Autor: brt_hxbwt2

New Road Safety Design Guidelines for Indian BRT Systems

Source: The CityFix

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems have emerged as a cost-effective, flexible, and environmentally sustainable form of public transportation, and have come a long way since the world’s first system was developed in Curitiba, Brazil, and subsequently in other cities across Latin America. In India, BRTs have received considerable interest, and several cities are currently developing or augmenting their BRT systems. However, the perceived shortcomings of some such systems, especially with regard to road safety, have resulted in some amount of skepticism about the merits of BRTs.

Typically, a BRT system improves road safety because it segregates the movement of buses from all other transport modes, and introduces other changes in the road infrastructure that are associated with safety. These include shorter pedestrian crossings, and refuge islands. In particular, a central lane BRT system places the buses away from the paths of pedestrians and bicyclists, who are the most vulnerable road users. A well-executed BRT system can significantly reduce road accidents. However, poorly designed infrastructure could have the opposite impact on road safety if it fails to consider the negative impact on local accessibility and vehicular capacity.

EMBARQ is developing design guidelines for road safety on Bus Rapid Transit corridors in Indian cities. The focus of these guidelines is on road safety, with special consideration towards local accessibility and road traffic capacity. EMBARQ has gained significant expertise in conducting road safety audits on a number of BRT systems in India and other places, including those in Ahmedabad, New Delhi, Indore, Bogotá, Arequipa, Mexico City, and Rio de Janeiro.

These guidelines have been developed out of these experiences, aimed at providing bus agencies, and transport planning organizations with a set of suggested design of BRT corridors. The guidelines include recommendations for street design, intersections, stations and station access, as well as transfers and terminals.

GET INVOLVED

A draft version of EMBARQ India’s Road Safety Design Guidelines for Bus Rapid Transit In Indian Cities is available for download. This draft is currently undergoing an external peer review process, collating feedback from a broad spectrum of experts, practitioners, and stakeholders. EMBARQ India welcomes your participation, inviting you to review the guidelines and provide feedback.

To participate in the review process, and provide feedback, contact EMBARQ India’s road safety team, Binoy Mascarenhas at bmascarenhas@embarqindia.org, or Nikhil Chaudhary at nchaudhary@embarqindia.org.
 
 
 
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Video explaining Bus Rapid Transit

EMBARQ Brazil and the Brazilian National Federation of Bus Service Providers (NTU) launched a video in Portuguese, English and Spanish explaining Bus Rapid Transit. The video explains what a BRT is, it’s features and more technical details. EMBARQ Brasil provided images from their network video database that shows different BRT systems around the world. The video is a great tool to explain what a BRT is.

EMBARQ Brasil produced, edited and reviewed the videos, with the sponsorship & support of NTU.
 
 
 
English:

 
 
 
Spanish:

 
 
 
Portuguese:

 
 
 
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Global BRT Survey

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The University of California Transportation Center is conducting a global survey on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and its potential to shape sustainable urban development. Please fill the survey, and/or forward to planning managers or those in charge of BRT systems.

Follow this link to the Survey:
Take the Survey

Or copy and paste this into your browser:
https://acsurvey.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_d4OmRTZNTkgPoHz

en Español:
https://acsurvey.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_7X1rFGopDz3tuHb

The survey should take less than 20 minutes to complete. The survey elicits information on urban development impacts, implementation tools, barriers, and other aspects of leveraging development as part of BRT investments.

Please complete the survey by March 7th. If you have any questions, please contact Danielle Dai, Graduate Student Researcher, at ddai@berkeley.edu.
 
 
Your help is very much appreciated.
 
 
 
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Valuing casualty risk reductions from estimated baseline risk

Stated choice studies have been applied regularly to the valuation of time savings and other attributes of travelling as perceived by individuals. In such experiments, respondents often provide reference levels for the attributes and the hypothetical choices presented to them are pivoted around actual behaviour. However, most individuals are not able to provide reference levels […]

Assessing the Equity Impacts of Bus Rapid Transit: Emerging Frameworkds and Evidence

World Bank Extends Period For BRT Project in Ghana

Source: Government of Ghana

Ghana’s dream of enjoying a bus Rapid Transit (BRT) transportation system has been renewed as the Department of Urban Roads (DUR) gets two more years from the World Bank to execute the project.

The BRT is being implemented under the Urban Transport Project (UTP) to deliver fast and affordable transportation for commuters in Accra and Kumasi.

It is expected to provide regulatory and institutional reforms in urban transportation in the two cities.

Information available on the official website of the World Bank, a key funding partner in the implementation of the UTP, under which the BRT will be introduced to the country, indicates that the new date for the completion of the project is December 2014.

The Director of the DUR, Dr Daniel Darku, who confirmed the extension, said the department had received an official letter from the World Bank extending the completion date of the project to December 2014.

Implementers of the UTP were expected to complete the project in December 2012 but that date had to be reviewed following delays in its execution. They are, however, optimistic of completing the project within the extended period.

That optimism is premised on an agreement reached with the World Bank, which has spelt out some steps to be taken towards completing the project. “The June 2012 Bank mission agreed with the government on an action plan to right track the implementation,” the bank stated.

The UTP is being jointly funded by the World Bank, Agence Francaise de Development (AFD), the Government of Ghana, and the Global Environment Facility trust Fund at the cost of $95 million.

The Implementation Status Report released by the bank described the progress towards the achievement of the Project Development Objective (PDO) and he overall implementation progress as ‘moderately satisfactory’ at a time the project was expected to be heading toward completion.

According to the World Bank’s report, $25.2 million was disbursed from the International Development Agency (IDA) credit, representing 54.5 per cent of the credit and an additional $5.75 million, representing 82.1 per cent, from the Global Environment Facility of the grant had been utilized by the DUR.

The DUR agreed with the World Bank in June last year to establish a pre-Greater Accra passenger Transport Executive (GAPTE) Unit within the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development as a condition for the extension of the project and implementation of the lots one and two of the infrastructural works.

A functional pre-GAPTE unit headed by Mr Sampson Gyamena has since been established.

While work has been completed on lot one, which is the construction of a flyover on the railway line on the Graphic road, that of lot two, which involves the construction of bus lanes from the Graphic Road to the Obtsebi-Lamptey Circle through to the First Light, and lot three, involving the construction of deports, terminals and bus stops, are yet to begin.

The design and cost of the remaining works on the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) way are being updated and the Resettlement Action Plans (RAPS) and Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) for the works components have been completed, the World Bank report stated.

Accra, Kumasi and other urban centres in the country face severe vehicular congestion with dire socio-economic impacts. The project, therefore, seeks to, among other things, improve mobility in areas of the participating metropolitan, municipal or district assemblies (MMDAs) through a combination of traffic engineering measures and improvements, regulation of the public transport industry, and the implementation of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.
 
 
 
 
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What's Next for Sustainable Transport in Cities?

Source: EMBARQ

Partners in the Transforming Transportation 2013 conference share lessons, ideas, and opportunities for action.

Urbanization is one of the most significant modern-day phenomena and making urban transport more sustainable has become an urgent development priority. Six out of 10 people will live in cities by 2030. These growing cities are struggling to provide services to residents and deal with overburdened roads, as well as the threat of climate change and rising road traffic injuries.
 
Over 500 policy makers and transport experts from around the world gathered in Washington, DC on January 17-18 to discuss big opportunities for action on sustainable transport in cities. They were attending the 10th annual Transforming Transportation conference, hosted by the World Bank and EMBARQ, the center for sustainable transport at the World Resources Institute (WRI).
 
Bloomberg, Kim weigh in
 
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg weighed in January 18 on what it will take to shape the future of cities — and cut pollution, road deaths, commute times, and poverty.
 
A large part of the answer: greener, more efficient and cost-effective urban transportation that is designed to move people, not cars.
 
“We have to start looking at other ways to move people. Traffic does hurt your economy,” Mayor Bloomberg said, during the live-streamed event.
 
Urban transportation systems must be sustainable and benefit all people, including young people, women, and future generations, said Dr. Kim. If we don’t make progress on climate change in cities – especially megacities – we will hand over a very different world to our children, the president warned, citing the recent World Bank report Turn Down the Heat: Why a 4°C World Must Be Avoided.
 
Watch the keynote video.
 
The challenges cities face
 
Over the two days, the conference topics ranged from sustainable urban planning to making informal transport work for the majority, to creating safe commuting choices. Beijing, Mexico City, New York City, Quito, and Rio de Janeiro were among the cities sharing their experiences. Improving road safety in cities, and making informal transport work for the majority, were hotly debated topics.
 
In a blog post leading up to the conference, World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development Rachel Kyte suggested, “Take a drive in Lagos and you’ll see the challenges cities face – and what they can do about them.”
 
Lagos, with some 11.2 million people, has locked-in traffic patterns and congested roads that can get thick with pollution. In 2002, the city decided to do something about it. With support from the World Bank, it began work on a bus rapid transport system, the first in sub-Saharan Africa. BRT commuters in Lagos today have reduced their transit time by 40 percent, and fares have dropped 30 percent on average, despite rising fuel costs. “Much more must be done, but we’re seeing progress,” said Kyte.
 
Big opportunities for action
 
Road traffic crashes cause more than 1.2 million deaths annually, about 90 percent of them in low- and middle-income countries. Conference participants heard how cities such as New York have adopted successful programs aimed at cutting traffic fatalities by 50 percent through a combination of traffic calming measures, slow school zones, protected bike lanes, and public campaigns.
 
India, with its rapidly growing urban population, was identified as a country with big challenges – and big opportunities. The country will have 200-230 million new urban residents by 2030. It is undergoing rapid motorization, with 12 million new two-wheelers in 2012. The country accounted for around 10 percent of road fatalities worldwide in 2008. And emissions from urban transport in India are set to increase five- to seven-fold in the next 20 years.
 
Madhav Pai, Director of EMBARQ India, gave the example of the city of Ahmedabad, where the population is predicted to rise to 13.2 million by 2040, up from 6.4 million in 2011 (and only 3.3 million in 1992).
 
There is great potential to limit urban sprawl in Ahmedabad by leveraging the mass transit system, Pai said. However, questions remain: Is there is enough funding available to build adequate public transport? And what policies and instruments will be needed to ensure land-use and transport integration?
 
