Nationwide, United States
TCRP Report 118: Bus Rapid Transit Practitioner's Guide
Summary Information
Surveys were conducted with selected transit agencies that implemented or planned to implement BRT systems. Information was collected on ridership, capital and operating costs, community acceptance, associated land-use development, funding support, support for system expansion, improved mobility, quality of service, travel time, comfort, dwell time, reliability, convenience, safety, security, improved frequency, and wait time. The survey data were compared to previous related research (TCRP Report 90) and updated findings were input into the Practitioner's Guide.
FINDINGS
Researchers examined measured/estimated impacts of transit signal priority (TSP) on travel time, reliability (schedule adherence), operating costs, and general traffic. The table below excerpted from Exhibit 4-39 and Exhibit 4-40 details findings from several cities in the U.S. and abroad. The benefits of TSP vary depending on type and degree of application.
EXHIBIT 4-39 Reported Initial Estimates of Benefits to Buses from Traffic Signal Priority
Location
|
% Running
Time Saved |
% Increase
in Speeds |
% Reduced
Intersection Delay |
---|---|---|---|
Anne Arundel County, MD |
13-18
|
-
|
-
|
Bremerton, WA |
10
|
-
|
-
|
Chicago: Cermak Road |
15-18
|
-
|
-
|
Hamburg, Germany |
-
|
25-40
|
-
|
Los Angeles: Wilshire-Whittier Metro Rapid |
8-10
|
-
|
-
|
Pierce County, WA |
6
|
-
|
-
|
Portland, OR |
5-12
|
-
|
-
|
Seattle: Rainier Avenue |
8
|
-
|
13
|
Toronto |
2-4
|
-
|
-
|
Sources: TCRP Report 100 (2003); TCRP Report 90 (2003); TRR 184 (2003)
EXHIBIT 4-40 ITS America's Summary of TSP Benefits and Impacts
Location
|
Transit
|
Number of Intersections
|
TSP Type
|
Strategy Benefit/Impact
|
---|---|---|---|---|
Portland, OR: Tualatin Valley Hwy |
bus
|
10
|
Early green, green extension | Bus travel time savings = 1.4-6.4%. Average bus signal delay reduction = 20%. |
Portland, OR: Powell Blvd |
bus
|
4
|
Early green, green extension, queue jump |
5-8% bus travel time reduction. Bus person delay generally decreased. Inconclusive impacts of TSP on traffic. |
Seattle: Rainier Ave at Genesee |
bus
|
1
|
Early green, green extension |
For prioritized buses:
|
Seattle: Rainier Ave (Midday) |
bus
|
3
|
Early green, green extension |
For TSP-eligible buses:
|
Europe |
bus
|
5 study
sites |
Various | 10 seconds/intersection average signal delay reduction. 40-80% potential reduction in transit signal delay. Transit travel times in England and France reduced 6-2%. 0.3-2.5% increase in automobile travel times. 1- to 2-year payback period for installation of TSP. |
Sapporo City, Japan: Rt 36 |
bus
|
Unknown
|
Unknown | 6.1% reduction in bus travel time. 9.9% increase in ridership . |
Toronto |
Street-car
|
36
|
Early green, green extension |
15-49% reduction in transit signal delay. One streetcar removed from service. |
Chicago: Cermak Rd |
bus
|
15
|
Early green, green extension |
7-20% reduction in transit travel time. Transit schedule reliability improved. Reduced number of buses needed to operate the service. Passenger satisfaction level increased. 1.5 seconds/vehicle average decrease in vehicle delay. 8.2 seconds/vehicle average increase in cross-street delay. |
San Francisco |
LRT & Trolley
|
16
|
Early green, green extension |
6-25% reduction in transit signal delay. |
Minneapolis: Louisiana Av |
bus
|
3
|
Early green, green extension, actuated transit phase |
0-38% reduction in bus travel times depending on TSP strategy. 23% (4.4 seconds/vehicle) increase in traffic delay. Skipping signal phases caused some driver frustration. |
Los Angeles: Wilshire and Ventura Blvds |
bus
|
211
|
Early green, green extension, actuated transit phase |
7.5% reduction in average running time. 35% decrease in bus delay at signalized intersections. |
Source: Overview of Transit Signal Priority (2002).
Notes:
Previous research can be found in:
TCRP Report 100 Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual 2nd Edition, Washington, DC, 2003
http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp100/part%200.pdf
TCRP Report 90 Bus Rapid Transit Volume 1: Case Studies in Bus Rapid Transit, Washington, DC, 2003
http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_rpt_90v1.pdf
"Evaluation of Service Reliability Impacts of Traffic Signal Priority Strategies for Bus Transit," Transportation
Research Record 1841. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC, 2003, pp. 23-31.
http://trb.metapress.com/content/74u08g2542u71754/?p=b64f5425f91646a0aeb1e4bc1afe6a82&pi=2
An Overview of Transit Signal Priority. Intelligent Transportation Society of America, Washington, D.C., July 2002.