BRT System Research Articles

General guidelines for the design of BRT routes in the Public Transport Integrated System of Bogotá

The objective was to establish general guidelines for the design of the BRT route network in Bogotá’s Public Transport Integrated System – SITP – in terms of geographical layouts, stop points, and frequencies. The demand for the morning rush hour in a typical business day before COVID-19 was contemplated.The research methodology had three phases. 1) Establish several sets of preliminary guidelines for route network design in the Bogotá BRT System – TransMilenio –. 2) Development of a methodology – based on a transport model implemented in PTV-Visum – to assess different routes scenarios designed following those sets of preliminary guidelines. 3) Application of this assessment methodology to quantify the impact of each set of preliminary guidelines for route network design. The main output consists of selected guidelines for the design of route network in TransMilenio. Among the conclusions, the BRT services in Bogotá should be designed with a multi-criteria approach, which implies a relatively complex route network. A very simplified route network has proven to be inconvenient. On the other hand, in the short term, it is recommended to maintain diametrical routes to avoid the collapse of central stations due to increased transfers. However, in the medium term, the paradigm must evolve to radial routes design. This approach would make it possible to significantly reduce the minimum required fleet, improving headways, increasing comfort within buses, and/or reducing investment in rolling stock. Furthermore, it has been shown that the radial routes approach would require four new central interchange stations in Bogotá.

Evaluasi Kinerja Operasional Pelayanan Bus Rapid Transit (B Koridor Blok M-Kota, DKI Jakarta

The operational aspect as an aspect directly related to the provision of services to the community will certainly require this BRT system to provide better service quality compared to other public transport service systems. The objectives of this research are: to assess the operational performance of BRT services in DKI Jakarta in the Blok M-Kota corridor in terms of headway, load factor and travel time based on BRT service performance standards and to assess public perceptions of the operational performance of BRT services in corridors. Blok M-City. In this study using descriptive analysis methods, evaluative, and science methods. The survey technique was carried out by means of a static survey, on bus, interviews, and questionnaires.
 The results showed that the headway, BRT has a good level of service, when compared to the standard of the Directorate General of Land Transportation where the average standard headway is 5 minutes. While the standard of BP TransJakarta can be said to be good where the headway during peak hours is 2-3 minutes and non-peak hours are 5 minutes. Load factor, the results of the primary survey and analysis show that the load factor has not yet reached the operational target of BP TransJakarta by 70% so that the bus condition still feels roomy and relaxed, although it is much better according to the standards of the Directorate General of Land Transportation. As for travel time, the operational service performance of BRT is in accordance with the standards of the Directorate General of Land Transportation which stipulates the standard travel time is 1-1.5 hours and BP TransJakarta sets 45 minutes, which is much faster where for the Blok M-Kota and Kota-Blok majors. M.

ASSESSMENT OF SERVICE QUALITY AND EFFICIENCY OF BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM

Transportation is an indistinguishable component of any society. Provision of luxury transportation at favorable rates to general public is the need of the day for societal comfort. Research has been done to assess the service and efficiency level of(Bus Rapid Transit)BRT system by evaluating initial parameters including passenger’s attitudes towards quality, safety, security, and service provided by Metro bus Lahore as well as identifying problems encountered by passengers. In Pakistan, local transportation play significant role for travelers to commute whereas the vast transportation system of Lahore and construction of Metro Bus Transit System with consideration to balance demands of traffic has provided safer, economical and secure public transport system to the people. This research has been carried out from Shahdara to Gujjumata. The questionnaire-based survey was conducted. which was comprised of questions according to problems, needs of passengers and indicators which were set to identify the service quality of Metro Bus. It is revealed from analysis that majority of people are satisfied from service quality, punctuality, accessibility and efficiency provided by BRT system. It is also observed that this service is user-friendly for physically impaired persons. Dissatisfaction level was also observed on low seating capacity in buses, security, safety of users on board. This research suggests concerned authority to improve, enhance current passenger services and provide better services so that current users can enjoy services and attract new passengers to use Metro bus as well as imply international best practices in Pakistan urban transport.

Enhancing bus transit service efficiency under conditions of high street congestion

The article is devoted to solving the problems of transport services for residents of the city of Yekaterinburg. The authors consider public transport as one of the important solutions to the transport problems of the city. This work analyses speed and time characteristics of bus transit services in high-traffic main streets in the city of Ekaterinburg. It also defines structure and duration of delays on route, share of general route duration, travel speed on route runs and general service speed. Foreign experience in bus transit services has been analysed. This work proposes measures to improve the service accessibility for remote residential districts with use of BRT system. It also includes measures to improve bus transit services in Ekaterinburg and assessment of their expected efficiency.

