Bus rapid transit

Bus rapid transit, often called BRT, is a special kind of bus system designed to be faster and more reliable than regular buses. It usually includes roads just for buses and gives them special priority at places where they cross other traffic. This helps BRT buses move more quickly and smoothly.

The idea of BRT began in the city of Curitiba in 1974, where they created a whole system with all the best features. Since then, many cities around the world have started their own BRT systems. As of March 2018, 166 cities on six continents had BRT systems, helping about 32.2 million people travel each day.

Today, the largest BRT network is in Transjakarta, connecting many parts of the Indonesian capital city. BRT combines the speed and capacity of train systems with the flexibility and lower cost of buses, making it a popular choice for many places.

Terminology

Bus rapid transit (BRT) is a special kind of public transportation that works like a fast, busy train system. It has its own special roads for buses, buses that come by very often, and places where people can get on and off easily.

People in places like the Americas and China call this system "BRT." In India, it is called "BRTS" (BRT System), and in Europe, it may be called a "busway" or "BHLS" (which means Bus with a High Level of Service). The idea of a "transitway" started in 1981 when Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, opened its own special bus road called the OC Transpo transitway.

Some people worry that sometimes the name "bus rapid transit" is used for bus systems that don’t really have all the special features that make BRT different from normal buses. This is sometimes called "bus rapid transit creep."

Reasons for use

Compared to other common ways to move people around, like light rail transit, bus rapid transit (BRT) is often chosen because it costs less to start and run. You don’t need to lay down special tracks, bus drivers usually need less training and get paid less than train operators, and keeping buses working is simpler than keeping trains running.

Buses are also more flexible than trains. If people’s travel needs change or if the roads get bad, bus routes can be adjusted without spending a lot of money or time.

History

The first protected busway was the East Side Trolley Tunnel in Providence, Rhode Island. It changed from a trolley to bus use in 1948. Another early bus system with fast travel features is the Runcorn Busway in England. It started in 1971 and was fully finished by 1980. The central station is at Runcorn Shopping City where buses arrive on special roads to two indoor stations.

The first BRT system in the world was the Rede Integrada de Transporte in Curitiba, Brazil, in 1974. It was inspired by a transport system in Peru but added new ideas. Many BRT features started here, like special bus lanes and stations where people could pay before getting on the bus. Other cities added more ideas, like groups of buses leaving stops together in Porto Alegre, and faster services in São Paulo.

In the United States, an early BRT example was the El Monte Busway, which opened in 1973. It used an old railroad path to create a special bus lane that saved time for travelers. Another early system was the Pittsburgh South Busway, which led to more busways in the area.

The OC Transpo BRT system in Ottawa, Canada, started in 1983. It began with special bus lanes in the city center and later added separate roads just for buses. By 1996, the whole planned system was finished, and more parts opened later. By 2019, the main part was changed to light rail because it became too busy.

In 1995, Quito, Ecuador, started its first BRT using trolleybuses. The TransMilenio in Bogotá, Colombia, opened in 2000 and became the fastest and busiest BRT system in the world. In 2004, Transjakarta opened in Jakarta, Indonesia, and by 2015 it became the longest BRT system. Africa’s first BRT started in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2008, and the first true BRT in Africa began in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2009. In 2017, Marrakesh, Morocco, opened its first BRT trolleybus system.

Main features

Main article: BRT Standard

BRT systems include special roads just for buses and give buses special help at traffic lights so they move faster than regular traffic. This helps buses get to places quickly without getting stuck in traffic.

Passengers can pay for their tickets before getting on the bus, which makes getting on and off the bus faster. Bus stops are designed so people can get on and off easily, even if they use wheelchairs or have strollers. This helps everyone travel quickly and comfortably.

Additional features

Groups of rules make up the BRT Standard 2016, which is updated by a team of experts.

Big vehicles such as long buses or even extra-long buses can be used, usually with many doors to help people get on and off quickly. Double-decker buses or special guided buses might also be used. Advanced power systems can make the ride smoother.

Good BRT stations have special areas where many buses can stop at the same time, with signs and speakers to help passengers.

High-quality stations are used in places like Bogotá since December 2000, the MIO in Cali since November 2008, Metrolinea in Bucaramanga since December 2009, and Megabús in Pereira since May 2009. This design is also used in Johannesburg's Rea Vaya.

In North America, stations can range from closed waiting areas in Ottawa and Cleveland to open shelters in Los Angeles and San Bernardino.

A special look or name can make BRT more attractive than driving a car, with names like Viva, Max, TransMilenio, Metropolitano, Metronit, and Select used to mark stops, stations, and buses.

Transit apps can help plan trips, show schedules, and give updates. Apps like Transit and Moovit are used in many cities. Some BRT systems have their own apps, like Transmilenio.

Sometimes buses need to go through tunnels, especially in busy city areas where above-ground paths aren’t possible. Because buses usually run on fuel, tunnels need good air systems to keep the air clean. Big fans move air out through special openings.

Some places use electric buses in tunnels. Seattle’s Metro Bus Tunnel and Boston’s Silver Line use special electric or hybrid buses. These buses change how they work depending on where they are.

In 2004, Seattle started using hybrid buses that are quiet and clean underground. In March 2019, the light rail expanded, and buses moved back to surface streets.

Long electric buses work well in tunnels without any problems.

Performance

See also: BRT Standard

A BRT system can be judged by several factors. The BRT Standard was created by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) to score BRT lines, creating a list of rated BRT corridors that meet the basic definition of BRT. The top-rated systems earn a "gold" ranking. The newest version of this standard came out in 2016.