Commitment to sustainable transport
 
The conference also discussed how to leverage one of the most important outcomes of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in June 2012: the commitment by the eight largest multilateral development banks (MDBs) to invest $175 billion in sustainable transportation over the next decade.
 
This commitment is a crucial response to a host of urgent issues felt by cities across the globe. Given the magnitude of investment needs, how can these funds catalyze a shift to more a sustainable trajectory?
 
“While all the MDBs are helping advance this agenda, implementation will require strong buy-in by the client countries themselves, together with a firm commitment to knowledge, capacity and awareness-building programs, and to coordinating among different policy domains,” said Jose Luis Irigoyen, World Bank Director for Transport, Water, and Information and Communication Technologies.
 
The effects of this concerted push are already visible in the share of the World Bank’s project portfolio going to sustainable transport loans with environmental, gender, accessibility, road safety, and social equity components.
 
For Holger Dalkmann, Director of EMBARQ, the $175 billion commitment was the signal of a shift which, to be set in motion, requires engagement from the MDBs with a wide set of stakeholders, starting with nongovernmental organizations. “The engagement is about correctly reallocating the money and creating a pull from the ground up, from cities to national governments, to the MDBs,” he said.
 
“Win-win-win”
 
One key challenge that countries and cities face, and which received attention throughout the conference, is the complexity of urban transport and the need to identify and implement holistic solutions, tailored to local needs.
 
Both Irigoyen and Dalkmann said their institutions stand ready to help build the partnerships and capacity needed to meet this challenge.
 
Wrapping up the two days of discussion, WRI President Andrew Steer emphasized the benefits of sustainable transport.
 
“If you get green transportation right, it pays for itself in terms of economics, in terms of environment, and in terms of human health and well-being,” he said. “It’s a wonderful win-win-win.”
 
Transforming Transportation 2013 was organized in partnership with the Asian Development Bank, the Clean Air Asia, the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Partnership on Sustainable Low Carbon Transport.
 
 
 
 
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Benchmark Report that Compares Six Latin American Public Transport Systems (in Spanish)

 
Este jueves 7 de febrero, 2013, a las 11:00 en el Centro de Extensión de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile se realizará el lanzamiento de los resultados del Estudio Comparativo de Indicadores de Ciudades Latinoamericanas, por parte de nuestro director, Juan Carlos Muñoz.
 
En esta ocasión de mostrarán los principales resultados de la investigación que compara el Transantiago con el transporte público en otras cinco ciudades de A. Latina: Guadalajara, Ciudad de México, Lima, Porto Alegre y Bogotá.
 
Resumen de resultados: Se observa que los viajes en Transantiago son más rápidos que en Guadalajara, Ciudad de México, Lima y Porto Alegre y similares a los de Bogotá. La integración tarifaria que permite el uso de modos más rápidos (Metro, superexpresos y corredores segregados) provee, además mayor equidad y confiabilidad en los viajes. El desafío para Transantiago es reducir caminatas y esperas.
 
La investigación compara los factores distancia, tiempo de caminata, tiempo de espera, tiempo de viaje en vehículo, velocidad y número de transbordos, entre muchas otras características de los sistemas.
 
Descargar presentación de la conferencia de prensa.
Descargar cuerpo principal del informe.
Descargar anexos del informe.
 
Prensa:
Estrategia
La Tercera
El Mercurio
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Social Conflict about Feeder Bus Service in Wealthy Neighborhood in Santiago (in Spanish – Updated)

El diario chileno El Mercurio cuenta con una sección llamada Cartas al Director donde los lectores pueden plantear problemas o inquietudes relativos a la actualidad nacional. Por esta vía, el Director de nuestro Centro de Excelencia, Juan Carlos Muñoz, ha planteado una situación conflictiva en el barrio La Dehesa de Santiago, uno de los sectores más acomodados del país: el Alcalde está cursando multas a los buses alimentadores del sistema Transantiago que ingresan a él. A continuación, reproducimos la carta enviada por Juan Carlos Muñoz, seguida de la respuesta del alcalde y luego otra carta de Muñoz:
 
 
Fuente: Carta a El Mercurio, 02 de Febrero de 2013.
 
 
Señor Director:

Con profundo estupor me he enterado de que la Municipalidad de Lo Barnechea decidió impedir temporalmente que buses del Transantiago ingresen a ciertas áreas de su comuna, pues los vecinos consideran que los buses molestan durante la mañana.

Lo que parece inaceptable es que esos servicios son utilizados por los obreros y trabajadoras domésticas que necesitan acceder a sus trabajos luego de un viaje que toma más de una hora desde el otro lado de la ciudad. Aún más, el área que se está vedando contiene una pronunciada subida.

El alcalde, en lugar de tener una visión ciudadana del tema, ha instalado un cartel que dice «Prohibido entrar buses», a pesar de que hay paraderos de los servicios respectivos instalados en el sector y ha comenzado una campaña de multas contra el operador de buses para convencerlo de que no le conviene seguir operando. La magnitud de esta injusticia es notable. ¿Han pensado los residentes «afectados» cuánto rato duermen las personas a quienes se obligará a subir caminando ese largo trayecto, y cuánto tiempo deben gastar en desplazarse (y en qué condiciones) para alcanzar su lugar de trabajo?

Previamente, el ex alcalde de Providencia también instaló un cartel en que se indicaba la prohibición del ingreso de buses a un sector de su comuna, y más adelante impidió pintar pistas rojas para buses, pues no le gustaban, a pesar de la probada efectividad de éstas. Finalmente, hace pocos días conversaba con un tercer alcalde sobre la conveniencia de desplazar un paradero hacia el otro lado de una avenida, pero ello no era posible, pues el otro lado correspondía a otra comuna y, por tanto, no estaba en su competencia.

Un tema que suele estar subyacente en estos conflictos en el sector oriente es la necesidad de instalar puntos de regulación de frecuencia que permiten que la frecuencia de servicio no sea pareja todo el día y que los conductores tengan unos pocos minutos de descanso. Esto exige que durante el día unos pocos buses permanezcan estacionados, lo que a los vecinos les irrita. Es preocupante que los planos reguladores municipales no contemplen un espacio para esta necesidad.

Si bien el caso de La Dehesa ha alcanzado un acuerdo temporal hasta marzo, en que los buses podrán ingresar al sector sin ser multados -los vecinos estarán de vacaciones, presumo-, todos estos casos demuestran la urgente necesidad de que en Santiago (y en otras grandes urbes) se cuente con una autoridad metropolitana de transporte. En el caso de Santiago, al menos se debiera dotar al Transantiago de una clara capacidad de ejecución. Su rol actual, de mero coordinador, muy frecuentemente le impide empujar iniciativas que velen por el bien común (y en este caso el sentido común).
 
 
Juan Carlos Muñoz
Profesor Departamento Ingeniería de Transporte y Logística
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
 
 
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Fuente: Carta a El Mercurio, 04 de Febrero de 2013.
 
 
Señor Director:

Me refiero a la carta del señor Juan Carlos Muñoz, en la cual me adjudica un perjuicio a los usuarios de Transantiago, como resultado de mi defensa de la tranquilidad y seguridad de los vecinos de Lo Barnechea. Al respecto, debo indicarle que seguiré actuando en esa misma línea porque, entre otras cosas, para eso fui electo alcalde de la comuna.

Los líos de Transantiago los heredamos todos los capitalinos y el señor Muñoz debe saberlo bien, toda vez que asesoró a los gobiernos de la Concertación en estas materias durante varios años.

No tengo ninguna duda de la capacidad técnica de todo el equipo académico que trabajó en Transantiago, así como tampoco tengo dudas acerca de que una mesa de trabajo con los entonces alcaldes, les hubiera ahorrado muchas humillaciones a nuestros compatriotas.
 
 
Felipe Guevara Stephens
Alcalde de Lo Barnechea
 
 
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Fuente: Carta a El Mercurio, 05 de Febrero de 2013. Versión original sin editar.
 
 
Señor Director:

En su carta de hoy lunes, el alcalde de Lo Barnechea parece mofarse de la asesoría que presté durante el 2003 y 2004 al diseño de Transantiago. Sin embargo, esto no me inhabilita para exigir que nuestras autoridades velen por el bien común y no sólo por el de sus propios electores. El Alcalde desconoce que nuestra constitución exige que “Las personas son iguales en dignidad y derechos” lo que el Alcalde coarta al generar diferencias entre los vecinos de Lo Barnechea y personas modestas que vienen a servirlas. También parece desconocer que “La finalidad del Estado es promover el bien común, para lo cual debe contribuir a crear las condiciones sociales que permitan a todos y a cada uno de los integrantes de la comunidad nacional su mayor realización posible”. A pesar de ello el Alcalde indica que él se debe a “la tranquilidad y seguridad de los vecinos de Lo Barnechea” y deja por lo tanto implícito que poco le importan los trabajadores que acuden a diario a trabajar a su comuna pero que no residen allí. ¿O acaso cree que esos individuos son delincuentes que alteran la seguridad? A juzgar por sus hechos da la sensación que no todos los vecinos de Lo Barnechea son igual de importantes, pues las inversiones que el municipio realiza en vías para automovilistas en La Dehesa distan significativamente del esfuerzo del Municipio por mejorar las condiciones de los vecinos de Cerro 18 que mayoritariamente requieren de transporte público. ¿Tal vez el Alcalde considera que ese grupo no votó por él y por lo tanto no es parte de su preocupación?

Yo creo que el Alcalde no sólo no cumple con lo que se espera de una autoridad del Estado sino que además se equivoca al interpretar la sensibilidad de la mayoría de sus electores que sí les preocupa el bienestar de empleadas domésticas, obreros, jardineros que se desempeñan en su comuna. Me es difícil eludir además que el sector de Lo Barnechea al que nos referimos es de los más ricos del país. Yo esperaría en esas circunstancias una mirada más bondadosa hacia quienes están en mayor desventaja y no esta actitud displicente. En una ciudad tan segregada como la nuestra, quisiera que Lo Barnechea saliera a su encuentro y proveyera las mejores condiciones posibles para ellos.

