A year later, tour bus protocol eases congestion at Oval’s end

The designated bus-loading zone is on Roth Way between Palm and Lomita drives.

The designated bus-loading zone is on Roth Way between Palm and Lomita drives.

A Tour Bus Protocol, implemented in September 2011, is helping to keep the average 26 tour buses that visit Stanford daily from impeding traffic at the top of the Oval, while allowing visitors on Palm Drive to see the university’s iconic front door.

By Kaitlyn Lo

A policy outlining where tour buses can unload passengers and park while tourists visit campus is making it easier to navigate Palm Drive at the end of the Oval and to see the iconic buildings of the Main Quadrangle.

The Tour Bus Protocol , implemented in September 2011, has provided a loading and parking alternative for the tour bus operators who bring thousands of sightseers annually to campus and has kept them from impeding the flow of traffic or blocking the top of the Oval.

A year later, the protocol has proved effective at opening up the top of the Oval for deliveries and allowing for additional Marguerite shuttle and AC Transit service to better serve campus commuters, according to Phil Garcia, associate director of parking and transportation services. The policy has also helped clean up the look of the university’s front door, preserving the iconic first view of Stanford for those approaching via Palm Drive.

Stanford, however, continues to monitor the increasing number of buses, as well as tourists, with an eye toward ensuring appropriate and efficient use of university resources.

"Where once you may have seen up to five tour buses staged at the top of the Oval for extended periods, now when you enter campus via Palm Drive, your first view is Memorial Church and the Main Quad, rather than various sightseeing tour buses," said Garcia.

Before implementation of the policy, an average of 26 tour buses would drop visitors off at the top of the Oval daily. Many would idle or park there during tourist visits, especially during the summer and fall months. The parked buses often impeded deliveries to university departments and filled the bus stop and fire lanes, creating a safety hazard.

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The resulting traffic congestion revealed that Stanford was in dire need of a viable alternative for loading and off-loading passengers without turning visitors away, Garcia said.

"Previously there was no policy or protocol as to where tour buses would load and unload their passengers. As a result, the top of the Oval started to become a tour bus parking lot, which caused a lot of concern for the university," said Garcia.

The new protocol, which prohibits buses from stopping on the Oval, created a designated bus-loading zone on Roth Way between Palm and Lomita drives. It also limits their time at Roth Way to 15 minutes at a charge of $3.

After the time limit is up, buses are encouraged to move to Oak Road, where they are provided free parking.

The Parking & Transportation Services Department and Stanford’s Department of Public Safety were responsible for helping make a smooth transition in the implementation of the new policy. They did so, Garcia said, by notifying the bus operators far in advance of the new protocol and alternative options.

"At first we put someone at the top of the Oval who recorded the TCP (transportation charter party) license numbers from each bus. From there, we were able to find out to whom each bus was registered, and then we contacted every one of those operators to notify them of the change," said Garcia.

Kaitlyn Lo is an intern with Stanford University.