Committee weighs bus-stop designs where bike lanes run alongside transit and reviews project updates; staff proposes newsletter

City staff reviewed design alternatives for bus stops that intersect or overlap with bicycle lanes and provided a status update on several active-transportation projects.

Staff described three general bus-stop approaches: bus-boarding islands (separate islands between travel lanes and bike lanes for higher-ridership corridors), shared boarding areas (narrower shared spaces where passengers cross the bike lane at boarding time), and curbside stops where buses pull into bike lanes. Each option carries trade-offs for pedestrian/cyclist safety, ADA access, bus operations and right-of-way needs; staff said higher-frequency routes such as Synergy justify more permanent boarding islands while lower-ridership corridors may use curbside or shared options.

Committee members raised concerns that a stopped bus in the bike lane can force cyclists into traffic, and that boarding islands can be costly and reduce operator flexibility. Staff said design decisions will be coordinated with DART and other regional partners.

Staff also proposed a quarterly Active Transportation newsletter to share project updates, safety education, event notices and surveys. The proposal prompted discussion about audience selection, frequency and content; staff suggested starting quarterly with special editions for major milestones.

Project updates included: Glenville Road construction nearing completion with bike-lane markings forthcoming; Collins bike-lane extension under design; North Collins under design with TxDOT coordination (bidding targeted for summer); Arapahoe Trail and Cotton Belt Trail construction and bridge work with monthly drone-photo newsletters posted online; and a pilot GPS-based emergency-vehicle preemption project to be tested later this summer.

Next steps: staff will continue coordination with DART on bus-stop designs, finalize designs and publish the proposed newsletter sign-up, and continue project monitoring and outreach as construction progresses.