Open Research Online The Open University’s repository of research publications and other research outputs Can bus really be the new tram? Journal Item How to cite: Hodgson, Paul; Potter, Stephen; Warren, James and Gillingwater, David (2013). Can bus really be the new tram? Research in Transportation Economics, 39(1) pp. 158–166. For guidance on citations see FAQs. c 2012 Elsevier Ltd. Version: Accepted Manuscript Link(s) to article on publisher’s website: http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.retrec.2012.06.009 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0739885912000819 Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. For more information on Open Research Online’s data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policies page. oro.open.ac.uk Can Bus really be the new Tram? Paul Hodgson a, Stephen Potter a*, James Warren a and David Gillingwater b a The Open University, UK b Loughborough University, UK * Corresponding author Dept. of Design, Development, Environment and Materials, Faculty of Maths, Computing and Technology, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK +44 (0)1908 652634
[email protected] Keywords: Bus Rapid Transit; light rail; value for money; emissions; transit evaluation model ABSTRACT BRT appears to be less expensive to build and operate than tram systems but can it really approach the performance level of a tram system and what is the environmental performance of comparable systems? This paper reports systematic research on these issues, particularly relating to where an urban transit system seeks to attract discretionary car users.