Building a Better Bus Rapid Transit System with Transit Signal Priority

WHITE PAPER GPS-enabled Platform Building a better Bus Rapid Transit system with Transit Signal Priority As urbanization and pressure on public transit Combining the flexibility of CASE STUDY: systems in cities around the world intensifies, buses with the efficiency Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is becoming an ALBUQUERQUE, NM increasingly attractive answer to questions of of rail, Bus Rapid Transit This whitepaper examains how smart passenger mobility. systems make smart use of BRT systems often employ Transit Combining the flexibility of buses with the technology, infrastructure and Signal Priority solutions to reduce efficiency of rail, BRT systems make smart delays at intersections and main- transit operations to create a use of technology, infrastructure and transit tain schedules. operations to create a faster, more reliable and faster, more reliable and more more convenient public transport service for convenient public transport It’s this reliability which is the hall- the most in-demand routes. These are regularly mark of successful BRT and BRT- implemented in areas where congestion service for the most in- lite systems, and reliable on-time and other factors have led to bus services demand routes. performance which attracts riders. struggling to serve the needs of commuters No place has done this better than and other riders. Because it is far less Albuquerque, New Mexico where expensive to build and operate than rail, BRT the new Albuquerque Rapid Tran- works particularly well in growing mid-sized cities where standard bus services are struggling sit (ART) route use TSP to make to meet demand, but there is still insufficient population density to justify the investment-levels operations more efficient. required for light or heavy rail systems. Core elements of BRT systems can include dedicated lanes or running ways, easily accessible The final ART corridor design fea- ‘stations’ along the route, optimized ticketing and fare collection, service and operating plans, tures 27 stations and incorporates distinct and recognizable marketing and branding, and intelligent technology deployment1. two previous routes. The dedicated lanes run down the middle of the A further key element of all BRT projects is intersection treatments: the way those intersections street at some points and next to along the BRT corridor are optimized to benefit BRT vehicles while minimizing impact on other the sidewalks along other portions road users. This whitepaper looks at the way one of those intersection treatments, Transit Signal of the route. Left-hand turns have Priority technology, can play a significant role in enhancing the effectiveness of any BRT system been banned other than at signal- when deployed alongside complementary strategies and technologies. ized intersections. Buses run every BRT INTERSECTION TREATMENTS seven and a half minutes – mark- A number of approaches can be taken when it comes to intersection treatments as part of a BRT edly more regularly than any previ- project. In many cases these elements are all used as complementary parts of the same system. ous service in Albuquerque. • Timing Signals for Buses – this is the process of optimizing and coordinating signals to create a ‘green wave’, offering a general improvement for all traffic. Here the onus is on traffic engineering departments to tweak their systems to create these efficiencies. • Queue Jump – this is where an additional lane is provided at the approach to signalized intersections, often for buses only. For those areas of a route without a dedicated bus lane TM GLOBAL TRAFFIC TECHNOLOGIES 2 − WHITE PAPER it allows buses to move to the front of the One way that TSP can be a key component of associated economic development a Bus Rapid 4 queue of traffic, and is an effective way a BRT route is in the new Albuquerque Rapid Transit route can bring. The effects of TOD are of gaining time on the course of a route. Transit (ART) line in Albuquerque, New Mexico. already evident as the ART route is finalized: Queue jump is made possible through ART is the first BRT system to be gold-rated renewed and refreshed street landscape, detection technology such as embedded for design by the Institute for Transportation & safe and welcoming stations, and a more loops or Transit Signal Priority (see below). Development Policy (ITDP), a group that set the inviting environment that encourages people A combination of queue jump and Transit standard for BRT systems across the world. to use the street. The result is often that BRT Signal Priority is a particularly powerful TSP plays a crucial role in ART’s operation, projects attract new businesses and residential strategy for moving transit vehicles for reasons both planned and somewhat developments thanks to the presence of a efficiently. unexpected. reliable public transit option. • Prohibit Left Turns (right turns in