"In 2019, I learned about transit signal priority - a technology that gives buses priority at intersections so they don't sit at red signals unnecessarily. At the time, there was a lot of discussion in other cities about flashier, more expensive transit speed improvements, such as bus lanes and bus rapid transit. Those didn't seem politically possible in San Jose at the time, but transit signal priority did."
"In August 2022, the City Council adopted a transit first policy. That was a huge moment. But as anyone who's involved in government knows, passing something is just the beginning. Implementation, coordination, funding and implementing changes like transit signal priority across a city takes time."
"Recently, Mayor Matt Mahan announced San Jose has increased bus speeds by about 20% through LYT transit signal priority. In 2022, when I wrote that putting transit first could make buses faster and more reliable, it was still largely aspirational. Today, those words are measurable."
Transit signal priority technology allows buses to pass through intersections without unnecessary delays at red lights. In 2019, a college student recognized this as a politically feasible transit improvement for San Jose compared to more expensive alternatives like bus rapid transit. After mentioning the concept to a city councilmember in 2020, a transit-first policy was formally nominated and adopted by the City Council in August 2022. Implementation required coordination, funding, and time across multiple city departments. By 2024, Mayor Matt Mahan announced that San Jose achieved approximately 20% bus speed increases through LYT transit signal priority, transforming aspirational policy goals into measurable improvements for residents.
#transit-signal-priority #transit-first-policy #bus-speed-improvement #urban-transportation #policy-implementation
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