Y si el alcalde no está preocupado de este grupo de personas, ¿entonces quién? Esta es una realidad que no es privativa de Lo Barnechea. En demasiadas ocasiones se advierte la poca sensibilidad de los municipios por los avatares de quienes transitan por su comuna sin residir en ella. Es el Ministerio de Transportes el que en definitiva debe velar por el bien común en estas circunstancias. La ley indica que las Municipalidades deben “aplicar las disposiciones sobre transporte y tránsito públicos, dentro de la comuna, en la forma que determinen las leyes y las normas técnicas de carácter general que dicte el ministerio respectivo”.

Lo más importante que esta discusión ilustra es la necesidad de contar con una autoridad metropolitana que coordine y gestione todos los modos de transporte velando por el bien común en toda la ciudad.
 
 
Juan Carlos Muñoz
Profesor Departamento de Ingeniería de Transporte y Logística
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
 
 
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Fuente: Carta a El Mercurio, 08 de Febrero de 2013.
 
 
Señor Director:

Si la avenida está diseñada con doble pista de subida y doble pista de bajada, más caleteras en casi todo el trayecto, es evidente que se pensó para alto tráfico y, por lo tanto, requiere conectividad con recorridos del Transantiago. No entiendo que las personas que no quieren ruidos de micros hayan elegido vivir ahí en vez de una calle interior.

¿Cómo van a llegar los niños que vuelven en las tardes después del colegio con sus mochilas y bolsos de deporte, las empleadas domésticas en la mañana, obreros, trabajadores, guardias y otros, a los numerosos condominios y edificios nuevos que se han construido y se construirán en el sector? Caminando una larga distancia, en subida y sin vereda, pues en ese tramo no existe. ¿Cómo regresarán a sus casas los trabajadores después de la jornada laboral? Mucho más cansados, mucho más tarde y en invierno a oscuras, luego de caminar un buen trayecto de más de dos kilómetros, restándoles a ellos, con esta medida tan absurda, tiempo de descanso para que unos pocos puedan dormir tranquilos en La Dehesa.

Era una tranquilidad para las mamás del sector, especialmente para las que trabajan, saber que la asesora del hogar iba a llegar temprano para encargarle a los menores que quedan en la casa, también saber que sus hijos más grandes podían llegar en micro. Por ahora se acabó la tranquilidad. ¿Qué entiende el alcalde por bien común? ¿El de unos pocos o el de una gran mayoría?

Verónica Aspillaga
 
 
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Fuente: Carta a El Mercurio, 09 de Febrero de 2013.
 
 
Señor Director:

Con el propósito de explicar el tema del Transantiago, me gustaría aclarar algunos puntos. El recorrido de los servicios C09 y C16 tiene como punto final Av. La Dehesa con Av. Paseo de Pie Andino, desde el año 2007 cuando se inició la operación del Transantiago. Estos recorridos fueron solicitados por la Municipalidad de Lo Barnechea al Ministerio de Transportes. Adicionalmente, en dicha época, y en coordinaciones sostenidas por la Municipalidad, se logró que la empresa RedBus llegara a un acuerdo con las inmobiliarias del sector para que se les dieran facilidades de terreno con el propósito de estacionar sus buses y dar condiciones dignas a sus conductores. No obstante, la inmobiliaria con la que se logró el acuerdo dejó claramente establecido que según se fuera desarrollando el terreno, iba a requerir del lugar y finalmente la empresa debería dejar ese aparcadero.

A lo largo del tiempo, debido a problemas entre particulares, RedBus decidió cambiar el recorrido sin consultarle a la municipalidad, con lo que se generó un problema mayor, ya que parte de este nuevo recorrido pasa por sectores residenciales que ponen en riesgo la seguridad de las familias que habitan ese lugar debido a la estrechez de las calles por donde transitan. Ejemplo de lo anterior son todos los niños que salen a jugar a la calle, sobre todo ahora en vacaciones.

Para solucionar este problema, la municipalidad logró un acuerdo momentáneo con una inmobiliaria para mantener un nuevo estacionamiento para los buses de la empresa RedBus durante los próximos meses. La solución a este problema es que la empresa RedBus gestione un terreno en este sector y que Transantiago también aporte soluciones contractuales que le permitan a la empresa continuar con el necesario servicio. Por nuestra parte, continuaremos velando por la seguridad de todos nuestros vecinos que para nosotros es lo más importante.

Alejandro Muller
Director de Tránsito
Municipalidad de Lo Barnechea
 
 
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Fuente: Carta a El Mercurio, 11 de Febrero de 2013.
 
 
Señor Director:

En su carta del sábado, el director de Tránsito de Lo Barnechea comenta que la raíz del problema de los recorridos que el alcalde decidió intervenir se encuentra en la búsqueda de un nuevo lugar donde unos pocos buses puedan estacionarse y los conductores tomar un descanso. Me preocupa que la localización de estos espacios no esté determinada por el plano regulador de cada comuna, puesto que al omitirlos se siembra la semilla de un conflicto como el que aquí se ha gatillado.

Sólo me quedan cuatro preguntas para el Municipio:
¿Por qué le preocupa la convivencia de niños y buses en esta zona, y no parecen molestarle en Cerro 18 y La Hermita, en que buses de mayor tamaño circulan incluso frente a colegios?

¿Por qué se considera que estos buses de ocho metros son más peligrosos para la comunidad que los múltiples camiones de alto tonelaje que transitan por la zona? —en el área se están construyendo varios edificios—.

El municipio optó por prohibir el tránsito de buses por este sector. ¿No parece más razonable exigir y fiscalizar una velocidad máxima en todas las zonas de su comuna en que buses transitan por áreas residenciales o de alto flujo peatonal?

Si se accediera a su intención de cerrar el sector para buses forzando a la empresa a eliminar el servicio, ¿cómo piensan dar acceso a nanas, obreros y estudiantes sin opción a auto? ¿Insisten, como indica el alcalde, que éste no es su problema?

Las comunas que no acogen una diversidad de ciudadanos se convierten en guetos en los cuales los extraños son percibidos como amenazas, y, como dice Humberto Maturana, el lenguaje va inevitablemente creando la realidad.

Juan Carlos Muñoz
Profesor Departamento de Ingeniería de Transporte y Logística
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
 
 
 
 
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Opinion Pieces: Before Governments Announces Big Infrastructure Projects

Opinion Pieces: since 2007, Prof. David Hensher has written an opinion column in the Australasian Bus and Coach magazine, where he monthly discusses a lot of different transport-related hot topics. In this section we are revisiting these columns.

December 2011

In recent months I have noticed the growing number of major transport infrastructure projects that have gone rather quiet on patronage forecasts. Curiosity got the better of me, and so I decided to do some simple calculations myself on the accessibility benefits of some of these announced major projects (including some that are already under construction). I chose to focus on the travel times (door to door) that are expected be on offer once these investments are in place. A reasonable assumption to make is that the travel time is a critical reason for choosing one form of transport over another form. If the door-to-door travel time is noticeably worse compared to other available forms of transport (especially existing public transport), then one might ask why we are investing in such new transport infrastructure. While we all believe that greater investment in public transport is necessary and is a good idea, we might ponder whether we are getting value for money from some of the active investments across the nation.

My little experiment involved taking a number of key locations and times of day where trips might start and finish, and to calculate the travel times (access, waiting, main mode linehaul, egress) for alternative public transport modes. The obvious comparison is between a bus service and a rail service. Importantly we have assumed that an existing bus service will continue to be offered when a new rail project is up and running.

What I found to my astonishment was how many times the travel time door to door by an existing bus or rail (where it existed) service was quicker than any of the new public transport infrastructure projects, both in the peak and in the off-peak. Indeed, for one very large and expensive rail project, I could not find any situation where it was quicker to use the new service than the existing bus services (including services by bus on dedicated lanes).

Why then are we spending so much money of these very expensive projects if they do not increase accessibility and reduce congestion on the roads? Well, maybe some people will use them for other reasons, but history may well show that we have spent a lot of money for little gain.
 
Food for thought
 
 
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Event Wrap Up: General Assembly at TRB13

Our General Assembly this year was held on Tuesday January 15th, at the EMBARQ office at Washington DC. We had a record of audience, with more than 30 participants who had the chance to observe and give feedback to the progress reached by the projects in the Centre. Several advisors were invited to the meeting: Paulo Custodio, Brendan Finn, Gerhard Menckhoff, Shivanand Swamy, Sam Zimmerman, Walter Colombini, and also an important group of key people:
 

• Suzy Balloussier (Fetranspor)
• Amit Bhatt (EMBARQ India)
• Carlos De Paco (BID)
• Stephan Hassold (University of Auckland)
• Jorge Jara (EMBARQ Andino)
• Yang Jiang (China Sustainable Transport Center)
• Adriana Lobo (CTS Mexico)
• Abel López (CTS México)
• Carlos Mojica (BID)
• Fernando Paez (CTS México)
• Madhav Pai (EMBARQ India)
• Marco Priego (CTS México)
• Pilar Rodríguez (Metrocali)
• José Viegas (International Transport Forum)
• Zhigao Wang (China Sustainable Transport Center)
• Ruishan Zheng (China Sustainable Transport Center)

This is the agenda of the meeting with all the presentations:
 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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South Australian Government bus strategy wrong: researcher

Source: Flinders Indaily
 
One of Australia’s most respected public transport academics has backed criticism of the State Government’s decision to competitively tender Adelaide’s public transport bus services. Professor David Hensher, Director of the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies at the University of Sydney and member of our BRT Centre of Excellence, agreed with advice provided to the South Australian Government to not competitively tender the state’s public transport bus services. This advice was ignored by the Government, which competitively tendered the services in 2010.
 
Since the new contracts began there has been widespread dissatisfaction with the performance of the bus system, and patronage has declined significantly since 2010. The advice, from former public transport chief Heather Webster and two former consultants to South Australia’s transport department, favoured a process of negotiated contract extensions.
 
