Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).
It’s the mass public transport system to have when you don't want “real” mass transit. Harsh we know, but that seems to be the view of many.
Firstly, we are biased towards BRT. We like the mode of transport, and yes, we would like to see BRT in as many cities as possible. However we also consider ourselves to be at least somewhat realistic.
We know that it is not suitable for all cities and all environments.
In fact in many locations BRT is an inappropriate mode of transport. Not as inappropriate as David Hasselhoff in a pair of Speedos...but inappropriate nonetheless!
Sorry for putting that image in your heads...but lets focus on the positives.
When done right, BRT can be a phenomenal system that not only helps ease congestion, but can also promote changes in mode.
But how do you know if BRT is right for your city? And how can you ensure it is a success?
Below is a quick, subjective, and possibly biased set of criteria, that can help to quickly ascertain if BRT will work in your city, and more importantly, how to ensure its success. Enjoy!
Will BRT work in my city?
If we look at the data over the past two decades, it’s clear that BRT works much better in some countries than others - just look at the removal of BRT type systems in heavily congested cities as glaring examples of where it has failed.
Based on review the best locations are:
- Cities that are developing fast (in terms of growth and income)
- Middle wealth countries.
As a case in point, over the last 10 years, over 70 percent of BRT systems have been built in such countries (Asia, Latin America and South America predominantly).
What makes these countries and cities good candidates, is that they have high levels of congestion, but still low car ownership - per capita. More importantly, Governments of such countries and cities are in need of fast and urgent public transport solutions to help their residents get around their city and increase productivity.
As BRT is fast to implement (it can be as little as a few years for a basic system) and cost effective (often 10 times cheaper per kilometer than rail), it becomes a logical choice.
BRT can also help move people onto public transport, and can later be replaced by higher volume mass transit systems. There are no hard and fast rules, but it is possible to get your return on investment in between five and seven years and then upgrade to a higher volume mode of transport.
In short, if you’re a decision-maker in a fast developing middle wealth country or city, then BRT is definitely worth considering.
For countries and cities in the developed world, if no rail is in place along a particular route, and there is an identified need on either a radial or orbital alignment, and population and land-use supports such a system, then BRT may be a suitable option as well.
This leads to the next question. How do you set yourself up for BRT success?
Set yourself up for BRT success...
By considering the following you give yourself the best chance of achieving success when it comes to BRT.
Land-use must comes first
A good public transport system creates a hub around premier stations. This can only occur if either:
- the station is built in the right location, or
- zoning changes to allow mixed use development and medium to high density residential development are implemented.
When you have good land use around stations then you are already on the road to achieving success – pardon the pun.
Trip demographics
Equally as important is trip demographics. As well as appropriate land use you need to understand how and when people are using - or will use - public transport.
If you provide a service that picks people up from where they live and takes them where they need to go quickly and cost effectively, then chances are your system will work well.
Dedicated lanes
It goes without saying, but a BRT system requires dedicated lanes. In almost all cases these are in the middle of the road, although some systems have considered side of the road alignments - somewhat ironically, tram systems on the side of the road, such as in Vienna, work very well.
For BRT to work, you need to provide a system that has significant time benefits over car travel. This can only be achieved with dedicated lanes and if not absolute priority, at least some form of signal priority at intersections.
While there is a financial aspect in terms of a bus trip being cheaper than a car, the equations are generally a lot more complex than this and involves funky demand elasticity’s. In short however, the fundamental requirement of BRT is faster travel times than cars using the same routes and road space.
While in middle wealth countries price alone will be a deciding factor, in the developed world time saving (and the financial value put on this) is often more important.
Get to know the riders and why they would want to use a BRT system.
Seamless boarding
It’s not just enough to have a dedicated lane for your BRT. Consideration needs to be given to the boarding process and ease of accessing the system. Smart Cards, and fast and effective ticketing helps a system to succeed.
The easier you make it for people, the work they will be inclined to use it.
Interoperability – it’s not just a buzz word
At its core, interoperability means been able to jump between modes easily and without any change of ticketing.
Creating a BRT that links in with other modes of transport – and park and ride sites – will help increase ridership significantly.
Quality infrastructure and bus fleet
If you want to be the part, you have to look the part. It’s not just something that your teachers used to say to you when you weren't wearing your uniform correctly. It's also something that is integrally important to the success of a BRT system.
High quality public transport stations that are air-conditioned, easily accessible and safe are important. In fact, many cities use the overhead pedestrian accesses as well as BRT stations as architectural features and to help integrate both sides of a road.
If the system is high quality with stations and facilities similar to rail, then there is a higher chance of the system achieving success.
A willing Government
Taking road space from cars to provide for public transport is often seen as a bold and risky move.
A strong government that wants to solve congestion is required to ensure the BRT project gets legs.
Also, as a BRT system needs to be somewhat cost effective, funding from Government is also important.
Summary
While there are many other aspects of BRT to consider, by thinking of the above you can quickly ascertain what countries and cities BRT's work best in, and also what the key factors to their success are.
It would be great to hear other aspects that people consider important to the success of BRT.
Here's to the alternative mode of mass transit!
Transit Trends · Andrew Collings, KA Advisory. Read and comment on the original on LinkedIn.
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