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Bus rapid transit

Bus rapid transit (BRT), also referred to as a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system.[3] Typically, a BRT system includes roadways that are dedicated to buses, and gives priority to buses at intersections where buses may interact with other traffic; alongside design features to reduce delays caused by passengers boarding or leaving buses, or paying fares. BRT aims to combine the capacity and speed of a light rail transit (LRT) or mass rapid transit (MRT) system with the flexibility, lower cost and simplicity of a bus system.

"Transitway" redirects here. For the network in Ottawa, see Transitway (Ottawa). For other BRT systems, see List of bus rapid transit systems.

The world's first BRT system was the Busway in Runcorn New Town, England, which entered service in 1971.[4][5] As of March 2018, a total of 166 cities in six continents have implemented BRT systems, accounting for 4,906 km (3,048 mi) of BRT lanes[6] and about 32.2 million passengers every day.


The majority of these are in Latin America, where about 19.6 million passengers ride daily, and which has the most cities with BRT systems, with 54, led by Brazil with 21 cities.[6] The Latin American countries with the most daily ridership are Brazil (10.7 million), Colombia (3.0 million), and Mexico (2.5 million).


In the other regions, China (4.3 million) and Iran (2.1 million) stand out.[6] Currently, TransJakarta is the largest BRT network in the world, with about 251.2 kilometres (156.1 mi) of corridors connecting the Indonesian capital city.[1]

Terminology[edit]

Bus Rapid Transit is a mode of mass rapid transit (MRT)[7] and describes a high-capacity urban public-transit system with its own right of way, vehicles at short headways, platform-level boarding, and preticketing.[3]


The expression "BRT" is mainly used in the Americas and China; in India, it is called "BRTS" (BRT System); in Europe it is often called a "busway" or a "BHLS" (stands for Bus with a High Level of Service).[8] The term transitway was originated in 1981 with the opening of the OC Transpo transitway in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.


Critics have charged that the term "bus rapid transit" has sometimes been misapplied to systems that lack most or all the essential features which differentiate it from conventional bus services. The term "bus rapid transit creep" has been used to describe severely degraded levels of bus service which fall far short of the BRT Standard promoted by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and other organizations.

Reasons for use[edit]

Compared to other common transit modes such as light rail transit (LRT), bus rapid transit (BRT) service is attractive to transit authorities because it does not cost as much to establish and operate: no track needs to be laid, bus drivers typically require less training and less pay than rail operators, and bus maintenance is less complex than rail maintenance.


Moreover, buses are more flexible than rail vehicles, because a bus route can be altered, either temporarily or permanently, to meet changing demand or contend with adverse road conditions with comparatively little investment of resources.[9]

The vehicle headway is the average time interval between vehicles on the same line. Buses can operate at headways of 10 seconds or less, but average headways on TransMilenio at busy intersections are 13 seconds, 14 seconds for the busiest section of the Metrobus (Istanbul), 7 seconds in Belo Horizonte,[44] 6 seconds in Rio de Janeiro.[45]

[43]

Vehicle capacity, which can range from 50 passengers for a conventional bus up to some 300 for a bi-articulated vehicle or 500.[2]

[46]

The effectiveness of the stations to handle passenger demand. High volumes of passengers on vehicles require large bus stations and more boarding areas at busy interchange points. This is the standard bottleneck of BRT (and heavy rail).

[47]

The effectiveness of the feeder system: can these deliver people to stations at the required speed?

Local passenger demand. Without enough local demand for travel, the capacity will not be used.

Impact[edit]

A 2018 study found that the introduction of a BRT network in Mexico City reduced air pollution, as measured by emissions of CO, NOX, and PM10.[120]

Ghadirifaraz, B., Vaziri, M., Safa, A., & Barikrou, N. (2017). , Iran (No. 17-05108).

A Statistical Appraisal of Bus Rapid Transit Based on Passengers Satisfaction and Priority Case Study: Isfahan City

Poku-Boansi, M and Marsden, G (2018) . Journal of Transport Geography, 70. pp. 193–202. ISSN 0966-6923 DOI: Bus rapid transit systems as a governance reform project

Bus Rapid Transit Systems as a Governance Reform Project

A very comprehensive 800 guide to creating a successful BRT system by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (available in English, Spanish and Portuguese)

Bus Rapid Transit Planning Guide (2007)

Transportation Research Board

Bus Rapid Transit, Volume 1: Case Studies in Bus Rapid Transit

Transportation Research Board

Bus Rapid Transit, Volume 2: Implementation Guidelines

Cervero, Robert (2013). (PDF). European Automobile Manufacturers Association.

"Bus Rapid Transit: An Efficient and Competitive Mode of Public Transport"

. National Bus Rapid Transit Association. 2009. Archived from the original on 18 February 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2010.

"Characteristics of Bus Rapid Transit"

Levinson, Herbert S. (2002). . Journal of Public Transportation. 5 (2): 1–30. doi:10.5038/2375-0901.5.2.1.

"Bus Rapid Transit: An Overview"

An international Centre of Excellence for BRT development

Across Latitudes and Cultures Bus Rapid Transit

Transportation Research Board

Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual

. University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies, Department of Mechanical Engineering

BRT Technologies: Assisting Drivers Operating Buses on Road Shoulders