Prof Hensher told Indaily that three rounds of competitive tendering in Adelaide had ironed out the cost inefficiencies and lack of service incentives under the previous public monopoly model. “But all the research on competitive tendering versus negotiated performance-based contracts is showing that one cannot squeeze any more out of the cost efficiency stone after three rounds and the risk of declines in service quality is real if this is pushed,” he said. He said competitive tendering resulted in the loss of a trusting partnership between government and operators. Prof Hensher also agreed with Webster’s criticism of the government’s investment in light and heavy rail, as compared to the bus system. He pointed to a study he had undertaken comparing the operating costs of Sydney railways with buses, both private and public. The study concluded that a train costs about 14 times more to operate per service kilometre than a bus. Statistics also showed that the Sydney buses carried 13 per cent more passenger trips than trains, meaning that trains are close to 16 times more cost-inefficient compared to buses. “This is a staggeringly different sum and raises some serious questions about value for money in investing in rail versus bus,” Prof Hensher said.
 
Webster questioned the government’s spending on trams and trains, when the bus network shouldered so much of the public transport burden in Adelaide, and at a much lower comparative cost. Figures provided to Indaily by the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure showed that in 2011/12, buses were responsible for 50.99 million boardings, while trams accounted for 2.9 million and trains 9.62 million.
 
Prof Hensher provided Indaily with data on the performance of Melbourne’s public sector buses, which shows considerable growth based on a negotiated contract process, under which service improvements are agreed between government and industry. By contrast, Adelaide’s form line is going in the opposite direction. Government data shows a steady increase in patronage over the first two complete rounds of competitive tendering, followed by a sharp drop-off in the past two years.
 
Transport Services Minister Chloë Fox defended the Government’s decision to competitively tender the services. “The state’s primary responsibility is to the taxpayer and I fully understand why the Government chose to test the market for value for money,” Fox said. “The tendering of contracts also provides the opportunity to introduce a range of contractual changes towards the improvement of services, an opportunity that was exercised in the recent tendering in areas including financial incentives/penalties, range of services provided and key performance benchmarks. This is shown tangibly in the much stronger penalty provisions which now apply.”
 
 
 
 
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Event wrap up: BRT workshop at Pereira, Colombia

 
Juan Carlos Muñoz, the Director of our BRT Centre of Excellence visited Pereira on November 26 – 27 to give two courses.
 
The first one intended to show the research and tools developed by the CoE to the Megabús authorities (Pereira’s transit system) and to bus operators. The workshop was given on November 26, from 9:00 to 18:00 and had 25 participants. The following topics were covered:
 
* BRT Corridors Around the World
* Challenges in Transit Systems’ integration
* Design of Express Services
* Real Time Control in Buses
* Route Election in Public Transport
* Shift assignment for bus drivers
 
 
The second workshop, called «Applications of Operations Research in Public Transport Systems», took place at the Technological University of Pereira on Tuesday November 27 from 8:00 to 17:00 and attracted around 35 people (professors and students). The main goal was to show applications of classic Operations Research tools in the design, operation and control of public transport systems. The following topics were covered in the Workshop: «Express Services Design Optimization», «Real time bus control optimization», «Cutting planes application for bus timetabling», «Fleet and driver scheduling optimization for a public transport system «, «Design of a Bidding Process of a Public Transport System as a Minimum Cost Network Flow Problem».
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Northern beaches of Sydney still in "first gear'' over BRT

Source: Manly Daily
 
A Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system for the northern beaches is set to become a reality but councils say 10 years is too long to wait. The state government has identified a BRT system as an appropriate option for relieving congestion on the northern beaches. But it has suggested a timeline of between five and 10 years for its implementation, subject to feasibility.
 
The BRT was included in the NSW Long Term Transport Master Plan released on December 13, 2012.
 
Michael Regan, president of Shore Regional Organisation of Councils (SHOROC) which represents Manly, Mosman, Pittwater and Warringah councils, said 10 years was too long for frustrated residents to wait. «It seems like we’re stuck in first gear when it comes to fixing our transport problems», Cr Regan said. «However, we would welcome acceleration of the proposed northern beaches link should it be identified it can be fast-tracked with private sector involvement», he said.
 
Manly Liberal MP Mike Baird said Infrastructure NSW was assessing whether the private sector could help deliver the project faster. This assessment was expected to take 18 months and was focussed around delivery of a new Spit Bridge and tunnel under Mosman. Mr Baird welcomed the inclusion of the BRT in the plan. «It’s no longer a thought but a reality that is going to happen», Mr Baird said. Consultation on the BRT will continue next year with a public meeting scheduled for January 30.
 
MASTER PLAN:

• Sets transport priorities for next 20 years
• Includes development of regional transport plans and draft bus strategy
• Also second harbour rail crossing, delivery of Opal card and ferry improvements

 
 
 
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Lagos, the most populous city in Nigeria, is set to extend BRT lane to Ikorodu

Source: Channels Television
 
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, says the state government is set to extend the existing Bus Rapid Transit lane from Mile 12 to Ikorodu. He said the project, which would span two years, had already been awarded.
 
Photo: Marina BRT Station Lagos Island, by railwaybuilder at Panoramio.
 
Mobereola said this at a stakeholders’ forum in Ikorodu, Lagos on Thursday. He said the forum was to discuss the imminence of the extension of the lane as well as to seek community’s cooperation in the course of the project. The LAMATA boss said, “The existing dual carriageway will be expanded to three lanes with a BRT scheme.” He said with the road reconstruction, 15 new bus stations and three terminals to be located at Mile 12, Agric and Ikorodu would be provided. He also said there would be a bus depot at Majidun, while construction of nine new bridges and traffic lane on either side of the existing two-lane dual-carriageway would be carried out.
 
Moboreola said, “The BRT will occupy the two innermost lanes. There will also be seven pedestrian bridges to access BRT stations as well as nine pedestrian crossing points. Also, 12 new U-turns will be provided to allow for easy traffic flow towards Lagos and Ikorodu in addition to street lighting.” He said when completed, 265 BRT buses would be provided and would operate between 6am and 10pm daily, adding that an estimated 160,000 passengers would be carried per day. He said, “This corridor links the fast-growing Ikorodu town to a major centre such as Ikeja, Oshodi and the Island.
 
“The project will facilitate transit-oriented developments around the Ikorodu corridor and hence generate employment in the much needed area.” He sought the cooperation of all stakeholders along the corridor as well as the general public during the constitution.
 
Member of House of Representatives and Chairman, House Committee on the Diaspora, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the project was long awaited, stressing that when completed, it would address the transportation challenges in the area. She urged Lagosians to obey the state’s new traffic laws as part of the measures by the government to restore sanity to the roads.
 
 
 
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Talking Transit: Driver Training, Fuel Efficiency, and Vehicle Maintenance

Source: EMBARQ India
 
EMBARQ India and APSRTC conduct workshop for bus transport professionals
 
Visakhapatnam: Representatives from over 20 city bus transport agencies, private operators, and other stakeholders, including organisations in Indore, Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Coimbatore, Rajkot and Naya Raipur attended a two-day training workshop conducted by EMBARQ India with support from the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC), in Visakhapatnam on 30th and 31st August 2012. This workshop, on driver training, fuel efficiency, and vehicle maintenance, was the second of EMBARQ India’s Talking Transit series, an initiative of the Bus Karo Plus programme.
 
Under the JnNURM scheme, the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) has assisted many cities to initiate or expand their city bus operations. In the decades to come, bus-based transport will be integral to urban public transport owing to its relatively low cost, quick implementation, and flexibility. However, bus transit agencies continue to face challenges owing to several operational, financial, and administrative issues. The workshop looked at strengthening bus operations with a focus on driver training and fuel efficiency. Experts from local and international agencies spoke on the subject. Thanks to improved operational efficiency, APSRTC in Visakhapatnam has been achieving an efficient 5.22 kilometers per liter (kmpl) on its city routes over the last decade. This is contrary to the popular belief that fuel economy is solely dependent on vehicle maintenance or purchasing new buses with improved technology. Operational efficiency saves the corporation close to 9 percent of the total cost of operations.
 
The workshop focused on APSRTC’s experiences and the lessons learnt from their operational best practices that would help other city bus transit agencies improve their transport services, passenger safety, financial viability, and the impact on the environment. This workshop and the Talking Transit workshop series are supported by a grant from the FedEx Corporation.
 
Day One
 
Day one of the workshop started with an inaugural addresses by Sudhakar Rao, Executive Director, ASRTU, Rama Krishna, Executive Director, APSRTC, and Sandeep Garg, UNDP. Amit Bhatt, Strategy Head – Urban Transport, EMBARQ India, introduced the Bus Karo Plus programme as a learning network and a platform for the sharing of best practices in bus based transport around the country. The programme consists of Talking Transit, a workshop series; Mentoring Transit, assisting agencies in implementing pilot projects; and Learning Transit, developing and disseminating training material. Being the second workshop in the Talking Transit series, Amit presented a brief recap of the first workshop held in Bangalore in February, in partnership with the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, on best practices in designing bus terminals, stops, depots, and other facilities for improving the quality of urban bus services.
 
Following this, K. Chandrasekhar, Chief Mechanical Engineer, APSRTC, spoke on his agency’s experience in achieving fuel economy, specifically focusing on the technical controls, targets, and MIS. By using the VEMAS vehicle maintenance software, under-performing vehicles and negative trends in fuel efficiency are identified. This has a major role to play in improving the system wide fuel efficiency. In addition, routine maintenance of vehicles take place on a regular basis to check for fuel tank leakages, condition of fuel filters, and various other maintenance parameters. Dedicated mechanics are present at all depots for technical assistance with specific maintenance issues.
 
Y. Jagadeesh Babu, Regional Manager, APSRTC spoke on the managerial controls set in place by which the agency is able to monitor fuel economy targets, and evaluate performance standards. The three-month training that APSRTC makes their drivers go through incorporates classroom and on-road training. Safety and fuel economy are emphasised throughout the training. Some of the buses used for training have in-built equipment that shows the trainees their fuel economy rating immediately after every driving session. Apart from the intense training, drivers not achieving targets during regular service have to periodically attend refresher-training modules. APSRTC also counsels drivers who have not performed well each month, and has developed a motivational film called ‘Indhanam’ to help drivers understand the importance of fuel conservation and the basics of engine behavior with regard to fuel. Monetary incentives are given to the most fuel-efficient drivers each month.
 
