Bus Operator Barrier Design: Guidelines and Considerations (2024)
Chapter: Front Matter
Bus Operator Barrier Design
GUIDELINES AND CONSIDERATIONS
TCRP OVERSIGHT AND PROJECT SELECTION COMMISSION*
CHAIR
Jeanne Krieg
Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority (retired)
VICE CHAIR
Jameson Auten
Lane Transit District
SECRETARY/TREASURER
Ryan I. Daniel
St. Cloud Metro Bus
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR
Doran J. Barnes
Foothill Transit
MEMBERS
Andrea Burnside
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Julia Castillo
Heart of Iowa Transit Authority
April Chan
San Mateo County Transit District
Desmond Cole
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
Carolyn Flowers
InfraStrategies LLC
David Harris
New Mexico Department of Transportation
Tim Healy
Sound Transit
Brendon Hemily
Hemily and Associates
Vince Huerta
East Texas Council of Governments
Joseph Leader
HDR
Benjamin Limmer
Connecticut Department of Transportation
Bacarra Mauldin
Memphis Area Transit Authority
Jessica Mefford-Miller
Valley Metro
Raymond Melleady
USSC Group
Brad Miller
Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA)
Elizabeth Presutti
Charlotte Area Transit System
Catherine Rinaldi
MTA Metro North Railroad, NY
Jeffrey Rosenberg
Amalgamated Transit Union
Bernard Schmidt
NextEra Energy
Justin Stuehrenberg
Madison Metro Transit
Frank White, III
Kansas City Area Transportation Authority
Kimberly J. Williams
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County
Nigel H.M. Wilson
MIT
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
Shailen Bhatt
FHWA
Victoria Sheehan
TRB
Paul P. Skoutelas
APTA
Jim Tymon
AASHTO
Veronica Vanterpool
FTA
TOPS COMMISSION STAFF ADVISOR
Arthur L. Guzzetti
APTA
SECRETARY
Monique R. Evans
TRB
___________________
* Membership as of August 2024.
TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2024 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE*
OFFICERS
CHAIR: Carol A. Lewis, Professor, Transportation Studies, Texas Southern University, Houston
VICE CHAIR: Leslie S. Richards, General Manager, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Victoria Sheehan, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC
MEMBERS
Michael F. Ableson, CEO, Arrival Automotive–North America, Detroit, MI
James F. Albaugh, President and CEO, The Boeing Company (retired), Scottsdale, AZ
Carlos M. Braceras, Executive Director, Utah Department of Transportation, Salt Lake City
Douglas C. Ceva, Vice President, Customer Lead Solutions, Prologis, Inc., Jupiter, FL
Nancy Daubenberger, Commissioner of Transportation, Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Paul
Marie Therese Dominguez, Commissioner, New York State Department of Transportation, Albany
Garrett Eucalitto, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Newington
Chris T. Hendrickson, Hamerschlag University Professor of Engineering Emeritus, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Randell Iwasaki, President and CEO, Iwasaki Consulting Services, Walnut Creek, CA
Ashby Johnson, Executive Director, Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), Austin, TX
Joel M. Jundt, Secretary of Transportation, South Dakota Department of Transportation, Pierre
Hani S. Mahmassani, W.A. Patterson Distinguished Chair in Transportation; Director, Transportation Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Scott C. Marler, Director, Iowa Department of Transportation, Ames
Ricardo Martinez, Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Decatur, GA
Michael R. McClellan, Vice President, Strategic Planning, Norfolk Southern Corporation, Atlanta, GA
Russell McMurry, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Transportation, Atlanta
Craig E. Philip, Research Professor and Director, VECTOR, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Steward T.A. Pickett, Distinguished Senior Scientist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY
Susan A. Shaheen, Professor and Co-director, Transportation Sustainability Research Center, University of California, Berkeley
Marc Williams, Executive Director, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin
EX OFFICIO MEMBERS
Michael R. Berube, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC
Shailen Bhatt, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC
Amit Bose, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, Washington, DC
Tristan Brown, Deputy Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC
Steven Cliff, Executive Officer, California Air Resources Board, Sacramento
Rand Ghayad, Senior Vice President, Association of American Railroads, Washington, DC
LeRoy Gishi, Chief, Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, Germantown, MD
William H. Graham, Jr. (Major General, U.S. Army), Deputy Commanding General for Civil and Emergency Operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC
Robert C. Hampshire, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC
Zahra “Niloo” Parvinashtiani, Engineer, Mobility Consultant Solutions, Iteris Inc., Fairfax, VA, and Chair, TRB Young Members Coordinating Council
Sophie Shulman, Deputy Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, DC
Karl Simon, Director, Transportation and Climate Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC
Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC
Polly Trottenberg, Deputy Secretary of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC
Jim Tymon, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC
Veronica Vanterpool, Acting Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Washington, DC
Michael Whitaker, Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC
Vinn White, Deputy Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Washington, DC
___________________
* Membership as of August 2024.
TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
TCRP RESEARCH REPORT 249
Bus Operator Barrier Design
GUIDELINES AND CONSIDERATIONS
Andrew Krum
Scott Tidwell
Joshua Skole
Erin Mabry
Aditi Manke
Tarah Crowder
VIRFINIA TECH TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE
Blacksburg, VA
Christy Campoll
RLS & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Dayton, OH
Subject Areas
Public Transportation • Design • Vehicles and Equipment
Research sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration in cooperation with the American Public Transportation Association
TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
The nation’s growth and the need to meet mobility, environmental, and energy objectives place demands on public transit systems. Current systems, some of which are old and in need of upgrading, must expand service area, increase service frequency, and improve efficiency to serve these demands. Research is necessary to solve operating problems, adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and introduce innovations into the transit industry. The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) serves as one of the principal means by which the transit industry can develop innovative near-term solutions to meet demands placed on it.
The need for TCRP was originally identified in TRB Special Report 213—Research for Public Transit: New Directions, published in 1987 and based on a study sponsored by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration—now the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). A report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), Transportation 2000, also recognized the need for local, problem-solving research. TCRP, modeled after the successful National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), undertakes research and other technical activities in response to the needs of transit service providers. The scope of TCRP includes various transit research fields including planning, service configuration, equipment, facilities, operations, human resources, maintenance, policy, and administrative practices.
TCRP was established under FTA sponsorship in July 1992. Proposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, TCRP was authorized as part of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA). On May 13, 1992, a memorandum agreement outlining TCRP operating procedures was executed by the three cooperating organizations: FTA; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, acting through the Transportation Research Board (TRB); and APTA. APTA is responsible for forming the independent governing board, designated as the TCRP Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Commission.
Research problem statements for TCRP are solicited periodically but may be submitted to TRB by anyone at any time. It is the responsibility of the TOPS Commission to formulate the research program by identifying the highest priority projects. As part of the evaluation, the TOPS Commission defines funding levels and expected products.
Once selected, each project is assigned to an expert panel appointed by TRB. The panels prepare project statements (requests for proposals), select contractors, and provide technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project. The process for developing research problem statements and selecting research agencies has been used by TRB in managing cooperative research programs since 1962. As in other TRB activities, TCRP project panels serve voluntarily without compensation.
Because research cannot have the desired effect if products fail to reach the intended audience, special emphasis is placed on disseminating TCRP results to the intended users of the research: transit agencies, service providers, and suppliers. TRB provides a series of research reports, syntheses of transit practice, and other supporting material developed by TCRP research. APTA will arrange for workshops, training aids, field visits, and other activities to ensure that results are implemented by urban and rural transit industry practitioners.
TCRP provides a forum where transit agencies can cooperatively address common operational problems. TCRP results support and complement other ongoing transit research and training programs.
TCRP RESEARCH REPORT 249
Project C-25
ISSN 2572-3782
ISBN 978-0-309-71008-4
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/27877
© 2024 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the graphical logo are trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein.
Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, APTA, FAA, FHWA, FTA, GHSA, or NHTSA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP.
