[sustran] Safety on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Roads

[Chris Bradshaw]

Our BRT system in Ottawa is just passed its 30th birthday.  Just a 
couple months ago, two of the buses collided.  Although the low-speed 
collision (at  turn within one of the stations) resulted in no deaths or 
serious injuries, there was a furore of the slow reaction of the 
authority to report the accident and inform users of the reasons for 
near gridlock for hours.  Obviously, the authority had not considered 
such an occurrence possible.

Given that passengers do not have seat belts, that many do not have 
seats, that speeds of buses are quite high (compared to regular-street 
service) and that these roadways (called "transitway" locally) are 
undivided, so that buses from opposing directions have no physical 
barrier (such as a Jersey barrier) providing separation and a deflector 
if one bus moved toward the centreline), this situation seems to be a 
huge catastrophe just waiting to happen.  The lack of restraints on 
transit vehicles reflects the expectation that collisions would occur 
primarily with much smaller vehicles, in which case the brunt of the 
impact would be experienced by the other vehicle.  But collisions 
between two loades buses at high speeds (60-80 kms are common, and 
patrons have reported higher speeds).  Rail technology, which is often 
much faster, is at least "guided" and operator error less consequential.

Does anyone know of any industry or state recognition of this risk -- or 
of actual collisions between two or more transit vehicles -- that might 
shed some light on just how dangerous this situation is and what 
measures might be taken to reduce that danger?

Chris Bradshaw
Ottawa, Canada