A Policy Move towardsSustainable Urban Transport in Pakistan: Measuring the Social, Environmental and Economic Impacts of Lahore BRT System

We examine the impacts of a sustainable urban transport initiative, the first Bus Rapid Transit System launched in Lahore, Pakistan in year 2013.Wemeasure the socio-economic and environmental impacts of theBRTusing aquestionnaire-based survey that collected informationon customers’ travel purpose, travel frequency, travel time, mode access, previous travel mode choices (pre-BRT) and travel mode choices at present. Weestimate that,on average,a BRTpassenger savesabout 46 minutes per day on a singletrip. However, the modal shift from personal automobiles to theBRT system is found to be only 4 percent, i.e.,significantlyless than the shift found in otherworldwide BRT systems.Moreover, weestimate the reduction inthenumber of private vehicles on roads, total distance travelled in km and associated travelling costs and,subsequently,the reduction in the carbonemissions. We concludethat the Lahore BRTtransit systemneeds to be expandedto other parts of the city.

Scheduling the vehicles of bus rapid transit systems: a case study

AbstractBus rapid transit (BRT) is a cost‐efficient, traffic‐free bus‐based transportation system competing with subways. There are 205 municipalities around the world that implemented their own BRT systems. Istanbul, having the sixth‐most congested traffic in the world, built its own BRT system (Metrobüs), which serves more than 830,000 people (6.45% of all public transportation usage) in a day with 6254 trips covered by its current fleet of 496 vehicles. In this study, we model the vehicle scheduling problem of Metrobüs as a multiple depot vehicle scheduling problem. The model aims to minimize the fleet size and total deadhead kilometers while covering all timetabled trips. We propose a new heuristic, trips merger (TM), to solve the model and show that there exists cost reduction opportunities in terms of both fleet size and deadhead kilometers. The proposed heuristic is a member of the state‐space reduction heuristics family, which first reduces the problem size, then solves the reduced problem. Computational study reveals that TM performed better than the existing state‐space reduction heuristics for the Metrobüs case.

До питання стійкості метробуса у гальмівному режимі

According to the recommended ratio between the number of buses of different classes used in large cities, three-quarters of the bus fleet of a city with a population of more than 1 million inhabitants should be buses of large and especially large class. The greatest effect of using buses of large and especially large class is achieved in the BRT system. The use of multi-link both freight and passenger trains should be confirmed not only by progressive transport legislation, but also by solving certain technical problems aimed at ensuring the high safety of trains and the entire traffic flow. At the same time, it is very important to ensure the stability of the vehicle in boundary modes so that it remains within the overall corridor. Conducted studies to date have proved that the most dangerous in terms of ensuring the stability of the road train in emergency braking is the onboard non-uniformity of braking forces, and with increasing the initial speed of braking, non-uniformity of action of the brake mechanisms on wheels of the same axles of cars and road trains, significantly angular deviations. It is shown that a generic parameter characterizing the stability of straight-line movement of a three-lane metro bus in braking mode should be taken to be the initial speed of movement at which the bus and trailer links do not extend beyond the width of the lane. According to this criterion, the initial braking speeds are obtained, which ensure the stability of the metrobus with both a guided and an unmanaged second trailer. These velocities were 12.5 and 16.5 m / s, respectively, when the coefficient of adhesion of the wheels to the support surface within j = 0.7 and the moment of non-uniformity of the braking forces on the axles of the trailers within 8000 Nm were respectively. This must be taken into account when determining the stability of the metrobus in braking mode.

TO THE COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF VEHICLES FOR PASSENGER TRANSPORT IN THE BRT SYSTEM

Analysis of the issues of stability and dynamics of wheeled vehicles moving along a special overpass indicates an extremely limited information resource. The vast majority of works are devoted to issues of vertical dynamics, but the issue of transverse dynamics and transverse force interaction of the guide module with the overpass is insufficiently covered. Also, the question of the use of one or another model of tire retraction when modeling the movement of an elastic wheel and practical recommendations for choosing the size of the bearing and guide wheels depending on the nature and magnitude of the dynamic loads providing the necessary level of safety and comfort remain little covered. Further research will be devoted to resolving these issues. Keywords: metrobus, motion equations, maneuverability, stability, layout, trailer, semi-trailer, BRT system.

