The "last mile" from station or bus stop to a passenger's final destination is often the weak link in a transit system. An agency will find it difficult to attract new riders if pedestrian connections feel unsafe, parking lots are filled to capacity, and feeder bus stops are poorly located.

BART's Access Guidelines, developed by a team led by Nelson\Nygaard, map out how the agency and its partners can maximize ridership by optimizing access to stations by all modes. Intended to apply to both new and existing stations, the guidelines describe best practice for accommodating access by foot, bike, feeder transit and automobile. They are designed to show how BART can achieve its challenging target of reducing the share of park-and-ride access trips from 38% to 31% by 2010.

Equally importantly, the guidelines recognize that competing demands for funding and physical space will often require complex tradeoffs. For example, how should "prime real estate" - the curbside space closest to the faregates - be allocated between taxis, feeder buses, and kiss-and-ride? The Access Guidelines provide guidance on how to make these decisions, taking into account cost effectiveness, station context, and an "access hierarchy" that prioritizes non-auto modes.

Note: This file (2.4 MB) is a low-resolution version of the Access Guidelines, in order to provide shorter download times. If you'd like to receive a high-resolution version (8.3 MB), in order to print hard copies, please contact amillard-ball@nelsonnygaard.com.