Strategies for High-Quality Bus/BRT
by
Juan Carlos Muñoz
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Nigel Wilson
MIT
Across Latitudes and Cultures- Bus Rapid Transit
Centre of Excellence www.brt.cl
What can we say about bus service?
Bus is critical to providing a good door-to-door transit
alternative for many journeys:
•
•
•
Much higher network density and coverage than rail
Greater flexibility in network structure
Low marginal cost for service expansion
BUT
Bus as traditionally operated also has serious limitations:
•
•
•
•
•
Low-speed
Subject to traffic congestion
Unreliable
Harder to convey network to the public
Negative public image
Transit Leaders Roundtable
MIT, June 2011
This feeds this vicious cycle
Income and
Population
grows
More cars in
the city
More congestion
And delays
Bus Demand
drops
Car becomes more
attractive
Bus fare increases
Bus frequency
drops
Buses cover fewer
miles per day
Operation cost
grows
Buses
And we
areneed
not expected
to make buses
to be sexy
attractive
as Richard
to car mentioned
drivers…
However, this doesn’t affect Metro as much
Transit Leaders Roundtable
MIT, June 2011
•
Fast
•
Low wait time
•
Comfortable
Can we provide Metro-like service with buses?
•
Reliable
•
Good information
•
Branding
Transit Leaders Roundtable
MIT, June 2011
Can we provide Metro-like service with buses?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fast
Low wait time
Comfortable
Reliable
Good information
Branding
Transit Leaders Roundtable
MIT, June 2011
Operational
benefits
•Shorter cycle time
•Reliable operations
•Higher productivity
Increase Bus speed, Frequency,
Capacity and Reliability
IMPROVED
EFFICIENCY
Reduced bus
costs
•Less buses required
•Lower cost per km
Improved bus
productivity
•More pax/bus-day
IMPROVED
SERVICE QUALITY
•Reduced travel time
•Reduced waiting
time
•Higher comfort
•Reliability
Attracts more
passegers
Reduced private car use
& traffic congestion
Improves revenue
IMPROVED
FINANCIAL
VIABILITY
Better buses
Source: Frits Olyslagers, May 2011
Passenger
benefits
More investment into
new buses & cleaner
technology
Lower
Subsidies
Improved energy
efficiency
Reduced emissions
Can we provide Metro-like service with buses?
OF COURSE WE CAN!
(several pieces are already there in cities worldwide)
The good news are:
COURAGE WILL BE REWARDED
Metro
Attributes
Fast
Low waits
Comfort
Reliable
Main
drivers
Increase
Speed
Increase
Frequency
Increase
Capacity
Regular
Headways
Actions
•Segregated ways/lanes
Metro
Attributes
Fast
Low waits
Comfort
Reliable
Main
drivers
Increase
Speed
Increase
Frequency
Increase
Capacity
Regular
Headways
Actions
•Segregated ways/lanes
•Reduce dwell times
•Fare payment off-bus
•Buses with multiple doors
Metro
Attributes
Fast
Low waits
Comfort
Reliable
Main
drivers
Increase
Speed
Increase
Frequency
Increase
Capacity
Regular
Headways
Actions
•Segregated ways/lanes
•Reduce dwell times
•Fare payment off-bus
•Buses with multiple doors
•Increase distance between stations
Metro
Attributes
Fast
Low waits
Comfort
Reliable
Main
drivers
Increase
Speed
Increase
Frequency
Increase
Capacity
Regular
Headways
Actions
•Segregated ways/lanes
•Reduce dwell times
•Fare payment off-bus
•Buses with multiple doors
•Increase distance between stations
•Express services
Metro
Attributes
Fast
Low waits
Comfort
Reliable
Main
drivers
Increase
Speed
Increase
Frequency
Increase
Capacity
Regular
Headways
Actions
•Segregated ways/lanes
•Reduce dwell times
•Fare payment off-bus
•Buses with multiple doors
•Increase distance between stations
•Express services
•Traffic signal priority
Metro
Attributes
Fast
Low waits
Comfort
Reliable
Main
drivers
Increase
Speed
Increase
Frequency
Increase
Capacity
Regular
Headways
Actions
•Segregated ways/lanes
•Reduce dwell times
•Fare payment off-bus
•Buses with multiple doors
•Increase distance between stations
•Express services
•Traffic signal priority
•Improved headway control
BRT should achieve these features
Some examples…
Transit Leaders Roundtable
MIT, June 2011
Cities with BRT/Bus Corridors
25
125
Guanghzhou, Hefei, Yancheng, Zaozhuang -China
Jaipur - India; Pelembang, Gorontalo, Surakata - Indonesia
Bangkok - Thailand; East London Transit - UK
João Pessoa - Brazil; Barranquilla, Bucaramanga - Colombia
Estado México - México; Lima - Perú; Brampton - Canada
20
100
17
16
15
75
13
Bogotá TransMilenio
Los Angeles Metrorapid
10
8
Curitiba
5
5
1
1
0
1970
1975
2
1
0
1980
11
1
2
1
1
2
11
5
11
7
50
888
4
25
2
0
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
Source: EMBARQ BRT/Bus Corridors Database, January, 2011
Rapid growth of BRT Systems and Bus
Corridors in 2010, specially in developing cities
16 cities started operations in 2010 (13% growth)
•
•
China (4), Indonesia (3), Colombia (2), India, Thailand,
Brazil, México, Perú, UK, Canada
•
21 corridors; 396 km; 464 stations; 2,047 buses
•
1.4 million passengers per weekday (5% growth)
•
7 cities expanded corridors in 2010, 125 km
•
49 new cities with corridors under construction
•
16 cities expanding their corridors
•
31 new cities in planning stages
Transmilenio, Bogotá
Transit Leaders Roundtable
MIT, June 2011
Ricardo Giesen ©
Nigel Wilson
Transit Leaders Roundtable
MIT, June 2011
20
Fuentes: Encuesta Anual “Bogotá ¿Cómo Vamos?” www.eltiempo.com;
Main mode of transport 1998-2009
Total Public Transport
Other Public Transport
TransMilenio BRTS
Private (Car, motorbike)
Walking + Bicycle
Fatalities in Bogotá Over Time
1400
1299
1200
1165
1171
1000
1106
1014
923
800
788
698
665
600
564
400
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
551
511
2005
2007
Source: Anuario Estadístico, Ministerio de Transporte, Colombia
2009
Guangzhou BRT, China
•
Trunk and feeder logic relaxed
22.5 km dedicated busway
• 26 stations (prepayment,
level boarding – some
buses, passing lane, up to
six platforms)
• Peak supply: 340
buses/hr/direction
• 40 routes (in and out the
system, no transfers)
• Peak demand: 26,900
passengers/hr/direction
• Daily demand: 800,000
pax/per weekday
•
Photo by Benjamin
In Bucaramanga, Colombia
Bus only lane through downtown
•
Photo: http://www.metrolinea.gov.co/
Regarding Service Design
• The user must perceive a system
• Integration does not end in fare collection
• With integration transfers blossom…
• Make them fast, safe, informed, less painful
• Reduce them when possible
• Bring express services (10 % social costs reduction)
• Lower operational cost per mile
• Less time spent by passengers
• Increase capacity
Transit Leaders Roundtable
MIT, June 2011
Strategies for High-Quality Bus/BRT
by
Juan Carlos Muñoz
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
Nigel Wilson
MIT
Across Latitudes and Cultures- Bus Rapid Transit
Centre of Excellence www.brt.cl