Enhanced bus priority using signals : the INCOME project.

The paper outlines development of BusSCOOT in London, with particular reference to EU project `INCOME'. It focuses on two trial sites, outlining traffic characteristics, then reviewing the trials and results. The first, Edgware Road, was trialled in 1995 'PROMPT' project work, this being a linear radial road. A new bus lane has been implemented to the north of Harrow Road at the northern end of this trial network, which follows part of the "Red Route" network. This will allow 'gating' of traffic before entering the network, yet let buses bypass relocated queues. The four trial strategies are SCOOT, BusSCOOT with extensions only, BusSCOOT with individual junction strategies extensions/recalls set according to junction characteristics, and BusSCOOT with gating at the northern end of the network, using junctions to the south as bottleneck links. The second, Twickenham Town Centre, has four main approach roads crossing. BusSCOOT was being implemented in Spring 1998. Bus lanes on each approach will allow buses to bypass queues approaching the town centre. Four strategies were tested over a four week period: SCOOT, BusSCOOT (extensions with high degree of saturation and recalls with low degree of saturation), BusSCOOT (both extension and recalls with high degree of saturation), and BusSCOOT with gating. This is the first such gating trialled in London.