The Performance of BRT Trans Semarang Services to Achieve Sustainable Transportation

Semarang provides its many important activities and movements. This city already has BRT system for public transportation, expected to make a sustainable transportation system in Semarang city. However, there are several problems, especially in service performances. The existence of BRT has not been efficient to resolve the congestion problem in the city, indicated by the low BRT load factor level. Location of bus stops are not strategic and not easy to reach, dirty, cramped, have little seatings, do not have guards, do not have feeder mode from the housing area, and the bus arrival schedule is uncertain, causing people to use private vehicles in their daily life. The main purpose of this research is to assess the service performance of BRT Trans Semarang related to safety, comfort, and regularity to achieve sustainable transportation. Conditions of BRT service performance in regard to safety level, 78% of the provision is appropriate, and 22% is not appropriate. Based on comfort level, 70% of the supply is appropriate, and 30% is not suitable. As for the regularity level, 38% of the supply is appropriate, and 62% has not been matched from the total performance indicators of BRT services that require repairs and additions. Government, thus shall improve the regularity level to enhance the load factor of BRT Trans Semarang.

Short run fare elasticities for Bogotá’s BRT system: ridership responses to fare increases

The fare policy of the BRT system in Bogota, in order to cover its operating costs, has consisted of steadily fare increases, since its creation until 2012. To date, no study has been done to estimate the users’ reaction to these changes in the short-term. That is, there is no information about price-demand elasticities. This issue should be a key factor in deciding on price changes and evaluating the impact of these changes on ridership. In the case of Bogota’s BRT (Transmilenio), estimating such elasticity is a need, but also a complex task: the travel demand is growing constantly and few fare changes happen at the same time throughout the whole system. To overcome this barrier, an econometric panel data model at station level was developed that takes advantage of highly disaggregated information on ridership for the Transmilenio system. The database provided information on entrances to the system’s stations between 2001 and 2012 at the daily level (phases 1 and 2). Monthly information on other factors that may influence ridership, like fuel prices, unemployment rates, population and traditional bus fares, were also included. After the introduction of a fare increase, the elasticity’s absolute value decreases from − 0.565 (1 week) to − 0.408 after a month. In addition, low-income users are more sensitive to these changes. We also test for differences between the effects during peak and off-peak hours. The results show higher values in the off-peak hours than in the peak hours. This should inform decision takers in Bogota about the effect of fare changes on ridership responses and also on equity and accessibility.

Optimization-based operations control for public transportation service with transfers

This research develops a real-time simulation-based control framework that attempts to coordinate the operations of public transportation services to allow smoother transfers and to maintain service regularity. The control actions, which include holding and change speed, are set as the solution of an optimization problem with the objective to minimize total passengers’ time in the system within a prediction horizon. The prediction horizon is defined by a number of downstream stops and subsequent buses. The predictions made include the arrival and departure times of vehicles at downstream stops and the passenger demands they are expected to serve. The model is demonstrated with a case study of three lines of the BRT system in Haifa, Israel. The results show that the model outperforms headway control and no-control alternatives in terms of total passengers’ time and on-time performance. It is only slightly worst then the headway control in terms of waiting times and denied boarding at stops. The combination of holding and change speed actions provides substantially better results than each of them individually.

An evaluation of existing BRT system & planning of new corridor of Rajkot city

An evaluation of existing BRT system & planning of new corridor of Rajkot city

Study of Optimization of Traffic Congestion at Intersection using BRT Lane (Case Study of Katraj-Swargate BRT Corridor,Pune)

Bus Rapid Transit was introduced as a flexible, low-cost alternative to Metro and Light-Rail systems which also aimed at encouraging people to opt for public transport instead of private vehicles. But due to the restriction of right-of-way in the existing road, implementation of BRT system has affected the other lanes. The Motorized vehicle lanes get congested and the total throughput in every direction is affected. Thus, the BRT system needs to be integrated with other modes of transport for optimization of the traffic situation as a whole. This paper presents a study in which the motorized vehicles are given passage into the BRT Lane at a appropriate distance before the intersection taking into account the traffic signal cycle and also the traffic signal used at entry spot of the BRT Lane. VISSIM, a microscopic simulation model is used to investigate the results of the above model and its effects on the traffic situation. It has been observed that if motorized vehicles are allowed on Bus lane at a distance from the intersection, there is an increase in number of vehicle-throughput, average speed, and reduction in average delay time and with minimal impact on the BRT system.