Mohammad Haneef, a former driver who is now a trainer for APSRTC, spoke on the driver-training course developed by APSRTC, based on simple principles of acceleration and safe driving. He presented his methods in training drivers on quick changing of gears, using the high torque output of engines, optimal driving methods using ‘power-point’ and ‘momentum’ concepts; as well as the in-vehicle requirements such as a raised platform near the accelerator pedal for adequate foot support and thus optimal acceleration, and ergonomic, well-ventilated seats.
 
Site Visit
 
After lunch, there was a site visit to the Maddilapalem depot and workshop where the group was taken around the facility and given a glimpse of the training facilities developed by APSRTC, including a simulator that gives the drivers a practical demonstration of how much fuel could be saved as a result of optimum acceleration. A demonstration of fuel efficient driving took pace with the group being taken on a bus ride, and the fuel efficiency of the ride measured afterwards.
 
Day Two
 
Day two of the workshop started with an early morning walk along Visakhapatnam’s coastal road. This road is designated as a no vehicle zone from 5:30 am – 7:30 am every morning. The municipal corporation has installed public bicycles, free for use along the corridor. B Ramanjaneyulu, IAS, Commissioner, GVMC introduced this innovative program in November last year to encourage community participation and create awareness about environmental management and pollution control. Several local residents use this time and space for meditation, as well.
 
Continuing with the sessions of the workshop, EMBARQ India staff presented on performance monitoring for city bus systems, using case studies from Bhuvaneshwar, Delhi, Hubli-Dharwad, Mumbai, and Visakhapatnam.
 
PP Rajendran, MD, Madras Transport Corporation, presented on the environmental impacts faced by the growing number of vehicles, and the importance of driver training in reducing fuel emissions and accidents caused by buses. He showcased the formal training structure implemented in the state of Tamil Nadu, focusing on psychological training through yoga and meditation, interpersonal relationships and team building, personal health and family welfare, eco-friendly driving methods for improved fuel efficiency, safer driving and accident prevention, and lab-based training for improved knowledge of the engine and the vehicle.
 
K. Chandrasekhar, APSRTC, then presented on fuel receipts, accountability and the various issues related to the same. In addition to fuel efficiency in driving methods, another major area of cost saving is the adequate stock keeping and storage of fuel at depots. The presentation involved accountability, storage, and vigilance of fuel, detailing procedures for stock keeping and measurement of fuel at the time of delivery, and the use of advanced software for managing the fuel accounting system. APSRTC also has a multi-layered impurity detection method used for advance record keeping, and multiple layers of security and scrutiny. All this helps in achieving negligible losses in fuel.
 
RH Minhas, Delhi Transport Corpotation, spoke on the lessons learnt from Delhi’s experience of conversation of the bus fleet from diesel to CNG, and the resulting benefits, like lower operating costs after initial investment, lower fuel costs, lower emissions, and safety of usage owing to its narrow flammable temperature window of 5-15%.
 
In closing, Amit Bhatt spoke about the way forward from this workshop, reiterating EMBARQ India’s Bus Karo Plus initiative aimed at facilitating a shared learning network between cities, and stressed EMBARQ India’s commitment to organising similar workshops on related topics once every six months.
 
Related Links
 
Presentations from the workshop
Photos from the workshop
 
 
 
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Implementing Bus Reform: Institutional Dimensions

Developing surveys for the study of departure time choice: a two-stage efficient design approach

Modeling of departure time choice has recently received renewed attention because of the increasing levels of congestion in many cities and the growing popularity of travel demand management strategies such as road pricing. Current practice for evaluation of the effectiveness of travel demand management policies usually involves incorporation of the temporal dimension into transport planning […]

Obtaining public transport level-of-service measures using in-vehicle GPS data and freely available GIS web-based tools

Using BRT as a Transit Band-Aid

Source: The Atlantic Cities
 
Photo: Flickr user adrimcm under a creative commons license
 
When a new metro line opened up in Istanbul a couple months ago, it mostly served as a reminder of something the city has been awaiting for the better part of a decade. That would be the massive Marmaray project, a rail tunnel beneath the Bosphorous strait that will link the European and Asian sides of the intercontinental city. The delays have been reasonable — crews have had to deal with tricky geography, safety precautions required by a nearby fault line, and archeological discoveries made during the digging — but the initial phase is still a year from opening, and the full deal several more.
 
The city wisely recognized that the immediacy of its traffic problem demanded some sort of short-term solution. Its response was to lay down, within a couple of years, a bus-rapid transit system known as the Metrobus. The 26-mile line operates in dedicated lanes along the D-100 expressway and connects both sides of the city across the Bosphorous Bridge. By most measures it’s been a great success, according to a recent profile of the system in the Journal of Transport Geography.
 
For starters, it’s pretty fast. Except on the bridge, where it enters mixed traffic, Metrobus nears speeds of 50 miles an hour and completes its entire route in about 60 minutes. That’s at least twice as fast as cars travel in the corridor, and also considerably faster than the previous bus and ferry system. It’s also convenient: an estimated 10 percent of the entire metro population lives within a 10-minute walk of the nearest station.
 
The frequency is almost ceaseless. High-capacity Mercedes buses, which can fit up to 200 passengers at a time, arrive every 30 seconds during rush hour on the European side (and every 45 seconds at the bridge crossing). During morning peak, ridership tops 30,000 each way, and the system as a whole serves more than 620,000 passengers a day. EMBARQ puts the total figure much higher. Still the bus is crowded; it’s not unusual for waiting passengers to board the third bus they see.
 
Photo: Istanbul Metrobüs: first intercontinental bus rapid transit. Journal of Transport Geography, 24 (Sept 2012), pp. 58-66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2012.05.009
 
The city’s mayor, Kadir Topbaş, recently noted that with the numbers being handled by the Metrobus, the corridor should have a light rail system of its own. Evidently the bridge over the city’s Golden Horn inlet can’t accommodate rail, so instead Topbaş is proposing a plan that attaches the buses together, so they form a sort of «metrobus-train.» With frequencies already so close together, it’s hard to see how that idea would do anything but waste some rope.
 
Istanbul isn’t the first city to try BRT as a transit band-aid and realize what it really needed was a suture. Ottawa recently went through a similar experience with its own BRT system. The city proposed a (Canadian) $2.1 billion light rail to increase capacity — a project so expensive that transit writer Yonah Freemark wondered if it wouldn’t have been more fiscally prudent to choose light rail from the start. «For other cities considering investing in reserved-bus corridors before light rail, Ottawa’s may be a cautionary tale,» he wrote.
 
Still, if Istanbul dismissed such a caution, it would be hard to fault the city. For starters, it didn’t need BRT to prove the value of mass transit. Ottawa’s BRT showed that transit could capture a quarter of the city’s transportation share, but in Istanbul, that figure is now 50 percent, and was high even under the old system of slower buses. Meanwhile the city had already decided to invest heavily in the Marmaray project, which is estimated to cost up to (American) $3 billion.
 
Rather, Istanbul’s major concern moving forward should be getting people off its enormously congested roads. Public transit has half the city’s transportation share, yes, but only 4 percent of that share belongs to rail. The completion of Marmaray, and its connection to the existing metro, light rail, and Metrobus lines, is expected to boost rail ridership closer to a quarter of all transit — that’s a big cultural change. To date, only 9 percent of Metrobus riders have shifted to the mode from car use, as many as shifted there from trains.
 
The real cautionary tale of Istanbul may be the way it handled highways to make way for the Metrobus. It did give the system dedicated lanes throughout the corridor (except for the bridge), but it did so by narrowing — as opposed to removing — other lanes. That created loads of induced demand, as the old buses left the mixed lanes, inviting more cars onto the squished highways. And by refusing to make room for a dedicated BRT lane, the bridge authorities further increased congestion, decreased BRT efficiency, and perpetuated the city’s road-first mindset.
 
Istanbul seems to have successfully weathered a tough era of congestion by implementing BRT as a transition to rail. Soon it will have the high-capacity trunk rail line that’s long been needed. The city’s next challenge will be making sure people get off the roads and use it.
 
 
 
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World Bank offers to become lead adviser for rapid bus system in Karachi, Pakistan

Source: The Express Tribune
 
KARACHI: The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a part of the World Bank Group, has offered to become the lead advisor for the Bus Rapid Transit System, which aims to reduce travelling time by half in Karachi.
 
The IFC’s involvement gives a boost to the Rs2 billion project, which includes a dedicated lane for buses on a vital road for the first time in Karachi. “This is great news for us,” said the head of the city’s enterprise and investment office, Shoaib Waqar. He felt that financial giant’s involvement would lend credibility to the project and it would be easier to raise money.
 
Under the project, a dedicated lane will be built from Dawood Chowrangi in Landhi to Numaish Chowrangi and Lucky Star via 8000 Road, Korangi Road and FTC. It will be called the Yellow Line.
 
The bus system envisages large buses running in middle of the road on either side of the green belt. Around 200 buses will run on both sides of the track at an interval of a few minutes. The middle of the road will be dedicated to the buses. New Jersey barriers will be installed to stop motorcycles and cars from entering it.
 
But many government-sponsored transport projects have come to a standstill. The poor condition of green buses and metro coaches are an example of official apathy towards mass transit. Even this bus system has been stalled for years. Construction of stations in the middle of the roads and management of traffic also remains an issue.
 
An amount of Rs500 million has also been allocated for the rapid bus transit system in the city’s latest budget.
 
The Yellow Line runs from Landhi to Saddar and is 22.4 kilometres long. Once it is complete, around 13,000 passengers will be using it every hour. The average speed of traffic in the city is between 14km and 17km per hour whereas BRTS runs at 25km to 30km per hour.
 
 
 
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Identifying the performance parameters of importance in the design of Bus Rapid Transit: an experimental framework using microscopic simulation

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is acknowledged to be an emerging mode of public transport and has the ability to deliver fast and high quality urban mobility. A BRT networks consist of six major components, namely the running ways, the stations, the vehicles, the fare collection, the ITS technologies, and the service and operating plans and it is the combination of these six dimensions that defines a BRT system and its quality.
Using microscopic simulation as the experimental framework for a calibrated and coded corridor within the Metropolitan network in Sydney, Australia, the impact of these parameters is explored. The objective of this work is to identify which parameters are most important to BRT system performance. Several scenarios including the increasing capacity of vehicles, changing frequency and the introduction of bus lanes have been designed and measures used from the output of the microsimulation to compare with a baseline scenario. The research findings point to the importance of particular components in the design of a BRT system and in particular the frequency of the services, the number of bus stops within the network, the presence of bus lanes and the demand applied on the network.

