• April 28, 2022 1:00 pm - Updated April 28, 2022 4:10 pm
Travel-time savings were as high as 35% northbound, or nine minutes per trip, and 22% southbound, compared to a 2016 baseline that predates the recent construction disruption on the boulevard. Depending on the time of day, roundtrip travel times for the 49 bus along the improved stretch of Van Ness decreased between 29% and 23%.
Another factor driving up ridership could be improved bus frequency made possible by quicker travel times. “A 20% reduction in delay means a 20% increase in capacity and allows for a 20% improvement in frequency, because we can turn the buses around much more frequently,” Tumlin said. “We have already taken advantage of that in order to improve the frequency on the 49.”