The voter-approved 2006 Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) plan promised to deliver 200 new bus pullouts in the greater Tucson area. At the latest count, 180 of those have been built.
Bus pullouts are an important safety feature that benefit both the transit riders, as well as the traveling motorists. They allow passengers to board buses or shuttles outside of the traffic through lane and allow other vehicles to bypass stopped buses without having to make abrupt and/or unanticipated stops, or potentially risky lane changes. Bus pullouts are especially useful at busy intersections, where the capacity of the intersection is greatly impacted by bus operations.
Bus pullouts also improve the overall experience for transit riders since most new bus pullouts are constructed with shelters and other amenities to improve transit rider comfort.
The RTA-funded bus pullouts are constructed to be fully accessible and conform to the Americans with Disabilities Act, including handicap ramps at intersections, improved corridor access for the elderly and disabled, and new sidewalk connections where needed to provide route continuity.
Bus pullouts are standardized to accommodate the full-size, 40-foot buses within the Sun Tran fleet. Where feasible, bus pullouts are designed to allow not only vehicular traffic but also bicycle traffic to bypass stopped transit vehicles. Because of the heavy weight of transit vehicles, bus pullouts are paved with concrete rather than asphalt for greater service life and durability.
Whether they are constructed as standalone projects or included with the larger roadway projects, the addition of bus pullouts is another example of the fully functional features included in the RTA plan to help improve the overall quality of the regional transportation network.