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New project: development of an assignment tool for a public transport network

The main objective of this project, led by our Director Juan Carlos Muñoz, is to develop a computational tool to estimate accurately the demand for mass public transport services, in order to support decision making on investment projects.
 
To achieve this main objective a methodology based on econometric models incorporating endogeneity was designed. The key variables (both exogenous and endogenous) explaining the behaviour of public transport system passengers consider: (i) elements related to service levels of the various alternative routes and modes; (ii) socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of individuals; (iii) variables associated with the topology of the network influences between travelers and levels of overcrowding inside the vehicle affecting the perceived quality of service, and (iv) latent variables.
 
The main two products developed as part of this project will be: (i) a computational tool for planning public transport systems (along with their respective user manual, installation and training for the end user) for tactical and strategic analysis of mass transit systems, mainly applicable to large and medium cities in size, and (ii) a web platform to provide updated information to passengers of the system so that they have more and better information when deciding their trip according to the attributes each respondent considers relevant.
 
The first product, defined as commercial software for mass transit network planning, can be installed in conventional PCs available on the market, using a standard operating system. This software tool will be complemented with a user manual, which not only contains the instructions for its proper use, but also incorporates the theoretical models underlying the invention and which mark the difference with alternative products currently available in the urban transport planning market.
 
The research and development stage of the project started in May 2012, and will last three years considering a total budget of 600 million pesos. The developing and research team is comprised by professionals from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad Diego Portales.
 
Watch the following video that explains the project (in Spanish)
 

 
 
 
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Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority rolls out customer satisfaction plan

Source: GulfNews
 
Text messages to bus drivers in their mother tongues to drive motivation
 
Dubai: In a new initiative to raise customer satisfaction regarding its bus services, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is now sending text messages to its bus drivers in their mother tongues to keep them motivated.
 
The text messages are sent to the drivers’ mobile phones directly from the Operation Control Centre (OCC), which also uses the latest technology to monitor every movement of around 1,250 public transport buses that are in operation.
 
The initiative is part of RTA’s effort to improve the level of safety on buses and reduce the number of accidents.
 
Eisa Abdul Rahman Al Dossary, CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency, said, “As part of our efforts to improve mass transit services and uplift the standards of safety and security on board public buses, we have recently launched a distinct package of initiatives primarily aimed to push customer satisfaction rating to as much as 87 per cent, and achieve the targeted bus drivers’ satisfaction rating of 75 per cent this year.”
 
Al Dossary said that the focus of the idea is to stay connected with the drivers by using the latest technology and giving them regular feedback on their behaviour and performance that will allow them to improve continuously.
 
“The system will send two text messages to drivers in each shift via RTA Bus Control Centre in a bid to encourage drivers and uplift their morale, reduce traffic accidents and accordingly achieve higher levels of safety and security for passengers and road users,” Al Dossary added.
 
One of the targets of the initiative is to ensure the number of complaints does not exceed 22 per 100,000 passengers.
 
The Public Transport Agency has also distributed brochures informing drivers on how to avoid accidents, while motivating them to achieve the best scores as laid down by the driver reward manual.
 
According to the manual, drivers are rated and rewarded according to their annual performance, which is monitored live.
 
Al Dossary launched the initiative in person by sending the first SMS to drivers through the OCC.
 
 
 
 
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New BRT Webinars!

 
The Across Latitudes and Cultures BRT Centre of Excellence is pleased to announce a monthly webinar series to share timely public transit research and encourage ongoing collaboration. The series is open to anyone and will address issues relevant to researchers and practitioners. Please share this announcement with your extended network.
 
The first webinar was:
 
BRT Around the World – Update 2012 and Future Evolution
November 30th, 2012 at 1300 CLST (11 EST)
Dario Hidalgo, PhD, Director of Research and Practice, EMBARQ
 
See summary, bio and presentation below.
 
Mark your calendars for the second in the series on December 14th at 1300 CLST on which Juan Carlos Munoz will present the Centre’s new methodology and results on tackling bus bunching. Here you can find full information about this new webinar.
 
Please email Laurel at lpaget@uc.cl with any questions or future topic suggestions.
 
 
***
 
BRT Around the World – Update 2012 and Future Evolution
 
The BRT Global Database, complied by ALC-BRT Center of Excellence and EMBARQ with support from IEA and SIBRT, indicates that there are 147 cities with bus corridors (inclusive of BRT and BHLS), The presentation will show some highlights of the database, including summary data on key indicators, geographical distribution, and recent progress. Key systems according to performance will be highlighted. Also some information of key new systems in Latin America: the expansions of Metrobus (México) and TransMilenio (Bogotá), as well as the introduction of full BRT in Rio de Janeiro (Transoeste). Some relevant issues in BRT expansion will be commented: the strong advance of rail systems -which seems to have stalled BRT new construction in some places; and the high occupancy and deterioration of level of service in some iconic systems like Bogotá and México City. Finally, the opportunities arising in the field will be presented: surge of integrated systems, introduction of newer propulsion technologies, and use of advanced systems for control and user information.
 
Dr. Hidalgo guides the EMBARQ Network’s international team of transport engineers, urban planning specialists and environmental scientists. This team is involved in sustainable transport and urban development projects in India, Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, the Andean Region and China. He also coordinates the Observatory of the BRT-ALC Center of Excellence. He has more than 20 years of experience as a transport expert, consultant, and government official. He has taken part in urban transport projects and taught training courses in 10+ countries of Latin America, Asia and Africa. He has also been a lecturer in urban planning and is the author of 55 publications and conference presentations, including an extensive review of bus systems in developing countries. He holds Ph.D. and M.Sc. degrees in Transportation Planning from Ohio State University, and a Civil Engineering degree from Universidad de los Andes, Colombia.
 

 
 
 
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CTA's bus rapid transit won't be so rapid

Source: Chicago Tribune
 
CTA planning manager Joe Iacobucci is the first to acknowledge at the transit agency that «if you ask the average person in Chicago what BRT is, you get a blank look.»
 
BRT, or bus rapid transit, is Iacobucci’s special project. He hopes to transform those blank looks into satisfied smiles.
 
Yet riders of top-notch BRT service in cities like Bogota, Colombia, and Cleveland might not recognize the CTA’s first foray into BRT as «rapid» — because a much-abbreviated form will hits the streets toward the end of the year on the No. 14 Jeffery Express route between the South Side and downtown.
 
In its pure form, BRT operates like a transit rail system on city streets. Traffic problems with cars and trucks all but disappear. Bus commuting times dramatically shrink, creating opportunities for quick transit-to-transit connections that could tempt even the most die-hard motorists to give BRT a try.
 
Under BRT criteria, bus stops are more widely spaced than on traditional bus routes, up to a half-mile apart, to provide quicker trips. The bus lanes are dedicated to buses around the clock, like railroad tracks are to trains.
 
In addition, passengers pay their fares at stations and then when the bus arrives they board quickly at more than one door on raised platforms that are level with the bus floor. And the buses are equipped with transponders that communicate with traffic signals to give the buses more green lights to pass up other vehicles at intersections.
 
But the CTA isn’t going down that ultraexpress route, not yet.
 
In the agency’s upcoming $11 million federally funded BRT experiment on Jeffery Boulevard, the main features will be limited stops; the traffic signal priority for buses on an approximately 11/2-mile stretch (73rd to 84th streets); and part-time bus-only lanes on Jeffery between 67th and 83rd streets (7 to 9 a.m. inbound and 4 to 6 p.m. outbound on weekdays, coinciding with existing parking bans). City officials say they are being careful to implement BRT without imposing major negative impacts, like full-time bus-only lanes, on car drivers.
 
But the traffic signal priority for buses won’t be ready when the CTA introduces BRT on the No. 14 route in November or December, according to officials at the CTA and the Chicago Department of Transportation, which is managing the construction.
 
«My guys tell me the signal priority system will be ready for buses to use sometime within the first quarter of 2013», CDOT spokesman Pete Scales said.
 
Also delayed until early 2013 is a bypass lane at a traffic pinch point on Jeffery at Anthony Avenue, near an entrance to the Chicago Skyway toll bridge. The northbound bypass lane, or queue jump, will be equipped with a special traffic signal to give buses a head start on other traffic to move faster through the intersection and under the viaduct, officials said.
 
BRT-related construction is scheduled to start Monday at 67th Street and Jeffery, Scales said.
 
To build excitement about BRT, the CTA has surprises that it is keeping under wraps for now. The BRT buses starting on Jeffery will have a bold color scheme and branding on the outside of the vehicles, said Iacobucci, who is the CTA’s manager of strategic planning and policy. Monitors inside the buses will provide Bus Tracker and Train Tracker information.
 
The buses themselves will be the 60-foot accordion-style buses currently in use on the No. 14 Jeffery Express, which will become the BRT service. The No. 15 Jeffery Local route will continue without changes.
 
New shelters with the BRT branding and information kiosks will be built at bus stops, which will be spread out up to 1/2-mile apart on the No. 14 route, officials said. A «showcase BRT station,» larger than the CTA’s current JCDecaux bus shelters and outfitted with lights, will be built at the 71st Street bus stop, which is one of the busiest on the route, officials said.
 
No fare increase will be imposed on the BRT route, at least for now, officials said.
 
Corporate naming-rights sponsorships of BRT service may be added in the future, city and transit officials said. Mayor Rahm Emanuel has also said that BRT projects are potential candidates for use in his planned Infrastructure Trust that involves private-sector investment. The move could open the door to the first privatized CTA bus routes and premium fares matched to the premium-level service, officials hinted.
 
The current focus, however, will be to spur improvements over the snail-like 9 mph average speed of CTA buses, officials said. Still, the modest experiment is a far cry from CTA plans unveiled only two years ago to help address the city’s congestion crisis.
 
