Bus Rapid Transit Development Research Articles

Bus Rapid Transit in Australasia: Performance, Lessons Learned and Futures

This paper presents a review of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems in Australasia. It describes the major systems operating in Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney, outlining their infrastructure, operations and development characteristics. The performance of these systems in terms of patronage, markets, operations and overall urban development impacts is described. Lessons learned in their implementation and operation are also reviewed. The paper concludes with an outline of future prospects for BRT development in Australasia and a discussion of the major findings of this review.

Assessing the Role of Planning and Considerations in the Sustainability of BRT-PPP Projects: A South African Case

The development of bus rapid transit (BRT) systems is essential to African cities’ economic vitality through accessibility and expansion of urban mobility. Several studies have investigated the deployment of such transportation systems. However, the role of a delineated planning stage of BRTs has been given limited attention. This study examined the role of planning in ensuring the sustainable performance of BRT systems. A qualitative approach using interviews with experts and BRT users in the Gauteng Province of South Africa was adopted. Findings indicated that planning should extensively encompass projections of the intended or future performance outcomes. These include institutional arrangements, existing characteristics and impact, service reliability and quality, technical analysis of infrastructural integration, demand, environmental performance metrics and life cycle costs. This inductive research advances the theory of critical factors that could potentially hinder the delivery of PPP-based BRT projects. The findings are envisaged to be beneficial to transport policymakers and stakeholders in the assessment of BRT systems. Failures surrounding the BRT in Gauteng result from an omission of critical factors at the planning stage. This presents a critical lesson for future BRT projects in South Africa and other developing countries, to be meticulous and consider critical factors at the planning stage.

Bus Rapid Transit System: A Study of Sustainable Land-Use Transformation, Urban Density and Economic Impacts

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has shown significant growth in recent years, particularly in developing countries because of its cost-effectiveness. However, empirical evidence on land-use and economic impacts of BRT is limited. This study measures the sustainable land-use transformation, urban density, and economic impact witnessed after the development of BRT. Spatial analysis shows that BRT has the potential to simulate land-use transformation, however, the extent of transformation is context-dependent. Population density has increased from 268 persons/acre to 299 persons/acre. Besides land-use transformations, inward investments and extension of the labor market were also evident in areas served by BRT. The amount almost equal to US $140 million of inward investment was detected after implementation of BRT, which ultimately brought around 800 new employees from remote areas. An efficient land-use policy, streamlining these land-use transformations, and inward investments, can benefit from developing compact and sustainable neighborhoods. This study will help in the performance evaluation of BRT systems in developing countries for sustainable development.

Urban mobility modeling to reduce traffic congestion in Surabaya: a system dynamics framework

Purpose This paper aims to address the urban mobility and traffic congestion problem under environmental dynamics to improve mobility and reduce traffic congestion using system dynamics (SD) simulation and scenarios. Design/methodology/approach SD simulation was used to analyze urban mobility and traffic congestion. Data were collected from the Transportation Department of Surabaya City. Several scenarios to improve urban mobility and reduce traffic congestion were developed by modifying the structures and parameters of the model. Findings Several factors influence urban mobility, including modal split, trip frequency, delay performance and the ratio of public transport supply and demand. Urban mobility, daily traffic and road capacity are some factors that affect traffic congestion. Scenarios can be designed based on the assumptions of the proposed strategy. Research limitations/implications The study was conducted at Surabaya City, East Java, Indonesia, which is the fourth most-congested city in the world. Practical implications By implementing several strategies (mass rapid transit and bus rapid transit development and public transport delay reduction), mobility performance is projected to be improved by 70.34-92.96%. With this increased mobility, traffic congestion is projected to decline by 52.5-65.8%. Originality/value The novel contributions of this research are: formulating relationships between several variables; modeling dynamic behavior of urban mobility and traffic congestion; and building scenario models to improve mobility and reduce traffic congestion in Surabaya. With the increase in urban mobility and the decrease in average daily traffic, traffic congestion could be reduced by a minimum of 57.6% and a maximum of 69%.

Model of Implementing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Mass Public Transport Policy in DKI Jakarta Province, Indonesia

The purpose of this study is to find a model for implementing policies on the development of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) based on mass public transportation in DKI Jakarta Province, Indonesia. This research uses qualitative methods with data collection techniques such as observation, in-depth interviews and literature study. Policy choices for developing mass public transportation based on BRT seem to remain a rational choice for overcoming traffic congestion in Jakarta. The ideal model of policy implementation to be developed in the future is an integrated BRT-based mass transit public transport policy model, not only paying attention to its sustainability but also being just.

Preliminary study on Bandung sustainable urban mobility policy: the contribution of public transportation on emission

Transportation policy in Bandung has advanced to fundamental changes that are environmentally oriented. Mobility is the key driver for development, while type of transportation links between areas and connecting each other to facilitate their economic and social needs. Development of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is one of the solutions to reduce the use of private vehicles with the provision of mass transportation. The objective of this study was to describe the existing service of Trans Metro Bandung (TMB) and its emission. The TMB’s emission factor is analyzed by using Vehicle Kilometers Travelled (VKT) and fuel consumption in a year. The results showed that the emissions of TMB have influenced the air quality of Bandung. Thus, other alternatives energy is suggested in the development of public transportation (BRT) that supports eco-transportation.

