Bus Rapid Transit - Main Features

Main Features

BRT systems come in a variety of forms, such as dedicated busways with their own rights-of-way (such as Ottawa's Transitway or Pittsburgh's Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway), bus services using HOV lanes, dedicated freeway lanes (such as Honolulu's CityExpress) and limited stop buses on pre-existing routes.

An ideal bus rapid transit service would be expected to include most of the following features:

• Bus only, grade-separated (or at-grade exclusive) right-of-way: A dedicated bus lane allows the bus to operate separately, without interference from other modes of traffic. Although buses have a long turning radius, dedicated busways can be engineered to tighter standards than an open roadway, reducing construction costs while still assuring safe operation.
  • A bus-only right-of-way may be elevated, depressed, or routed through a tunnel. An abandoned rail right-of-way is sometimes used.
  • A transit mall or bus street can be created in city centers by dedicating all lanes of a city street to the exclusive use of buses.
  • Low-cost infrastructure elements that can increase the speed and reliability of bus service in lanes shared with general traffic include Bus bulbs, boarding islands, and curb realignments.

It must be noted that the public will not regard the bus line as "rapid transit" unless the majority of the route is on a right of way that is rarely congested due to the volume of general traffic sharing the right of way.

• Serves a diverse market with high-frequency all day service: A BRT network with comprehensive coverage can serve a diverse market (all income ranges) by moving large numbers of people between locations quickly and reliably throughout the day, while maintaining a comfortable riding experience. These characteristics are essential to satisfying the demands of a diverse market or offering high-frequency service without heavy subsidy.

• Bus priority: Preferential treatment of buses at signalized intersections can involve the extension of green time and/or allowing the bus to proceed sooner, out of turn, relative to the normal sequence of signal phases. Intersection priority is most effective when implemented in conjunction with bus lanes or bus streets, since general traffic served by a different traffic signal phase can hold up buses in the same lane.
• Vehicles with tram-like characteristics: Recent technological developments such as bi-articulated buses and guided buses have benefited the set-up of BRT systems. The main developments are:
  • Improved riding quality (Use of guided bus and powertrain control technologies for smoother operation),
  • Increased capacity (articulated and double-decker),
  • Reduced operating costs (hybrid electric powertrain).
• A specific image with a brand name: (e.g. Viva, Max, TransMilenio, Metropolitano, Select) marking stops and stations as well as the buses. The system's brand identity contributes to its attractiveness as an alternative to driving cars.
• Off-bus fare collection: Conventional on-board fare collection slows the boarding process, particularly when different fares are collected for different destinations and/or classes of passengers. Some BRT systems collect fares upon entering an enclosed bus station or shelter area prior to bus arrivals (similar to fare collection at a kiosk prior to entering a subway system). This allows passengers to board quickly through all doors of a stopped bus.
• Level boarding: Many BRT systems also use low-floor buses (or higher boarding platforms level with the floor of buses without low floors) to speed passenger boardings and enhance accessibility to disabled passengers.

• Stations: High-quality BRT systems feature significant investment in enclosed stations which may incorporate attractive sliding glass doors, staffed ticket booths, information booths, and other more standard features listed above. This style of station is seen throughout Colombia, in (Bogotá's TransMilenio, Cali's MIO, Bucaramanga's Metrolinea, Pereira's Megabús) and in most other Latin American BRT systems developed in the last decade. This design is also used in Johannesburg's Rea Vaya. The term "station" is more flexibly applied in North America and ranges from enclosed waiting areas (Ottawa and Cleveland), to large open-sided shelters (Los Angeles), to simple signposts.

All of the above characteristics were noted as features of Bogotá's TransMilenio, described as a "model BRT system" in the National Bus Rapid Transit Institute's May 2006 report. TransMilenio serves Bogotá with high-capacity articulated buses, which passengers can board through three doors. Bi-articulated buses are also now used on the busiest routes. A smart card system is used for off-board fare collection. Nevertheless, despite moving 45,000 ppdph, Transmilenio faces huge problems (especially during peak hours), in terms of not being quite organized, nor having the necessary capacity for handling the high passenger volume, a situation not being limited to peak hours only, but at most times along the day.

In some cities and large towns, such as Amsterdam, Essen (Germany), Pittsburgh, and Seattle, it is common for a right of way exclusive to public transport to be shared by both light rail and buses, and in some cases taxis.