LIBRARY STUDY

ISBT
(INTER STATE BUS TERMINAL)

INTRODUCTION
The intercity terminal is usually found in the downtown core and is
accessible directly by local transit, taxi, and auto .
It differs from other terminal types in that it includes long haul
service in excess of several hundred milesand provides for a much
greater number of bus movements.
Land costs normally dictate vertical expansion capability in the denser
city areas.
More elaborate "package express" facilities are provided in the intercity
terminal and a greater amount of concession and rental species
provided to defray higher terminal.

FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS PLANNING

CRITERIA
General functional organization of the terminal
is determined by site configuration, the volume
and type of bus operations, and passenger and
bus traffic circulation .
The suburban interstate terminal is perhaps
the simplest of the terminal types
The most significant planning requirement is adequate
provision for parking .
It is essential, therefore, that the parking
facilities be located so as to minimize the walking
distance to the terminal and that egress
and planned to avoid traffic congestion
along nearby arteries .

If possible, some covered walkways should be provided leading

from the parking field to the terminal building .
Since there will be movement of both vehicles and passengers at
the same level, provisions must be made, for obvious safety
reasons, to separate the two as much as possible .
Terminal requirements should include provisions for ticket sales,
vending machines and/or small snack bar, toilet facilities, office,
baggage and/or storeroom .

Space Requirements
Public Seating Seating in any of the terminal types may be provided
in the form of a separate waiting room or, in a more open plan, in the
form of a simple seating area within a larger public space .
This function should be directly accessible to the concourse area
and should be provided with drinking fountains, trash baskets,
ash urns, and clocks .
As a general rule of thumb, however, an allowance of one seat
for every three passengers would be adequate for an intercity
terminal .
The passenger quantity is calculated by multiplying the
number of loading berths by an average bus capacity of
between 35 and 37 people .

A 10-berth loading platform therefore, would result in terminal

seating of between 117 to 124 .
In a high-volume commuter terminal, seating
accommodations may be reduced considerably
since in-terminal waiting time is much
less . This would also hold true for the suburban
interstate terminal .
Ticketing Facilities The trend in ticketing facilities
in the modern terminal, regardless of
the type, is toward open counters in contrast
to the antiquated caged windows.
In the larger intercity terminal, where more than one carrier may
operate, separate self-contained glass walled ticket offices may be
provided, each housing their individual open ticket counters .

The number of selling positions or agent stations varies with the

individual operations policy of the carrier and the particular terminal
type .
Perhaps the greatest number of selling positions are required in the
intercity terminal . On the average, one position should be provided
for each 25 to 30 waiting room seats .
The lineal feet of counter space depends on individual carrier operation
and the type of ticketing equipment used and may vary between 3 to 5
ft per position and/or about 50 to 60 sq ft per position .
The height of the counter is usually
42 in .

Baggage Boom
In the intercity bus terminal the baggage is
normally hand-carried directly onto the bus or
to the baggage room, and from there it is placed
on the bus .
The baggage room should be accessible
from both the public area and the concourse
and have an area equal to about 10
percent of the total building or contain about
50 sq ft for each bus loading berth, whichever
is higher .
The baggage room should also be
equipped with standard metal racks
about four
or five tiers high for baggage
storage .

Public Lockers and Telephones Lockers and tele . phones are

revenue producing, and the quantities to be provided depend to a great

degree on their potential earning capacity .

Dispatch Oflice The dispatch office controls all bus movement and
consequently should be located on the concourse so that it can
observe all loading berths . The size of the dispatch office may vary
anywhere from 50 to 150 sq ft .

Offices All terminals regardless of type require a certain amount of

office space. The specific area to be provided depends on the terminal

size and type . Although usually offices for the terminal manager,
passenger agent, and switchboard are sufficient, in larger terminals
more elaborate facilities are required .
Rental Space The amount of rental space to be provided for
stores, shops, concessions, ate., depends primarily on the earning
potential involved and the amount of space available.

PEDESTRIAN DESIGN FOR PASSENGER

TERMINALS
The challenge to the terminal designer is to balance the space
requirements for a comfortable and aesthetically pleasing human
environment against the space restraints caused by building
configurationand cost .
Corridor Design
The maximum practical flow through a corridor is approximately 25
persons per foot width of corridor per minute.
Entrances
The criteria utilized for corridor design can be roughly applied to the
design of doors. The maximum capacity of a free-swinging door is
approximately 60 persons per minute, but this capacity is obtained with
frequent traffic disruptions and queuing at the entrance section.
A standard of 40 persons per minute would be representative of a busy
situation with occasional traffic disruptions. Where free-flowing traffic is
desired, a standard of 20 persons per minute should be adopted.

Stairs
The maximum practical flow on a stair is approximately 17
persons per foot width of stairway per minute (PFM) in the upward
or design direction.
An average of about 20 square feet per person
or more is required
Queuing Areas
A number of different pedestrian queuing situations occur in terminals
which affect their functional design .
Linear queues will occur where passengers line up to purchase tickets
or board buses. Care must be taken that these lines do not disrupt
other terminal functions.
The length of a linear queue may be estimated on the basis of an
average per person spacing of 20 in .

Escalators and Moving Walks

The high costs of escalators and moving walks present difficult
design quality decisions.
Nominal Capacity-Escalators and Moving Walks
Capacity, persons per minute
Type of unit
Speed-90 fpm
Speed-120 fpm
32-in.
escalator . . . . .
63 84
48-in .
escalator . . . . .
100 133
24-in .
walk . . . . . . . . . . .
60
30-in .
walk . . . . . . . . . . .
120

Turning radius

Bus standing position

LAYOUT PLAN

LAYOUT PLAN