Prevailing user’s factors in bus rapid transport stations located in high-traffic urban highways

Abstract

The high-level highways, where the operating speed is high, are implanted in areas with low population density. However, in some Brazilian regions, the uncontrolled growth of large cities leads to urbanization in their surroundings. As a result, these highways become urban roads, and collective transportation buses use them. There is a duplicate section of BR-282/SC highway in this scenario, which promotes access to Santa Catarina Island, where a Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) corridor will be implanted. This study aims to evaluate the attraction and rejection factors for the implantation of BRT stations located on the central axis of the highway between the opposing traffic lanes. It was carried out a case study with five stages: choice of the station implantation site, identification of attraction and rejection factors, description of mitigating measures, and elaboration of the design guidelines. A qualitative and quantitative study of the adjacent environment was carried out in the area covered by the station, and the walking conditions were verified. The analysis of the rejection factors related to traffic, pavement, and accessibility included noise pollution, air pollution, thermal discomfort, and access conditions, consideration of the existence of sidewalks and bicycle paths. As a result, the user attraction factors were relative to proximity to the residences and jobs poles and the station's connectivity with the local and marginal routes. On the other hand, rejection factors were related to noise and thermal discomfort, atmospheric pollution, and access characteristics (streets, sidewalks, and commerce). Mitigating measures and the station design to be feasible the Bus Rapid Transport stations attractiveness implanted in the road center were proposed.