Public transport is clearly an efficient means of transport. It responds to mobility demand, generates less pollution and preserves energy resources. In spite of this, in Cordoba city its use has continuously declined in recent years. Speed is one of the factors affecting the system operation. Time optimization benefits users, lowering their total travel times, as well as operators, optimizing size fleets to respond to demand. Bus lanes orstreets left only for bus use are one of the solutions implemented as a policy in central business districts where conflict between passenger cars and buses is significant. The scope of this paper is to analyse the effects of bus lane use in bus circulation speeds and their role in the instauration of a sustainable urban mobility. To achieve this goal, two sections of an artery were modelled by NETSIM, a microscopic simulation model. One of them with mixed traffic and the other with bus lanes. Speed measures from year 2000 and 2005 were collected, comparisons between both situations were made and conclusions extracted. The results obtained show the importance of comprehensive circulation management policies in favour of urban public transport. Not always the implementation of another bus lane results in a better solution. In fact, measures like bus priority lanes and right turn prohibitions can offer an increase in bus speeds of approximately 25%.For the covering abstract see ITRD E139491.
Abstract