According to the Federal Transit Administration, "BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) combines the quality of rail transit and the flexibility of buses. It can operate on exclusive transitways, HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lanes, expressways, or ordinary streets. One of the more likely candidate IVI (Intelligent Vehicle Initiative) applications to be initially implemented on BRT systems will be lane assist technology. The premise behind lane assist technology is to increase the safety of BRT vehicles as they operate in the more unique environments, such as narrow lanes. Lane assist technology will allow BRT vehicles to operate at the desired higher operating speeds while maintaining the safety of the passengers, BRT vehicle and the motoring public." Issues associated with lane assist and precision docking systems are addressed in this report. Report specifics include: (1) the results of a study to determine U.S. requirements for lane assist and precision docking systems, (2) a review of available lane assist and precision docking system technologies, (3) a comparison of lane assist and precision docking technologies based on system functionality, and (4) an assessment of these technologies with respect to national requirements. A comprehensive review of human factors issues associated with narrow lane usage, including a pilot study to assess driver response to a lane assist system, is presented in Volume 2.
Abstract