By now double-long buses stopping only about once per mile were to be serving part of an eventual 50-mile network on four major Chicago arterial streets and increase average bus speeds by as much as 48 percent over buses operating in traffic on regular bus routes. In 2008, the CTA and city were awarded, then later forfeited, a $153 million federal grant for the BRT project. The grant was rescinded after a deadline was missed for the city to develop a congestion-pricing parking meter program aimed at reducing the number of automobiles downtown.
 
With gridlock worsening on Chicago’s streets and a slower growth in bus ridership than on rail, CTA officials say they are compelled to act. They consider the 16-mile No. 14 Jeffery Express route the perfect place to test BRT because it traverses a range of traffic conditions, from residential neighborhoods and retail districts to Lake Shore Drive for miles and downtown serving Union Station and Ogilvie Transportation Center.
 
The slow start to providing faster bus service is intentional, even calculated, Iacobucci said.
 
«There is a lot of low-hanging fruit that we can use to speed up service with these improvements,» he said. «When we do other projects, the testing we will be doing on Jeffery will be a huge advantage.»
 
Transit officials plan to follow up with more robust BRT efforts in the central Loop in 2014 and in subsequent years on Western and Ashland avenues when money becomes available.
 
The big question is whether the initial taste of a world-class bus transit service on Jeffery, minus the bells and whistles, will be enough to whet commuters’ appetite for more. One risk is that the CTA’s watered-down, phased-in substitute could form the public misconception that BRT isn’t much of an improvement over regular express bus service, except for the fancy packaging and higher cost.
 
Experts said that while it would be great to be able to marshal the resources to roll out a full-blown, «gold standard» BRT system like China has done in the city of Guangzhou, it’s not uncommon for bus rapid transit to be incrementally constructed.
 
«I think the CTA is taking a smart approach,» said Dennis Hinebaugh, director of the National Bus Rapid Transit Institute at the University of South Florida. «They are saying, ‘Let’s put what we think we need out there and see what happens.’ That’s one of the big benefits of bus versus rail, where you must build the whole system before you start any service.»
 
If CTA officials decide the Jeffery BRT experiment doesn’t provide the desired travel-time savings, options that include off-board fare payment at bus stops can be added later, Hinebaugh said.
 
But attention to some details cannot wait or be compromised, he said.
 
«One of the big things to make sure of at the start is police enforcement of the no-parking hours for the dedicated bus-only lanes,» Hinebaugh said. «You don’t want commercial vehicles that are making deliveries holding up the buses.»
 
Travel times on the Jeffery BRT route will be reduced by five to seven minutes compared with current express bus times, which are already competitive with service on the nearby Metra Electric District and CTA Red and Green rail lines, CTA officials said.
 
Some riders on the route said current trip times aren’t the biggest problem.
 
«The Jeffery buses are already fast enough. What the CTA needs to do is run the service later into the night for people like me who work late,» said Denise Wilson, a South Shore resident who works in North Chicago and faces a long daily commute on the CTA and Metra. The last No. 14 bus of the day leaves downtown about 10:30 p.m. on weekdays and earlier on weekends.
 
There are already detractors in Chicago who say the CTA has no business messing around with BRT when it should be laser-focused on improving the performance and reliability of existing bus routes, which provide about two-thirds of the 1.7 million daily rides on the system. Bus-bunching and overcrowding on buses remains a big problem, particularly in the downtown area during peak travel periods.
 
«Bus rapid transit is a disastrous, nonsensical mistake. It’s a gimmick,» Charles Paidock, a leader of the transit group Citizens Taking Action, testified before the CTA board at this year’s budget hearings. «The last thing we want is three types of bus systems within CTA.»
 
The BRT experiment on the Jeffery corridor, where about 21,000 rides a day are taken, has citywide implications. The CTA’s long-range plans call for the superexpress buses operating on 20 corridors covering almost 200 miles, creating a new transit grid that connects bus rapid transit to existing CTA bus and rail services as well as Metra commuter trains.
 
CTA President Forrest Claypool emphasized that the its BRT test is a first for the transit agency. He is careful to avoid calling it BRT, or even «BRT Lite» anymore, a term he initially adopted after taking office more than a year ago.
 
«I think it’s important to understand that Jeffery is testing various elements of BRT, but it is not what I think what anyone would call BRT,» Claypool said. «It will cut the commute times for our customers. It will provide a more comfortable and faster ride, but those lessons we learn from that then will be applied to, I guess, a broader BRT.»
 
 
 
 
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Opinion Pieces: Road Pricing – Think outside the square

Opinion Pieces: since 2007, Prof. David Hensher has written an opinion column in the Australasian Bus and Coach magazine, where he monthly discusses a lot of different transport-related hot topics. In this section we are revisiting these columns.

November 2011

Road pricing reform remains a challenging issue that politicians ‘appear’ to believe in but are most definitely not showing any active signs of doing anything about it other than encouraging a dialogue. The stumbling block is the dominant view that while we should reform all road user charges (i.e., registration and fuel excise), the focus in the media and many government documents does not seem to be able to focus away from a congestion charge (or the emotive laded congestion tax). Australia is not the only country suffering from this, and although we should still continue to find ways of reducing traffic congestion, the ‘solution’ may reside in a pricing solution that actually pays peak period commuters to travel outside of peak hours? How might this work?

A Dutch proposition that has recently been tested may hold the answer. They have cameras registering all road users for eight weeks, without telling the road users. They then extract a list of road users that have been detected in the peak period at least three times a week, and send them an invitation letter. A payment is made according to their reference number of trips in the peak, so if they were initially driving three times a week in the peak and during the payment period only once a week, they get paid twice an amount (e.g., 3 to 5 Euros in trials). In one trial, it is an amount per avoidance of the peak, in another trial it is the number of reduced kilometres driven, as detected by the onboard GPS units. Results from initial analyses of six such trials show that about 50 percent of the travellers avoid the peak period when rewarded. Having a few thousand participants, this can make a clear difference in traffic conditions. For further details visit this website.

Another possible way of looking at this that would be even better is to link to a so-called credit-based system, in which you can earn credits driving off peak and spend them on the peak. The reason for not doing this in the Netherlands is simply a legal issue. You can always reward people, but charging people has legal issues and needs to be set by law and the tax office, which takes a long time. So a reward system as described above can be set up from scratch within a few months, making it a very practical tool for temporarily alleviating congestion.

Would this appeal to State and Federal Governments in Australia? The advantage is that no one is priced off the roads which must surely gain political support, but some will be rewarded if the switch trips from peak to off-peak periods, which must surely be a huge benefit in terms of recovery of lost travel time (which is quoted as the cost of congestion). The downside is finding sufficient funds to pay for pay the time of day switching incentive payment. Earning credits through avoiding peak congestion charges and then funding this from the congestion charges imposed on those who travel during peak periods seems the ideal situation but it still entails a congestion charge. So on the reasonable assumption that politicians will baulk at this idea, the way forward may be to consider allocating some of the fuel excise to reward those who switch from the peak to off peak periods. GPS is critical since we must ensure that true switchers are rewarded and not those who already avoid the peaks.

Food for thought

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Exhaust Emissions of Transit Buses

EMBARQ’s Sustainable Urban Transportation Fuels and Vehicles (SUTFV) program aims to take an unbiased approach to analyzing the impacts of different fuels and technologies for bus transit fleets. The program jointly addresses lifecycle costs and emissions of transit buses and is targeted to provide context-specific recommendations for cities in India, Mexico, and Brazil—countries in which EMBARQ works. This report, the first in the SUTFV program, compiles a large data set of in-use transit bus emissions tests for use in a meta-analysis to define ranges of exhaust emissions for fuel and technology combinations. The analysis looks at both local and global emissions to understand their impact on human health and the environment.

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HealthLine Pumps Life into Cleveland

Source: UrbanLand
 
Euclid Avenue in Cleveland connects the two largest commercial districts in northeast Ohio: downtown Cleveland and University Circle. A microcosm of the city itself, the corridor has experienced extreme highs and lows throughout its history. At the turn of the 20th century, Euclid was known as Millionaires’ Row and was home to the founders of Standard Oil and General Electric. But by the time the Great Depression ended, the avenue was devastated. During the 1950s, its streetcars were dismantled. By the 2000s, the corridor was depressed, lined with dilapidated buildings and vacant lots and evoking a sense of hopelessness.
 
But Euclid’s role as an essential link between the central business district downtown and University Circle—a hub of world-class medical facilities and arts and culture amenities—rendered the corridor impossible to ignore. Starting in the 1970s, a nearly 30-year debate focused on how to integrate rapid transit along Euclid Avenue. Finally, in 1998 the city set aside prohibitively expensive rail plans and decided to move forward with bus rapid transit (BRT).
 
The resulting $200 million, 6.8-mile (11 km) Euclid Corridor Transportation Project catalyzed a powerful transformation along the avenue. Since the BRT line opened in 2008, the corridor has attracted $5.8 billion in investment—$3.3 billion for new construction and $2.5 billion for building rehab, together totaling more than 110 projects. Disproving naysayers and exceeding the expectations of supporters, the project has generated the economic growth that many thought could only be achieved with rail—and at a fraction of the cost. In 2011, the project won a ULI Award for Excellence.
 
By connecting downtown with University Circle, the BRT service contributes to the unification of Cleveland’s top economic generators across the entire city. The Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals of Cleveland — the city’s two biggest employers — purchased naming rights to the BRT line in a 25-year, $6.25 million deal. Dubbing it the HealthLine ties the service to Cleveland’s branding as a hub of medical care and research. By physically linking large hospitals, startups, convention space, and cultural amenities, the corridor is propelling Cleveland’s evolution into a world-class destination for the health care and biotech industries.
 
Implementation was made possible by a complex funding partnership of multiple organizations, including the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) as the project sponsor, the New Starts program of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Ohio Department of Transportation, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, the city of Cleveland, the Cleveland Clinic, and University Hospitals. Of the $200 million invested in the project, $168.4 million for the transit component was provided by the full funding grant agreement (FFGA) with the FTA. The remaining $31.6 million went toward nontransit improvements, including sidewalks, utilities, and public art.
 
