# Presentation: 524831

## Tour Bus Problems

- Lack of parking
- Cruising
- Traffic congestion
- Accidents
- Visual obstruction
- Air Pollution
- Neighborhood intrusion

## Volpe National Transportation Systems CenterTour Bus Management Study

*Study Components:*
- Assessment of tour bus problems
- Analysis of potential solutions
- Recommendations: Actions and Implementation Strategy

## Information Sources

- Best practice review
- Stakeholder Interviews
- Field observation by study staff

## Best Practices Cities—US and Canada

- Boston
- Charleston
- Ottawa
- Vancouver
- Baltimore

- Savannah
- Atlantic City
- Philadelphia
- New York
- Kennebunkport

## Best Practices- US and Canada

- Dedicated pick-up and drop-off locations
- Designated routes
- Dedicated long-term parking and supportive fee structures
- Maps and other communications media
- Rules, regulations,policies:  limits on idling; designated routing; loading/unloading and parking restrictions
- Permitting and licensing of tour buses

## Lessons from Europe

- Clustering/building density higher than in US cities
- Minimal tour bus circulation in historic centers
- Increase reliance on walking
- Drop-off/pick-up at edge of historic centers
- Tour buses allowed access to hotels by pre-arrangement

## Stakeholder Observations 

- Out of town operators search for available spaces; autos park in tour bus spaces
- “Photo” stops of short duration require convenient short-term parking
- Unofficial estimate of *peak *daily market: 1,000 tour buses
- Peak activity: April-May
- Large proportion of school children/senior citizens (varies by season)
- Lack of advanced ticketing/scheduling
- Serious neighborhood impacts

## Evaluation Criteria

- Logistical feasibility
- Impacts on:
-   -Tour bus operators
-   -Visitors
-   -Environment
-   -Public parking supply
-   -Costs to the public

## Potential Solutions:  Major Actions

- Peripheral parking lots
- Centrally-located parking facilities
- On-street spaces (short-term parking)
- Downtown Circulator
- Walking Circulation among clustered destinations
- Expansion of curbside loading/unloading space

## Potential Solutions: Supporting Actions

- Parking facility pricing strategies
- Advanced scheduling
- Information systems
- Routing
- Permitting/licensing and enforcement
- Driver facilities/shuttle

## Potential Peripheral Parking Sites

- 1.South of So. Capitol Bridge
- 2.Barney Circle
- 3.Arlington Cemetery
- 4. Buzzard Point, Half and R Streets, SW
- 5.U-Haul lot on So. Capitol Street
- 6.Whitehurst Freeway/K Street
- 7. E Street ramp area under Potomac Freeway
- 8. Harry Thomas Way/Eckington NE
- 9. East Potomac Park
- 10. RFK Stadium
- 12. Western Division Metrobus Garage
- 13. Carter Baron Amphitheatre (for Cathedral)

## Potential Centrally-Located Off-Street Sites

- 14. New Jersey and I Streets, SE
- 15. I-395 between H and K Streets NW
- 16. Massachusetts Avenue and 9th St., NW
- 17. Old Convention Center
- 18. Union Station
- 19. Ellipse (underground)
- 20. Banneker Overlook (surface or ITC)
- 21. Waterfront Park-Georgetown (underground)

## Slide 13

## Recommendations: Major Actions

- Alternate distribution strategies:
- Expand supply of tour bus parking *and *boarding spaces
- tour buses need convenient,     centrally-located surface parking for stops of short duration
- Downtown Distributor is possible alternative that would require further assessment

## Next Steps: Major Actions

- Reinforce Union Station as tour bus parking location—adjust fee structure
- Consider reserving on-street spaces for short-term tour bus use in peak season
- Increase enforcement of existing parking designated for tour buses
- Develop a small number of surface lots to serve several hundred buses (e.g. NJ & I, So.Capitol Bridge, Buzzard’s Point, E. Potomac Park/Hains Pt., Carter Baron, Western Division Bus Garage)

## Next Steps: Major Actions (continued):

- Work with National Park Service to consider expansion of tour bus loading/unloading on National Mall
- Work with relevant stakeholders to evaluate the feasibility of expanding loading/unloading space at and near major points of interest;
- Enforce short time limits (e.g.10 minutes) for boarding spaces

## Next Steps: Supporting Actions

- Coordinated multi-facility parking pricing strategy
- Advanced scheduling, where feasible
- Information systems: specify requirements, track technology advances
- Permitting, licensing, and enforcement: estimate revenue requirements and develop financial plan; identify enforcement needs; consider legal restrictions on tour bus routing