Study on the separated bus lanes effectiveness in city centres

Abstract

Purpose – Under deteriorating conditions of travelling in urban areas, especially city centers, prioritization of public transport is one of the main ways of its enhancing. In developed countries sophisticated control traffic systems are being implemented while in developing countries such solutions due to implementation cost are very rare. The purpose of this paper is to assess public transport operational effectiveness under diverse operational schemes present in two similar in size and traffic characteristics cities. The assessment is based on average journey times and speeds during peak and off peak hours. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology includes measurements and estimates of bus rides through in-field measurements in Edinburgh, UK and in Bialystok, Poland. In-field evaluations have been conducted using average speed and travel times. The data were collected by utilizing a portable GPS data logger that allowed monitoring and recording bus position along tested streets in one second inter...