Although the Euclid corridor project secured funding in 2004, the project still struggled to gain initial widespread support. One major challenge was the notion that a bus line would not attract the professional community, instead driving the area’s social problems along Euclid Avenue further into the downtown and University Circle districts. Developers and community members also questioned the project’s ability to stimulate economic growth significantly.
 
In response, the RTA and the design team — prime consultant Wilbur Smith Associates of Cleveland and planning and landscape architect Sasaki Associates of Boston — adopted a strategy of «thinking rail while using bus.» Dedicated bus lanes free the buses from the interference of other traffic. From downtown to University Circle, buses run along exclusive lanes in the center of the street, which results in greater efficiency. «From Public Square [downtown] to University Circle, we reduced travel time from 30 minutes to 20 minutes,» says Michael J. Schipper, RTA deputy general manager for engineering and project management.
 
Additional features include prominent stations, raised station platforms that match the height of the bus floor to allow same-level boarding, real-time updates of bus arrival times, and off-vehicle fare collection—all of which imbue the HealthLine with the sensibility of an urban rail line. Having fewer stations improves travel times, and platforms in the road median reduce encroachment on the sidewalks. The stations, designed by Robert P. Madison International Inc. of Cleveland, are modern and transparent, constructed of glass and stainless steel, and designed to support the public realm by creating their own identity that reinforces the entire corridor and transit rather than mimicking a certain period or architectural style represented in the neighborhoods the line traverses. They are well-lit and are equipped with emergency blue-light phones and closed-circuit security cameras.
 
The HealthLine operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. On weekdays, buses arrive at stations every ten minutes from early morning into the evening. During peak service periods, arrival frequency shrinks to every seven minutes. Such rigorous service levels make the HealthLine a convenient and reliable transit option.
 
The corridor accommodates multiple modes of transit by incorporating exclusive bike lanes and pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and street crossings. The bus-exclusive center lanes allow parking to be integrated back into the street, supporting efforts to revitalize retail storefronts. Providing visual interest are seasonal plantings that provide splashes of color in the medians; colorful and rhythmic pavement striping in the sidewalks that provide human scale; and distinctive lighting elements—a custom light created for downtown medians; small bump lights in the median outside of downtown that cast a low, wide light that illuminates the center of the street; and lighting of trees in wide, planted medians. Public art installations are integrated into street design along the corridor, including pavement patterns in the crosswalks, stone patterns in the street, iron castings for tree grates, and a few stand-alone sculptures illuminated by light-emitting diodes at night.
 
The project required strategic partnerships among diverse interests—public, private, nonprofit, and neighborhood. To determine and satisfy the interests of various stakeholder groups, the RTA held about 2,000 public meetings. One design solution that engendered widespread community support was to address the eight distinct neighborhoods in the corridor individually. Though some design elements, such as the station shelters, lighting, and pavement materials, are consistent along the entire corridor, other elements—shelter size, light configurations, pavement patterns, and tree species—are distinct to identify the different neighborhoods.
 
Ridership has increased steadily over the years and now totals about 15,100 people per day. «The bulk of riders are commuters, but we are experiencing a big uptick in midday ridership,» says Schipper. In response, the RTA is extending the service’s peak hours to accommodate more riders.
 
The link between downtown and University Circle provided by the HealthLine fortified the idea for the Cleveland Health-Tech Corridor, an initiative launched in 2010 that spans three miles (5.8 km) and encompasses ten neighborhoods. Created by BioEnterprise, a biosciences business incubator, and Midtown Cleveland, an economic development corporation, the Health-Tech Corridor seeks to attract and support businesses downtown, along Euclid, and in University Circle. Baiju Shah, BioEnterprise president and CEO and a self-described convert regarding the HealthLine, was persuaded by the «well-designed planning process that tied into a compelling business proposition.» Today, Shah considers the HealthLine a force spurring developers to locate projects along the corridor.
 
One of the most visible ventures along Euclid is the $28 million MidTown Tech Park, which opened in summer 2011. MidTown Tech Park has 128,000 square feet (11,900 sq m) of state-of-the-art incubator space located on the former site of a used car dealership in Midtown, once one of the most downtrodden neighborhoods along Euclid. Ravaged by civil rights protests in the 1960s, the area had been largely ignored since. Substantial development in Midtown so soon after completion of the HealthLine was unanticipated, Schipper says. «We wouldn’t have expected this type of thing until five or so years out,» he says.
 
JumpStart, a nonprofit venture development organization, was the first tenant of MidTown Tech Park. «Midtown is increasingly becoming a hub for entrepreneurship—particularly young biomedical companies—and we were excited to be contributing to that energy while adding to the growing vitality of Cleveland’s urban core,» says Ray Leach, JumpStart chief executive officer. «And now many of the incubators, tech companies, higher-education institutions, and world-class health care are connected not just in missions and interests, but by a physical corridor developing around the HealthLine.»
 
Cleveland HeartLab, which makes a biomarker-based heart test, is one of MidTown Tech Park’s newest tenants. According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the company has grown from eight to 80 employees over two years and likely would have left the area were it not for the new developments along Euclid.
 
In addition, construction of about 5,100 housing units has augmented the corridor’s revitalization.
 
New developments are also proliferating at either end of the HealthLine. Adjacent to University Circle, the Uptown district is home to the new $27 million Museum of Contemporary Art. Downtown, the Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center, targeted to the medical and health care industries, is scheduled for completion in 2013.
 
The HealthLine has not only created employment opportunities, but also has changed the way people think about transportation and job location, says Lillian Kuri, program director for architecture, urban design, and sustainable development at the Cleveland Foundation, a community foundation providing leadership advocacy on strategic initiatives for the city. «It has raised consciousness about making sure jobs are accessible to low-income residents,» she says. Employers are strategically locating to be accessible by public transportation as a way of attracting talent—something commonplace in major urban districts but often ignored in medium-sized, car-centric cities.
 
The HealthLine has precipitated an economic development strategy not just for the corridor, but also for the city. The project has brought about the partnerships necessary for Cleveland to make a transition from an industrial economy to a knowledge-based economy, building on the strength of education, research, health care, and tourism. Euclid Avenue supports the ventures that comprise this new economy, as well as housing, retail businesses, restaurants, and entertainment venues. The corridor is vibrant with possibility as a place for people to live, work, and prosper, and serves as an example for similar cities in the United States and around the world.
 
 
 
 
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BRT projects improve transit service and can contribute to economic development – GAO Report

Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office
 
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to prepare a report to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, U.S. Senate that examined BRT projects funded by the FTA.
 
What GAO Found
 
U.S. bus rapid transit (BRT) projects we reviewed include features that distinguished BRT from standard bus service and improved riders’ experience. However, few of the projects (5 of 20) used dedicated or semi-dedicated lanes— a feature commonly associated with BRT and included in international systems to reduce travel time and attract riders. Project sponsors and planners explained that decisions on which features to incorporate into BRT projects were influenced by costs, community needs, and the ability to phase in additional features. For example, one project sponsor explained that well-lighted shelters with security cameras and real-time information displays were included to increase passengers’ sense of safety in the evening. Project sponsors told us they plan to incorporate additional features such as off-board fare collection over time.
 
The BRT projects we reviewed generally increased ridership and improved service over the previous transit service. Specifically, 13 of the 15 project sponsors that provided ridership data reported increases in ridership after 1 year of service and reduced average travel times of 10 to 35 percent over previous bus services. However, even with increases in ridership, U.S. BRT projects usually carry fewer total riders than rail transit projects and international BRT systems. Project sponsors and other stakeholders attribute this to higher population densities internationally and riders who prefer rail transit. However, some projects—such as the M15 BRT line in New York City—carry more than 55,000 riders per day.
 
Capital costs for BRT projects were generally lower than for rail transit projects and accounted for a small percent of the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) New, Small, and Very Small Starts’ funding although they accounted for over 50 percent of projects with grant agreements since fiscal year 2005. Project sponsors also told us that BRT projects can provide rail-like benefits at lower capital costs. However, differences in capital costs are due in part to elements needed for rail transit that are not required for BRT and can be considered in context of total riders, costs for operations, and other long-term costs such as vehicle replacement.
 
We found that although many factors contribute to economic development, most local officials we visited believe that BRT projects are contributing to localized economic development. For instance, officials in Cleveland told us that between $4 and $5 billion was invested near the Healthline BRT project—associated with major hospitals and universities in the corridor. Project sponsors in other cities told us that there is potential for development near BRT projects; however, development to date has been limited by broader economic conditions—most notably the recent recession. While most local officials believe that rail transit has a greater economic development potential than BRT, they agreed that certain factors can enhance BRT’s ability to contribute to economic development, including physical BRT features that relay a sense of permanence to developers; key employment and activity centers located along the corridor; and local policies and incentives that encourage transit-oriented development. Our analysis of land value changes near BRT lends support to these themes. In addition to economic development, BRT project sponsors highlighted other community benefits including quick construction and implementation and operational flexibility.
 
Why GAO Did This Study
 
BRT is a form of transit that has generated interest around the world to help alleviate the adverse effects of traffic congestion and potentially contribute to economic growth. BRT features can include improvements to infrastructure, technology, and passenger amenities over standard bus service to improve service and attract new riders. The use of federal funding for BRT in the United States has increased since 2005, when the Safe Accountable Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users expanded eligibility for major capital projects under FTA’s Capital Investment Grant Program to include corridor-based bus projects. BRT projects can be funded through New, Small, and Very Small Start grants under the Capital Investment GrantProgram.
 
GAO was asked to examine (1) features included in BRT projects funded by the FTA; (2) BRT project performance in terms of ridership and service and how they compare to rail transit projects; (3) how BRT-projects’ costs differ from rail transit project costs; and (4) the extent to which BRT projects provide economic development and other benefits. To address these objectives, GAO sent questionnaires to officials of all 20 existing BRT and 20 existing rail-transit projects that the FTA recommended for funding from fiscal year 2005 through 2012 to collect information on project features, ridership, and service and interviewed select project sponsors. GAO also reviewed documents and interviewed government, academic, and industry group officials. The U.S.Department of Transportation did not comment on the draft report.
 
 
Download full report here
 
 
 
 
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