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VIA BRT SYSTEM this year, similar to rail transit, all Prímo stations will include ticket vending machines for fare collection. One of the innovative features that sets Prímo apart is the use of a first-ofits-kind Transit Signal Priority (TSP) system. The system, which operates on Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology, allows Prímo buses to pass quickly through traffic lights, getting riders to their destinations faster. As a Prímo bus moves down the corridor, its GPS coordinates are acquired by VIA and transmitted to San Antonio's traffic control system. When the bus approaches a traffic signal, the lights switch to green as quickly as possible or stay green longer. "One of the great advantages with this TSP system is that it also extends to other buses operated by VIA," says Herrera. "Now, the buses have the ability to 'talk' to every upgraded traffic signal in San Antonio. We can use this system on other heavily traveled corridors or bus routes." COMMUNITY BENEFITS VIA's Prímo provides several social, economic and sustainable benefits to the community. Chief among them is the ability to travel to diferent destinations along the Fredericksburg Road corridor more quickly. According to Herrera, Prímo's riders can save as much as 15 minutes in each direction. "For a transit user, 15 minutes in each direction is amazing," says Herrera. "We weren't even expecting the travel time savings to be that high. And as we move forward, there is still room for improvement." By providing a safe, efcient and environmentally-friendly transportation solution to passengers, Prímo has helped alleviate congestion, reduce emissions and increase throughput in one of the city's most traveled corridors. In addition to regular transit riders, Herrera says the service is bringing in new riders who have a choice between using cars and public transit. Eventually, VIA's goal is to pull a significant number of cars off the road by attracting more of these riders. 36 < mETRO mAGAZINE APRIL 2013 VIA TURNED TO STAKEHOLDERS FOR PRIME PRIMO VEHICLES The 16 North American Bus Industries vehicles running in Prímo's service and the three that will join the service this September, feature three-doors to facilitate boarding and alighting; a seat layout that allows easier circulation within the buses; and a custom-designed interior bike rack; all informed by stakeholder feedback, Gary Glasscock, VP, maintenance, VIA, says. To get the ideal vehicle for the new route, VIA presented employees, board members and customers with potential cosmetic amenities, such as seat types, flooring, proposed paint schemes and interior panels, and in some cases, got them to vote on what they preferred. "We demonstrated at least 10 different buses from different manufacturers so people could get an idea of what we were looking at and provide input on the preferred styling of the bus," Glasscock says. Seating drew the most comments. "We thought people would prefer the push seats," Glasscock adds. "We learned [that] folks really want some level of padding but with material that does not hold liquid, and potentially stain their clothes. That was a big deal." VIA also held workshops for its paratransit customers, asking them to enter the bus with a wheelchair and provide comments on their preferences and how to arrange the wheelchair restraint location to suit their needs. The cost of the contract was approximately $870,000 for each of the vehicles currently in service. The project also is expected to spur Transit Oriented Development in and around the terminals. Once completed, the West Side Multimodal Transit Center will provide seamless travel connections for several modes of transportation, including the proposed modern streetcar, intercity bus, taxi services, Amtrak and the anticipated Austin-San Antonio commuter rail system. PROJECT CHALLENGES The scale of the project created a number of complex challenges. During the preliminary stages, the project team considered a number of exclusive lane options for the service. However, the team's modeling and analysis showed that construction eforts resulting from a dedicated lane would create trafc impacts and signifcant right-ofway challenges. "The roadway corridor was under the control of three different entities, the right-of-way was under the control of City of San Antonio and City of Balcones Heights, and the actual pavement in route was under the control of Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)," says Cain. "So, there were multiple overlapping interests." Consequently, the team decided on a mixed-flow option with Prímo buses sharing auto lanes. This eliminated additional construction efforts, which saved significant time and money and minimized the impact to the public. The project also required extensive collaboration with several entities undertaking infrastructure projects along the Fredericksburg Road corridor at the same time, including TxDOT, City of San Antonio, City of Balcones Heights, Bexar County and the Texas Medical Center Foundation. Through a proactive approach that included frequent meetings, streamlined schedules, and public workshops, the project was completed on time and under budget. VIA, which will extend the service to the Leon Valley later this year, is also looking at potential opportunities to implement Prímo in other parts of the city's south and north central corridors as part of the agency's long-term planning. Prímo is an excellent example of how a state-of-the-art BRT project can address a city's transportation challenges, expand its residents' commuting choices and enhance the region's environmental and economic development. Jay Srinivasan is a technical writer for LAN. This article was written in collaboration with Justin M. Cain, PE, LAN's project manager. metro-magazine.com