Carbon footprint of urban public transport systems in Indian cities

Investment in public transport is unarguably one of the most critical measures to be adopted by the Indian city authorities to tackle the issue of rising private vehicles, congestion and pollution. A large number of Indian cities are in the process of planning/implementing public transport projects, mainly – city bus system, bus rapid transit system (BRTS) and metro rail transit system (MRTS). Decisions related to the development of a particular type of public transport system are primarily based on technical and financial criteria. However, environmental factors are not given adequate importance while undertaking public transport projects.The aim of the paper is to determine life cycle environment impacts of public transport projects occurring during all the three phases i.e. construction, operations and maintenance phases of these projects. The paper aims to validate that these impacts are important and need to be compared to make an informed decision about providing most environment friendly public transport system to the people.Of the various methods of calculating carbon footprint of infrastructure projects, the authors adopted the life cycle analysis (LCA) approach. The ISO 14042 framework for LCA (cradle to grave approach) has been used for estimating energy consumption and carbon emissions of public transport projects (BRTS and MRTS) in India – case studies of Delhi Metro and Ahmedabad BRTS have been used.The findings of the paper indicate that metro rail could be considered more efficient public transport system based on tail-pipe emissions. However, an evaluation based on life cycle of public transport systems indicates that a metro system generates more carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions/passenger kilometres (PKM) as compared to a BRT system. The same metro system is, however, more energy efficient [kilojoules (kJ)/PKM] for its full life period as compared to BRT system.The results and methodologies adopted in the paper could be used to introducing life cycle impact considerations to bring about more robust understanding of the overall impact of a system/proposed infrastructure project. This paper helps to enhance the scope and not limit to just tailpipe or a particular city and help make informed choices regarding public transport systems based on the economic, social and environmental goals set by national, state or city governments.

Road train motion stability in BRT system

The peculiarities of organization and perspectives of mass passenger transportation in the city and beyond are considered with the use of "Bus Rapid Transport" (BRT) or Metrobus. Different aspects of study of motor vehicles (MV) controllability and stability are analyzed. It is substantiated that it is sufficient to consider the potential stability of the MV itself, in order to guarantee the stability of the "driver MV" system with a large reserve. A mathematical model of a three-axle bus train consisting of a bus and two trains (metrobus) is developed and the factors influencing the critical speed as the main index of the stability of its movement are determined. It is established that the increase of the critical speed of the metrobus can be achieved by increasing the base of the bus, the first and the second trailer, as well as the mass of the bus and the coefficients of resistance of the drive wheels of the bus driving axle and the trailers axles. At the same time, increasing the distance from the mass center to the bus rear axle, increasing the distance from the mass center to the point of the coupling of the bus with the first trailer, increasing the mass of trailers and the resistance of the resistance of the wheel drive of the bus axis lead to a decrease in the critical speed of the metrobus. This must be taken into account both when designing metrobuses, and when operating them.

ДО АНАЛІЗУ КОНСТРУКЦІЙ КОЛІСНИХ ТРАНСПОРТНИХ ЗАСОБІВ ДЛЯ МІСЬКИХ ПЕРЕВЕЗЕНЬ ПАСАЖИРІВ

The article discusses the development of public transport as an important means of safe population mobility, especially in urban areas suffering from increasing traffic congestion. Bus or Transport Rapid Bus (BRT) or metrobus - this is the name of a sophisticated bus system. The BRT project envisages the movement of buses on dedicated and often fenced lanes. The main advantage of a metro is its complete isolation on the road from other modes of transport. Three-lane buses and trolleybuses can be used to increase passenger capacity in the BRT system. Along with the undeniable advantages of three-section articulated buses and trolleybuses, they also have disadvantages - worse maneuverability and stability of movement compared to two-section ones. In addition, the efficiency of such machines is closely linked to the passenger traffic, which may vary several times during the day. Therefore, it may be promising for trains to be made up of two (or three) buses or trolleybuses, which operate in a hitch, whose passenger capacity is similar to articulated buses and trolleybuses. During the peak hours, a bus train operates, and in the inter-peak period - each bus separately (parking of one bus on a dedicated site is possible). A comparison of these two bus trains - three-link articulated and three-link trailed according to maneuverability. The comparison is based on the differential equations of motion of these trains. The integration of motion equations is based on the original data. obtained both by the technical characteristics of the buses and by calculating the torque resistance, inertia, resistance coefficients, etc. The original equation system was solved using Maple software. The coordinates of the center of mass of the bus, which determined the overall lane (GSR) of the bus, were obtained. The analysis of the obtained data showed that the three-link trailer trains with guided axles of trailers meet the requirements of normative documents on maneuverability. The GSR of such a high-speed train is 7,193 m. For a semi-trailer high-speed train, a high-speed train with two unmanaged trailer links of the GSR is 7.39 m, which is somewhat more permissible. In this case, both controlled and unmanaged high-speed trains have insufficient turn, which can serve as a guarantee of stability.

