[sustran] Fw: [Transit-Prof] Re: BRT - switchover lanes ....alternatively, why not run on the other

[Alan Howes]

Sustranners will be interested in this.
-- 
Alan Howes, Perthshire, Scotland
----- Original Message ----- 
From: LEECH, Colin 
To: Transit-Prof at yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 3:50 PM
Subject: RE: [Transit-Prof] Re: [sustran] Re: BRT - switchover lanes ....alternatively,why not run on the other


Robert Campbell wrote:

>    Boston's solution in the City of Cambridge is to have left hand
> doors on its trackless trolleys (trolley buses): this is for the bus
> (former trolley/tram) tunnel underneath Harvard Square and 
> for operation
> on Aberdeen Avenue where boarding/alighting is done in the median of
> this boulevarded type street.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston-area_trackless_trolleys

>   [ For light rail in Cleveland, there used to be wrong way running in
> the section where the trolley cars ("Shaker Heights Rapid") run on the
> same right of way as the heavy rapid transit.  The trolleys used a
> central low platform, and the CTS rapid used central high level
> platforms.  I don't know if this still pertains.]

I don't know the geography of Cleveland to know whether this is the same area or not, but their new Silver Line BRT will have doors on both sides of the buses - see:
http://www.euclidtransit.org/rapid_transit_system/design_engineering.asp

Eugene Oregon got their "doors on both sides" BRT running a little bit before Cleveland, see:

http://www.ltd.org/pdf/EmX%20how%20to%20ride%20brochure%20web.pdf
http://www.ltd.org/search/showresult.html?versionthread=6eec24bb231297a66d73fb145404cef2

I have been told that such buses also exist in Mexico City and Leon, a city in central Mexico.

Montreal had peak-period contra-flow bus lanes on Pie-IX Boulevard in the east end, with passenger stations in the median and conventional buses. This created several issues:

- pedestrians stepping out in front of buses coming from a direction they aren't expecting
- head-on collisions with oncoming traffic
- collisions with other vehicles at intersections
- confusion among passengers during the changeover times between the media contra-flow operations and the conventional curbside operations

These contraflow lanes have not been service for a couple of years and I'm not clear on what the major factor was in their demise. Each bus used on this service had a large illuminated flashing arrow on the front to wake up oncoming drivers who may have ignored the static signage that was in place. Intersections can be handled to some degree by providing fully protected traffic signal phases for left turns, but cars entering the street from side streets are still an issue. In London UK there are signs in tourist areas warning pedestrians to look in both directions before crossing since there are so many tourists visiting from countries where traffic operates on the other side of the street. I don't know how Montreal handled the changeovers at each end of the contraflow lanes.

I was thinking that having doors on both sides of the buses might be a way for Montreal to revive the Pie-IX bus lanes. The "problem" with this idea is that you wind up with a dedicated facility - good for transit, but bad for traffic capacity and hence tough to sell to the public and politicians. The old Pie-IX lanes were contraflow, which is good for traffic capacity, but bad for safety (especially in our winters when lane markings are buried under snow).

Montreal also has peak period contraflow bus lanes on the Champlain Bridge, but there are no passenger stops to worry about. Ramps have been built at each end to allow access into/egress out of the lanes. In addition to the static signage along the road, they also put out traffic cones along the dividing line between the bus lane and the oncoming traffic. It's labour intensive but it has been in operation for about 30 years and works well.

Prof J G Krishnayya wrote:

>   Just an idea. Please shoot it down (with reasons) if it is
> impractical for India.
> 
>   Traffic in India drives on the left side of a road. In the case of a
> divided highway, one proposal is to run the BRTS in a separate lane
> (taking the place of the "Fast Lane", i.e. to the right hand 
> edge of the left half of the road.
> 
>   This means that entry and exit from the busses would have to be to
> and from fresh islands in the road (since doors are on the 
> left side of
> the bus) or else fresh doors would have to be cut into the 
> bus, so that
> passengers can board and get off onto a central island..

The Spadina LRT line in Toronto has two reserved train tracks in the middle of a wide road. I believe the passenger platforms are on the outside of the tracks, resulting in separate islands between the tracks and the regular traffic. I see no reason why the passenger platforms could not be put between the tracks, or between the bus lanes in the case of a BRT. I see your choices as:

- standard buses with standard doors, running contra-flow with a single median island
- standard buses running with the regular traffic, with new passenger islands between the buses and the other traffic 
- buses running with regular traffic, with doors on the wrong side (may or may not need doors on the standard side also depending on whether they are used elsewhere as well)

The ideal configuration will depend on your local conditions. 

>   Pune experience within days of the start of BRTS makes it clear that
> with our population density, and general attitude towards 
> discipline in
> general, Grade-Separation between the normal roadway (of at least 8
> inches) and the BRTS lanes, is essential to avoid many, many fatal
> accidents.  If the BRTS lane is grade-separated, there should be no
> problem about the BRTS busses running in the opposite direction to the
> regular stream of traffic.

My preference would be to physically separate the two transit lanes from the rest of the traffic. Whether this is through curbs or fencing is up to you (8" seems a bit high to me). Fencing is easier for LRT than BRT since you don't have to worry about the lateral width for vehicles to wander from side to side. Once the transit lanes are physically separated from the other traffic, it makes less difference which direction the buses are running in each lane. The problem with the Pie-IX lanes in Montreal IMHO was that they were used in one direction by cars during some times of the day, while used in the opposing direction for buses at other times of the day. If you have completely dedicated bus lanes, it's easier to avoid this kind of confusion.

You will still have issues with other traffic at intersections, but those issues are a lot easier to control as the physical separation will help alert other drivers to the conditions. In Montreal they just used the regular lanes with some signs.

Peter Lutman wrote:

> 'wrong-way' working [...] I am not sure what arrangements
> would be necessary if the vehicles had to leave the busway and join
> general traffic on a section of the route.

It shouldn't be too hard to design something suitable. You can install a set of traffic signals that turn red for all other traffic while allowing the buses to exit from the bus lane to wherever they are going. Ramps and other ideas are feasible if you have the space. I don't see this being the major hurdle with the scheme but it will take a bit of thought.

All opinions are my own, not necessarily shared by my employer. Feel free to pass them along to the other mailing lists.

--------------
Colin R. Leech
City of Ottawa TPO - Transit Priority Measures
Ville d'Ottawa DCS - Mesures de priorité au transport en commun
613-580-2424 ext./poste 13826
Colin.Leech at Ottawa.ca


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