 66

Another bus 20

TOTAL 404

a 157 parked; remainder auto driven away by

a passenger.

b 119 parked; remainder auto driven away by a passenger.

Bayshore b

149

88

51

22

310

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Table 6

MODE OF TRAVEL FROM FLYER SERVICE BUS STOP AT MILWAUKEE CBD

Mayfair Bayshore

Auto driver 2 1

Auto passenger 3 9

Walked 356 254

Another bus 43 46

TOTAL 404 310

DEPARTMENT OF TRAFFIC AND OPERATIONS

Harold L. Michael, Chairman Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana

HIGHWAY RESEARCH BOARD STAFF

E. A. Mueller

COMMITTEE ON PARKING (As of December 31, 1967)

Paul C. Box, Chairman Skokie, Illinois

Alvin A. Acton Frank E. Barker James E. Bates Herman Botzow Charles A. Culp Seymour Gage Thomas Hicks S. T. Hitchcock, Secy. Matthew J. Huber Madison J. Hunnicutt Herbert s. Levinson Abraham Marcus Norene D. Martin

William R. McGrath Donald M. McNeil Edward W. Melchen Merritt A. Neale Stephen G. Petersen Walter S. Rainville Woodrow w. Rankin Richard C. Rich J. A. Ross Thomas J. Seburn Paul W. Shuldiner Harry B. Skinner