Analysis of a performability model for the BRT system

Analysis of a performability model for the BRT system

Workshop 1 report: Integrating rail and bus based modes (including BRT) into a user-relevant transport system

This paper synthesizes evidence from Workshop 1 ‘Integrating rail and bus based modes (including BRT) into a user-relevant transport system’ of the 15th International Conference on Competition and Ownership in Land Passenger Transport. The paper outlines key findings from 13 research papers presented at the workshop which was structured into five separate issue or challenge areas including A. Perspectives on Intermodal Integration B. Perspectives on Intermodal Competition, C. User and Operational Perspectives on BRT System Performance, D. BRT Design and Development Challenges and E. BRT Implementation and Future Pathways. Based on the three-day collaborative workshop thinking, this paper synthesizes the outcomes of discussions around these topics. Overall despite a wide diversity of participants an overwhelming support for continued development of integrated transit systems was supported to better address the growth, social and environmental challenges of cities into the future.

Fare discrimination and daily demand distribution in the BRT system in Bogotá

Bogota transport authority changed Bus Rapid Transit (Transmilenio) fares in August 2012 to manage congestion, particularly during peak hours. They reduced fares and implemented fare discrimination between peak and off-peak hours to balance demand and make the system more affordable. To estimate the variation in the relative distribution of daily demand between peak and off-peak hours, we used information pertaining to passenger demand on working days. Our main data source was the number of entrances into Transmilenio stations daily between 2011 and 2013. The data before the fare intervention was gathered between March 2011 and July 2012. Post intervention data was gathered between August 2012 and December 2013. We assumed that the users’ observable characteristics did not change either before or after the intervention was carried out. The fares decreased from a flat fare of COP 1750 (1 USD = 1780 COP in August 2012) to COP 1700 in peak hours and to COP 1400 in off-peak hours. This paper proposes a fixed effects model to estimate the effect of fare reduction in the ratio between peak and off-peak ridership hours. The results suggest that fare reduction produced changes in demand behaviour between peak and off-peak hours, reducing the peak to off-peak demand ratio (P/oP) by around 9%. This change has different levels of impact depending on the income levels associated with each Transmilenio station, with a stronger impact in low-income zones.

Spatial Distribution of Conventional Air Pollutant and GHGs from Land Transportation in Two Developing Cities and Main Co-Benefit Actions For Reducing It.

Surakarta and Yogyakarta are the emerging cities which now struggle to manage its pollution from transport sector. This study aims to calculate the emission, to describe spatial distribution and to analyze existing co-benefit actions related to land transportation in Surakarta and Yogyakarta in 2015. The main method used for this analysis comes from Ministry of Environment and Forestry. The VKT values were aggregated for Surakarta city and Yogyakarta city and it showed 27.36 km/day, 37.52 km/day and 27.71 km/day for motorcycle, car and truck respectively. At Surakarta city, the emission load from transport sector in 2014 were 449.95 tons/ year (TSP), 5134 ton/ year(NOx), 243 ton/year (SO2), 50,605 ton /year (CO) and 421,594 tons/year (CO2e). Villages of Kemlayan, Timuran and Keprabon showed the highest emission. While in Yogyakarta city in 2014, the burden of TSP was 58,409 tons/year, NOx was 8,058 tons/year, SO2 was 285.37 ton/year, CO was 75,008 tons/year and CO2e by 601,068 tons/year. The village of Pringgokusuman and Sosromeduran showed the highest emission. Several programs were adopted in Yogyakarta city and Surakarta city for mitigating air pollution i.e ITS-ATCS, BRT system, car free day.