Bus rapid transit as arterial corridor traffic calming: The relationship between transit infrastructure and motor vehicle operating speeds

Abstract

Objectives This article presents an analysis of the traffic-calming effects of bus rapid transit (BRT) by studying changes to motor vehicle speeds before and after implementation of Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART) infrastructure in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Methods While ART construction was completed in spring 2018, the BRT buses did not operate until December 2019; providing a unique opportunity to explore the influence of BRT infrastructure sans BRT buses (i.e., to tease apart the effects of BRT infrastructure and operations). We used validated data from StreetLight InSight to compare before/after changes to average motor vehicle speeds and 85th percentile motor vehicle speeds at 46 ART sites and 36 control sites. Results Findings suggest that infrastructure associated with BRT systems can improve traffic safety by reducing vehicle speeds. Speed decreases at the ART sites were especially strong in terms of 85th percentile decreases, suggesting that the BRT infrastructure is especially effective at limiting excessive speeding. Motor vehicle 85th-percentile speeds along the ART corridor were reduced by 11.5% (compared to a 5.8% decrease at control sites). The 85th-percentile speeds at the ART sites decreased from 32.3 mph to 28.6 mph, which is an especially important range for vulnerable road-user safety outcomes. While ART intersections saw the largest decreases in absolute speeds (a reduction of 4.1 mph in 85th-percentile speeds), ART mid-block sites had larger decreases relative to the control mid-block sites (decreases in 85th-percentile speeds were 73.7% greater at ART mid-block sites than at control mid-block sites). BRT-related lane reductions were linked with particularly strong speed reductions; there were 85th-percentile speed reductions of 4.1 mph (12.6%) when general vehicle lanes were removed versus 2.2 mph (7.8%) when lanes were not removed. Conclusions Speed reductions were experienced across the ART corridor even though 87.0% of BRT locations did not have a change in posted speed limit, suggesting that physical changes to the roadway associated with BRT were impactful in terms of speed reductions and in turn could possibly promote traffic injury prevention by decreasing the number and severity of crashes.