countries The ART line is a nine-mile corridor along Central DESIGNING-IN TSP where traffic drives on the left) – this can Avenue in Albuquerque, which forms part of The final ART corridor design features 27 be a key component of a BRT system, historic Route 66. ABQ Ride, the public transit stations and incorporates two previous routes. as cross-traffic turns are one of the agency in Albuquerque, began planning for a The dedicated lanes run down the middle of the leading causes of slow-downs and delays, potential BRT route more than half a decade ago. street at some points and next to the sidewalks particularly during rush hour periods. Many along other portions of the route. Left-hand consider this a vital element of BRT: in Andrew de Garmo, principal planner at ABQ turns have been banned other than at signalized some cases left turns are prohibited along Ride, said the Central Avenue route had intersections. Buses run every seven and a half the full length of the BRT corridor, and in historically been the city’s highest ridership minutes – markedly more regularly than any others they are restricted to signalized corridor, carrying more than 40 percent of its previous service in Albuquerque. The new stations intersections. daily passengers. feature off-board fare collection and automated “There were bunching issues occurring along ticketing, as well as level platforms for accessible • Transit Signal Priority – TSP systems allow boarding and convenience for cyclists. buses to request an extended green signal the route,” de Garmo said. “And as ridership or truncated red signal as part of the went up, we kept having to add more buses, so From the outset, the system as designed to traffic light cycle, reducing travel time and in a sense it was consuming more resources for use Transit Signal Priority. Stan Low says the improving reliability and rider experience. slower service. BRT was an operational way to reasoning was clear. When a bus approaches a signalized try and address those issues.” “Other than, of course, moving people more intersection, equipment on-board allows In addition, a forecast population boom meant it to request priority at the traffic lights – effectively,” Low said, “when they are planning that there was a further impetus to be able how many buses it takes to move ‘X’ amount of this can be granted or denied by traffic to move commuters from the predominantly management departments depending on people to maintain the required headway, if you residential west side of Albuquerque to the east, have Traffic Signal Priority to maintain a constant policies and conditions. TSP has been where most of the city’s employment is located. proven to reduce delays at intersections by distance between the buses and provide on-time up to 40 percent, minimize fuel costs by Stan Low, IT division manager for the transit performance, what you may find is that you don’t up to 19 percent, and cut greenhouse gas department in the City of Albuquerque, said a need as many buses. You can provide the level emissions by up to 30 percent2. major appeal of BRT was that the city could of service that you want with fewer buses. That’s introduce dedicated lanes for the ART buses. a huge cost saving.” TSP FOR BRT: ALBUQUERQUE ART CASE STUDY “In the past 10 or 15 years, each time we have Some TSP systems, including that used for ART, Transit Signal Priority technology can play introduced an additional service to Central are able to provide what’s known as ‘conditional a crucial role in BRT systems, working in Avenue, it immediately gets used, almost filled – priority’: only granting priority at intersection close conjunction with other strategies and so those routes are very, very popular no matter when specific pre-agreed conditions are met. technologies to ensure buses experience what we add,” Low said. “We wanted to move a In Albuquerque, that means priority is only minimum delays due to waiting at red lights. large number of people efficiently and avoid the granted when the bus is behind schedule. With TSP, buses maintain correct headway growing congestion by adding dedicated lanes Other systems may require buses to meet a and adhere to posted schedules. Additionally, specifically for these mass people movers.” minimum passenger count in order to make the significant savings can be made by avoiding request. These conditions can be applied during A third aspect driving the BRT project was the need to invest in more vehicles and their system configuration and tweaked for optimal Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), the associated costs. performance. WHITE PAPER − 3 Andrew de Gramo said ABQ Ride was very Ultimately, the plan for ART relies on TSP to In an attempt to align the traffic engineering aware of public perception issues when the BRT provide some critical aspects of the BRT system. and transit goals, Low is working to combine system as being designed.

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