Impediments to the bus rapid transit implementation in developing countries – a typical evidence from Hanoi

ABSTRACTCreation of an effective bus rapid transit (BRT) system has never been an easy task, especially for the first case in a developing country, since a BRT project requires a considerable investment with participation from most walks of life. Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, has omitted to overcome impediments in the maiden BRT establishment. The Hanoi BRT performs poorly with ridership at only 13,500 passengers per day. In this paper, it is scrutinized based on a series of barriers that are findings in previous works and in the shape of a theoretical framework with seven main categories, namely: (1) institutional and legislative context, (2) political leadership and commitment, (3) physical design and operation, (4) management of competing modes, (5) adequate funding, (6) public participation and (7) image promotion. Results emphasize that the difference in views of the funder and the local authorities on the BRT development is the chief barrier. Enforcement of the BRT lanes from motorcycles is demanding, which is distinct from cities previously creating BRT. The findings from the Hanoi BRT are not unique. Lessons drawn from its failure could be widely informative for the BRT establishment in a number of cities with similar contexts.

Lessons of Bus Rapid Transit from Nine Cities in China

Because of its efficient service and relatively low investment requirements, bus rapid transit (BRT) is growing in popularity in many cities around the world. The development of BRT in nine cities in China, including design, implementation, operation, and management of the systems, is summarized. Substantial data, including infrastructure design, service performance, and passenger flow, have been collected from the BRT systems in the nine cities. The cities’ population, size, importance, and social and economical backgrounds have also been provided. On the basis of the data, five BRT development modes are summarized and compared. Recommendations about China's BRT decision making, planning, systems designs, and operational management are also provided.

Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation for Development Status of Urban Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in China

Under the situation of economic development and traffic congestion in Chinese city, public transport has become an inevitable developmental trend. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has gained more and more attention for its fast speed, low investment, high safety. In current there are a dozen cities opening BRT in China. Although they achieve certain effect, some problems emerge. BRT development level in three cities was analyzed by Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation. In these three cities, the proportion of BRT intersection signal priority is low and passengers’ average travel time is long. BRT in China is still in its infancy. Technology and management needs to be strengthened and public awareness of bus priority needs to be improved.

Evaluating the spatial equity of bus rapid transit-based accessibility patterns in a developing country: The case of Cali, Colombia

The development of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems world-wide has witnessed tremendous growth in recent years, most notably in cities throughout the developing world. These large, city-wide transportation projects are often central to larger urban revitalization plans intending to foster economic growth and alter city images to both residents and to outsiders. Crucial to the success of such ambitions is a system that provides equitable access to all residents and one that provides access to a large number of urban opportunities. The purpose of this paper is to explore the spatial accessibility landscape created by newly implemented BRT system in Cali, Colombia in terms of both access to the system itself and access to three distinct activities around the city. In particular, the equitable distribution of accessibility patterns is explored in relation to neighborhood socio-economic strata. Findings indicate that walking access to the BRT system is greatest for middle income groups and most limited for neighborhoods in the highest and lowest socio-economic strata. Accessibility values to activities are largely bound to the spatial distribution pattern of activities; most equitable for intentionally dispersed recreation site, and least for spatially clustered hospitals.

A Study on the Development of Public Facility in Street Space through the Bus Stand Design Development of Bus Rapid Transit for Gyeonggi-do

A Study on the Development of Public Facility in Street Space through the Bus Stand Design Development of Bus Rapid Transit for Gyeonggi-do

Impacts of Bus Rapid Transit Stations on Surrounding Single-Family Home Values: Study of East Busway in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The development of bus rapid transit (BRT) systems is relatively recent in the United States; however, several systems are operating and many more are being planned. More comprehensive understanding is needed of the relationship between land use and BRT, particularly in comparison with other fixed-guideway modes. This paper describes an effort to quantify the impacts of BRT stations on the values of surrounding single-family homes. The hypothesis is that BRT stations have an impact on property value that is commensurate with rail transit projects, considering the level and permanence of services and facilities. To test that hypothesis, a hedonic regression model was used to estimate the impact of distance to a BRT station on the fair market value of single-family homes. Because many BRT systems operating in the United States may be too new to find evidence of capitalization into property values, data from East Busway, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one of the oldest operating BRT systems in the country, was used. Decreasing marginal effects were found: moving from 101 to 100 ft from a station increases property value approximately $18.90; moving from 1,001 to 1,000 ft increases property value by approximately $2.71. The results shown in this paper are valid only for the data used in Pittsburgh's case. As more BRT systems continue to operate in the United States, this method should be applied to other cities and other types of properties to gain a better understanding of the general impacts of proximity to BRT.

Policy Simulation for New BRT and Area Pricing Alternatives Using an Opinion Survey in Jakarta

An area pricing scheme for Jakarta, Indonesia, is currently under review as a transportation control measure along with the operation of new bus rapid transit (BRT) system. While this scheme may be effective for congestion reduction in the central business district (CBD), provision of alternative means of transportation for auto users that are ‘pushed-out’ is of great importance to obtain public acceptance. Hence, it is necessary to simulate simultaneously the area pricing scheme and the BRT development which may serve as an alternative for assumed ‘pushed-out’ auto users. Utilizing data from an opinion survey, this paper studies how BRT and auto ridership are likely to vary as a function of traveler and system attributes. Additionally, the study attempts to evaluate the way this new travel mode is distinguished from other existing conventional transportation alternatives in Jakarta. The survey data contains socioeconomic information of over 1000 respondents as well as details of to-work/school trips to the CBD including mode, travel cost, time, etc. Respondents were asked about their willingness to shift from their current mode to BRT to make the same travel for different BRT fare levels. Modeling efforts suggest that a mixed logit model performs better in explaining choice behavior. Therefore, this model was used for policy simulation. The simulation results brought about many implications as to the tested policies. While the developed models may be applied only to future BRT corridors in which the survey was conducted, they capture the key variables that are significant in explaining mode choice behavior and present great potential for practical use in policy simulation and analysis in a large metropolitan area of the developing world.