Cover figure: A computer-assisted drawing model image of a barrier. Image courtesy of researchers from the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI).
NOTICE
The research report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; or the program sponsors.
The Transportation Research Board does not develop, issue, or publish standards or specifications. The Transportation Research Board manages applied research projects which provide the scientific foundation that may be used by Transportation Research Board sponsors, industry associations, or other organizations as the basis for revised practices, procedures, or specifications.
The Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and the sponsors of the Transit Cooperative Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names or logos appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.
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TRANSIT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
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COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS
CRP STAFF FOR TCRP RESEARCH REPORT 249
Monique R. Evans, Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs
Gwen Chisholm Smith, Manager, Transit Cooperative Research Program
Stephan A. Parker, Senior Program Officer (retired)
Mariela Garcia-Colberg, Senior Program Officer
Stephanie L. Campbell-Chamberlain, Senior Program Assistant
Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications
Heather DiAngelis, Associate Director of Publications
TCRP PROJECT C-25 PANEL
Field of Engineering of Vehicles and Equipment
Desmond R. Cole, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Philadelphia, PA (Chair)
Kathryn Sonja Boris, Community Transit, Seattle, WA
Rebecca Frankhouser, King County Metro, Seattle, WA
Mark Henry, Amalgamated Transit Union, Silver Springs, MD
Danielle Julien, Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 1576, Everett, WA
David A. Lee, First Transit, West Hartford, CT
Colin Mulloy, HART, Tampa, FL
Timothy Allan Witten, Blacksburg Transit, Blacksburg, VA
Jamel El-Hamri, FTA Liaison
Jeff Thompson, FTA Liaison
Brian Thomas Alberts, APTA Liaison
Lisa Callaghan Jerram, APTA Liaison
Brian L. Sherlock, Amalgamated Transit Union Liaison
AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The research team acknowledges the manufacturers and suppliers who provided critical engineering feedback on the concept barrier configurations, including Gillig LLC, Thermo King, and SABIC. The engineering team at Gillig was also instrumental in providing the research team with a recent-generation transit bus vehicle computer model on which to demonstrate Barrier Concepts A and B.
FOREWORD
By Mariela Garcia-Colberg
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board
TCRP Research Report 249: Bus Operator Barrier Design: Guidelines and Considerations gives information and guidance to transit agencies on designing, procuring, and installing bus operator barriers. The report will be of immediate use to transit agency leadership, staff, practitioners, and other stakeholder entities interested in the installation of bus operator barriers to safeguard transit operators and their passengers.
Installing driver barriers in transit buses can help reduce the risk of assault. Assaults against transit workers pose a serious threat on many levels, including threatening the physical safety and emotional well-being of transit workers, endangering passengers, and lowering employee morale. The emotional effects of assault can deter transit employees from returning to work and passengers from using transit, affecting both schedule and revenue. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, additional concerns have arisen for bus drivers, including protection against direct exposure to the virus from passengers and overall air quality concerns.
The objective of this research was to give public transportation agencies practical guidance on designing, procuring, and installing bus operator barriers to protect the health and safety of bus operators and the traveling public. The guidance produced was based on evaluation criteria and the performance measures of effective barrier types considering six different issues: assault prevention; air quality; operator comfort; vision impacts, including glare; access compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act; and emergency egress.
TCRP Research Report 249: Bus Operator Barrier Design: Guidelines and Considerations presents information and research activities conducted to produce the guidance found in the report. The document is organized into four chapters: Introduction, Approach to Bus Operator Barrier Designs, Findings, and Conclusions. The research developed a target risk mitigation approach for three bus barrier concepts. The Approach to Bus Operator Barrier Designs chapter is organized into four sections: Survey on Transit Bus Barriers; Guidelines, Standards, and Previous Research; Design Criteria; and Design for Risk Mitigation. The Findings chapter of the report is organized into five sections: Survey Results, Barrier Designs, Requirement Matrix Concept Status, Risk Mitigation Evaluation, and Stakeholder Feedback and Considerations.
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