This paper examines the typical travel time impacts of various bus priority measures to assist in the selection of appropriate treatments for particular road networks. A methodology for the selection of bus priority is outlined in this paper. This is based on detailed analysis of the travel time impacts of various bus priority treatments. The provision for bus lanes, bus lane set-back, priority at traffic signals, transit lanes and ticketing systems are assessed here. This work identifies locations where bus priority is suitable to minimise the person delay using an arterial route. Specific criteria for each treatment are developed, showing the break-even point between savings to bus passengers and penalties to other road users, in terms of person travel time impacts. The average delay to general traffic and buses was converted to total person delay by using an assumed car occupancy of 1.3 and bus occupancies of 20, 30, 40 and 50 persons. The use of this filter technique reduces the time involved in assessing the full range of bus priority treatments, as the detailed investigation may be directed at the most likely treatments. In the case of bus priorities, the results show instances for which active priority may be justified. While the most significant delay savings for buses may be achieved at high levels of saturation, paradoxically, these situations are the most difficult in which to justify priority for buses. At low levels of saturation the delay savings for buses are low, yet significant enough to counter the marginal effects on the operations of the general purpose traffic. (A)
Abstract