Even though currently, there is no Express bus service originating from the City of Weston, Weston residents drive north to BB&T Center Park and Ride Lot and west to CB Smith Park to access 595 and 95 Express bus services. The 2019 on-board survey shows 115 daily trips on 595 Express Bus from riders residing in Weston and another 30 daily trips on 95 Express Bus at CB Smith Park from riders residing in Weston.
75 Express Bus
How will buses entering the park and ride lot at the I-75 and Royal Palm Boulevard Interchange traverse the intersection and not impact traffic?
The proposed signal control will be a semi actuated signal. Therefore, the signal phase for bus to access will only be trigged by vehicles from I-75 southbound off ramp (through movement) or Royal Palm Boulevard westbound (left turn movement). This will cause minimal impact to intersection operation. In 2040 under No-Build conditions, the intersection of Royal Palm Boulevard and I-75 southbound off-ramp will operate at LOS E with an average delay of 71.8 seconds during AM peak hour. The intersection will operate at LOS B during PM peak hour. With the proposed Park and Ride Lot, this intersection will operate at LOS E with an average delay of 74.9 seconds during AM peak hour and LOS D during PM peak hour. The average delay will increase by 3.1 seconds compared to the No-Build Alternative during AM peak hour.
Will the park and ride lot at the I-75 and Royal Palm Boulevard Interchange block the City entrance?
No. The park & ride lot will be located adjacent to the southbound ramp existing the City of Weston onto I-75. Additionally, the park & ride lot’s elevation will be similar to the exit ramp which is typically lower than the Royal Palm Blvd overpass. Therefore, the proposed park & ride lot will not block the entrance to the City.
How will the park and ride lot at the I-75 and Royal Palm Boulevard Interchange impact traffic?
The Florida Department of Transportation evaluated traffic impacts of the Park and Ride Lot for AM peak hour, PM Peak hour, and off-peak hours. In 2040 under No-Build conditions, the intersection of Royal Palm Boulevard and I-75 southbound off-ramp will operate at Level of Service (LOS) E with an average delay of 71.8 seconds during AM peak hour. The intersection will operate at LOS B during PM peak hour. The 95th-percentile queue length on I-75 southbound off-ramp will be 705 feet and 349 feet during AM and PM peak hours, respectively.
With the proposed Park and Ride Lot, this intersection will operate at LOS E with an average delay of 74.9 seconds during AM peak hour and LOS D during PM peak hour.
The average delay will increase by 3.1 seconds compared to the No-Build Alternative during AM peak hour. The 95th-percentile queue length on I-75 southbound off-ramp will be 657 feet and 437 during AM and PM peak hour with the Park and Ride Lot in 2040, respectively. The length of the existing I-75 southbound off-ramp is 1,938 feet. The queue on I-75 southbound off-ramp will not extend to I-75 mainline.
The intersection of Royal Palm Boulevard and Weston Road will operate at LOS F during AM and PM peak hours for the No-Build Alternative in 2040. With the Park and Ride Lot, the intersection will operate at the same LOS with an additional delay of 3.0 seconds and 1.8 seconds during AM and PM peak hours, respectively. In summary, based on the operational analysis, with the proposed Park and Ride Lot, the queue on I-75 southbound off-ramp will not extend to I-75 mainline. The proposed Park and Ride Lot will not cause degradation in LOS on I-75 ramps, the ramp termini, and the adjacent intersection. District 4 will closely monitor the I-75 ramps and intersections operation conditions after the Park and Ride Lot is built. Improvement and modification will be made to the Park and Ride Lot if issues arise.
Simply put, impacts will be so minimal, that they will not be noticeable by most members of the general public.
What are the Express Bus project details?
The project has been part of FDOT’s plan to improve mass transit service between western Broward County and locations surrounding the Miami International Airport. The 170 space park-and-ride at the city’s I-75 /Royal Palm Boulevard interchange would feature express bus service to the Inter-modal Center next to Miami International Airport where commuters would be able to connect to destinations using other forms of mass transit. Buses would take advantage of new express lanes on I-75, and there will also be spaces at the park-and-ride for people to carpool. The current plans call for eight (8) morning buses between 5:40 a.m. and 9:40 a.m., and eight returning buses leaving the airport center between 3:45 p.m. and 7:20 p.m.
The 75 Express Bus services commenced in January 2020, with service originating at BB and T Center in the City of Sunrise and Miami Garden Park-and-Ride Lot in the City of Miami Gardens. The current schedule and route can be found at broward.org/BCT/Schedules/Pages/default.aspx.
Were any surveys conducted to verify the need for a park and ride lot to serve the City of Weston?
An on-board survey of existing 95 and 595 Express bus riders utilizing the park and ride lots in Broward County was conducted in Spring 2019. Park and ride users drive long distances (up to 10 miles) to access the direct bus services to downtown Miami and Civic Center areas. The survey indicated that these riders are generally very satisfied with the quality of rides and services they are currently receiving. The survey also indicated that currently, several City of Weston residents drive to BB&T Center Park-and-Ride Lot and the park-and-ride lot CB Smith Park to access 595 and 95 Express bus service.
What analysis was done to determine the park and ride location at the I-75 and Royal Palm Boulevard interchange?
The need for park and ride lots is based on several factors. One of key factors used was commute origin and destination location of workers. According to LEHD 2015 data, 1,200 people live in the City of Weston who work in Downtown Miami. In all, 9,700 people live in Weston and work in Miami-Dade County.
Other locations were also considered within the City of Weston’s limits but were ultimately ranked lower than the location at the I-75 and Royal Palm Boulevard interchange because of their relatively high impact to existing land uses and access to I-75 to/from the locations.
Are park-and-ride lots necessary?
Yes. Park-and-Ride lots are valuable transportation facilities and key features of a multi-modal transportation network. Express bus riders in South Florida typically need a convenient place to park their cars where they can access the bus. These facilities serve a broad range of use from being a small, simple place to park a few vehicles temporarily, to an upscale, grand multi-modal hub. Park-and-Ride facilities are mainly utilized by commuters as a convenient means in the pursuit of ridesharing, carpooling, vanpooling, bus, or rail transit in order to reach their commute destination. When considering the relatively low cost of implementing a Park-and-Ride facility, many communities have found it to be an attractive improvement option.
Providing multimodal options for travelers is a critical pillar in any efficient transportation system and especially beneficial in congested areas. Park-and-Ride facilities provide travelers with a place to park their motor vehicles and then transfer to other modes of travel such as transit, or in some cases, join a car or vanpool. With regard to overall commuter convenience, creating a network of well-placed Park-and-Ride facilities will offer many benefits for communities and transportation systems.