Centrally located busways : problems of design and implementation.

The paper defines centre lane busways and looks at typical features associated with such a system in the UK. The reasons for providing centre lane busways are examined along with their advantages relative to their traditional with-flow counterparts. Design issues such as stop locations and dimensions are discussed, looking at safety implications, effect on capacity at junctions and passenger objectives. Bus lane width, separation from other traffic, pedestrian issues, junction design, capacity and reassignment are also considered. Examples are taken from other countries and also the Sheffield Supertram network. Two proposals for centre lane busways in East London are discussed. The focus is on the specific problems and solutions which were required in each case. A proposal for a busway on Burdett Road, put forward in the 1990's, is examined. The justification of the project is demonstrated and design issues described including capacity, safety and public perception. Reasons for abandonment of the scheme are given along with details of the more traditional bus priority measures which have been implemented. These include bus lanes and some innovative signal priority. Survey results are also given. The focus of attention then turns to the A13, a major radial route in East London which crosses Burdett Road, part of which is paralleled by the Limehouse Link. Recognising the upstream and downstream capacity constraints, that in this critical section the road is 20m wide with limited frontage activity, a feasibility study of a centrally located two way busway was undertaken. Again issues discussed above (capacity, pedestrian access, safety) and so forth are examined in the light of how they applied to the scheme. It is argued that a central busway is a workable scheme which at the time of writing is being considered by the Traffic Director for London. The paper concludes by arguing that there are sound reasons for believing that centre lane busways are technically feasible within the UK and should work safely as they do in other parts of the world. However site specific problems and concern over road capacity have so far prevented a scheme being progressed.