Other ways to check how well BRT works include:

• The time between buses, called vehicle headway. Buses can come as often as every 10 seconds or less, but busy places like TransMilenio average about 13 seconds between buses, while some parts of Metrobus (Istanbul) are about 14 seconds apart.
• How many people a bus can carry, from about 50 for a normal bus up to 300 or even 500 for special long buses.
• How well stations handle lots of people. When many passengers use a line, big stations with many places to get on and off are needed. This is often the biggest problem for BRT and for train systems.
• How well smaller buses or feeder lines can bring people to the main stations quickly.
• How many people actually want to use the service in the area. If not enough people need to travel, the buses won’t be full.

Using these measurements, the most a BRT system can carry in one hour in one direction is about 150,000 passengers. The real-world record is held by BRT Rio in de Janeiro, Brazil, with about 65,000 passengers an hour. Other busy systems like TransMilenio in Bogotá and Metrobus in Istanbul carry between 45,000 and 49,000 passengers an hour, while most others manage between 15,000 and 25,000.

Research by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) shows how BRT systems compare to other types of rail. The study found that BRT systems like TransMilenio can carry more people than most heavy rail systems and far more than light rail systems.

Data from 84 BRT systems shows:

1. The best BRT system carried about 37,700 passengers in the busiest hour.
2. The best heavy rail system carried about 36,000 passengers.
3. The best light rail system carried about 13,400 passengers.

More recent BRT numbers include:

• About 45,000 passengers an hour in Istanbul in 2020 using special long buses.
• 320 buses an hour in one direction in Rio de Janeiro in 2014, meaning a bus every 11 seconds.
• About 65,400 passengers an hour in Rio de Janeiro between 2012 and 2014, with a bus every 6 seconds.

Comparison with light rail

When the first BRT system started in 1971, many cities thought BRT could only carry about 12,000 passengers an hour. This limit was often used as a reason to build expensive heavy rail systems instead. But when TransMilenio opened in Bogotá in 2000, it changed this idea. By giving buses special lanes at stops and adding express services, it could carry up to 35,000 passengers an hour. Light rail systems usually carry between 3,500 and 19,000 passengers an hour.

There are some situations where light rail might be better, but they are rare. These are places with only one lane in each direction, between 16,000 and 20,000 passengers an hour needed, and very long distances between stops. In these cases, light rail might work a little better. But in the United States, studies have shown that BRT systems cost less than light rail and often perform just as well or better. They are also more flexible and faster to set up. Some people thought light rail was better, but when the service is the same, most riders don’t prefer one over the other.

Comparison with heavy rail

Plans to expand Bogotá’s BRT system, TransMilenio, aim to make sure 85% of the city’s 7 million people live within a short walk of a BRT stop. This kind of expansion would be very hard for a heavy rail system to do, according to Bogotá’s mayor.

BRT can also replace heavy rail lines when those lines are damaged or not used much anymore. For example, in Japan, parts of the JR East Kesennuma and Ōfunato Lines were badly damaged during the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. These were turned into bus lanes, which cost less to fix and maintain while still offering good service. A similar plan for part of the JR Kyushu Hitahikosan Line was set to open in August 2023 after damage from heavy rain in 2017. In both cases, fewer people were using the rail lines, so buses work better and cost less.

Comparison with conventional bus services

Normal bus services share roads with regular traffic, which can be slow because of crowded roads. Also, buses slow down when many people get on and off, called dwell time.

In 2013, New York City found that buses on 34th Street, carrying about 33,000 riders a day, averaged just 4.5 miles per hour — almost as slow as walking! Even after adding special bus lanes and traffic cameras as part of their Select Bus Service, buses on that street still only went 4.5 mph.

Back in the 1960s, a researcher named Reuben Smeed thought traffic in central London would only move at about 9 miles per hour without special rules. After London started charging drivers to enter busy parts of the city in 2003, traffic speeds went up to about 14 kilometers per hour (8.7 mph) — the fastest since the 1970s. But BRT systems usually go much faster, between 17 and 30 miles per hour (27 to 48 km/h).

Cost

The cost to build a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is lower than building a light rail system. A study from the U.S. Government Accountability Office in 2000 found that building busways cost about $13.5 million per mile, while light rail cost about $34.8 million per mile. The total cost depends on things like the road, special designs at stations, and traffic signals.

Studies show that BRT can offer good service at a much lower cost compared to other transit options. In higher income countries, other rail options can cost up to 40 times as much as a BRT system, and about 4 times more than BRT for surface rail options. BRT systems also tend to have lower operating costs because of cheaper buses and less expensive infrastructure.

Criticism

Bus rapid transit (BRT) systems have been supported by groups like the Shell-funded EMBARQ program, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. These groups have worked to encourage local governments to choose BRT systems instead of rail-based transportation.

BRT systems sometimes face criticism for not meeting environmental standards. Unlike electric-powered trains, many BRT buses use diesel or gasoline engines, which can cause air pollution, noise, and vibration. However, BRT can still offer environmental benefits compared to private cars. For example, Bogotá replaced many conventional buses with BRT buses, reducing the number of buses needed and lowering pollution.

Some BRT systems have issues with overcrowding and service quality. In cities like Santiago de Chile and Bogotá, buses have been too full, leading to long wait times and unhappy passengers. There have also been concerns about safety and comfort for all users. To address these problems, some cities have added new, cleaner buses and improved services.

Some BRT systems have faced challenges and changes over time. In Delhi, a BRT system was removed, and in other places, there have been debates about how these bus lanes should be used. Experts also note that BRT may not work well in cities that are very spread out, as there may not be enough passengers to keep the system running smoothly.

Impact

A study from 2018 showed that adding a BRT network in Mexico City helped lower air pollution. They measured this by looking at certain harmful gases and tiny particles in the air, which went down after the BRT started.