Luton-Dunstable Busway Is, After in a Congested Conurbation, BRT Can Be Many Years in the Making, Nearly with Us Vital to an Integrated Transport Offer
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BRTHandbook_2013_p01_Cover_BRTHandbook_p01 04/09/2013 12:23 Page 1 The Handbook A review of the key developments 2013/14 Published by: Supported by: Sponsored by: BRThandbook_2013_p02-03_Contents_BRThandbook_p02-03 04/09/2013 12:15 Page 2 BRThandbook_2013_p02-03_Contents_BRThandbook_p02-03 04/09/2013 12:15 Page 3 Introduction| 3 Two is company, the proverb says, but, when it comes to bus rapid transit, is three enough to justify using the term ‘crowd’? rogress is being made, there is no And thirdly, the Luton-Dunstable implemented. Which raises the key doubt of that. Cambridge has been busway, so long in development, appears question of ‘why?’ Have the manifest Pup and running for two years now finally to be ready to get under way. So difficulties in getting a BRT scheme and is continuing to produce ridership that’s two major BRT schemes that have approved, funded and, finally, actually built numbers that must gladden the heart of both come to fruition and also really, really been putting people off taking forward every BRT enthusiast in Britain (and, worked. And let’s hope that the Luton- comparable schemes in their own areas? indeed, elsewhere). The Eclipse BRT Dunstable scheme, despite its tortured and And, if they have, will the manifest success scheme in Hampshire, meanwhile, is also lengthy development, also works like a stories of Cambridge and Hampshire lead now both fully operational and, by charm when it opens later this month. them to dust off a few hitherto shelved seemingly achieving its primary aim of The key question is, of course, where BRT schemes? We like to think that they getting people out of their cars and onto does BRT go next, because there don’t will – because if anything these two the bus, doing exactly what its developers seem to be that many other major projects projects show us that, in the final analysis, wrote on the tin. that are serious close to being all of the hard work is worth it. Contents P5 P16 P26 Interesting times for BRT Bus Rapid Transit in the UK Legal obstacles to BRT The tide is now running in favour of BRT, We chart BRT schemes in operation and Bircham Dyson Bell explain what a BRT says Bob Tebb those that are in the planning stage scheme developer should expect around Britain P6 P18 Getting ready to roll BRT central to Manchester The Luton-Dunstable busway is, after In a congested conurbation, BRT can be many years in the making, nearly with us vital to an integrated transport offer P28 Making buses a better choice Hampshire CC explains how its Eclipse BRT P14 P20 scheme is making a difference The connected journey BRT vs LRT: pros and cons No one likes to queue and, as Vix Do users prefer bus or light rail-based tran- explains, nowadays you don’t have to! sit systems, asks Steer Davies Gleave P22 Cambridge leading the way Two years after its launch, Cambridge’s BRT scheme remains a success story P24 P30 Getting the best use out of it Who’s who in BRT Has the Cambridge busway achieved BRTuk members, and some of the key what it was designed to achieve? consultants and suppliers EDITORIAL OFFICES BRTuk SECRETARY ADVERTISING PRINT & DISTRIBUTION Brought to you by Landor Links, Apollo House, 359 David Eve, Daniel Simpson Hastings Printing Company Ltd, and Kennington Lane, London SE11 5QY Parsons Brinckerhoff E: [email protected] Drury Lane, St Leonards-on-Sea, c/o A Hopcroft, T: 0845 270 7861 East Sussex TN38 9BJ BRTuk MEMBERSHIP OFFICE 6 Devonshire Square, c/o Keith Gellaitry, London EC2M 4YE DESIGN & PRODUCTION © Landor LINKS Ltd & BRTuk Ltd 2013 Dundas & Wilson, Production Dept. Saltire Court, 20 Castle Terrace, E: [email protected] ISBN: 978-1-899650-73-6 Edinburgh EH1 2EN BRThandbook_2013_p04-05_Tebb intro_BRThandbook_p04-05 04/09/2013 12:09 Page 4 BRThandbook_2013_p04-05_Tebb intro_BRThandbook_p04-05 04/09/2013 12:09 Page 5 5 2013: BRT –|we live in| interesting times!| – and indeed the coming months. Look now at the bus ‘humble’ bus – is sys tem in any city, major town or even a BRT currently receiving busy corridor anywhere, and you will see establishment capital support perhaps as evidence of BRT techniques being applied, never before. This is despite the poor initially to the solution of one or two local national economic situation over the past problems. Make those one or two into few months, which has seen passenger seven or eight, as is happening more and levels suffer and ongoing support fall. more frequently, and you have the makings Nevertheless, recovery is beginning to of a BRT corridor! Bob Tebb, Chair, BRTuk appear to bring passengers back to what is, Yet there is still something of a general in a growing number of cases, a very new perception that bus and BRT are different scheme, meanwhile, is now an accepted and delightful animal in bus prod uct terms. species of animal, and that cross- part of bus transit in the area – with such BRTuk itself has been a demonstration fertilisation is impossible or even public acceptance demonstrating its that the tide is now running heavily in inadvisable. Nothing could be further from effectiveness. favour of bus transit; its own direct the truth! Several of the earlier BRT I am looking forward to the Luton- activities have, sadly, been somewhat schemes in the UK did exactly that – they Dunstable guided BRT scheme coming limited recently as its directors and officers developed a bus route (not even on-stream this year, and to the 2013 BRTuk have been so occupied in BRT and bus necessarily a good bus route!) into a BRT conference in Luton – look closely not just development progressions for their own one, either in stages or as a ‘grand slam’, at the excellent guideway elements but companies that they have had little time to thereby encouraging modal shift from also the dramatic route through the centre devote to progressing BRTuk as much as private to public transport and significantly of Luton, with its magnificent new bus they hoped! As an organization we can growing bus patronage. interchange sandwiched perfectly between only apologise for this! Those who are shaking their heads that the railway station and the nearby town So, what IS happening nationally to all this is impossible should, perhaps, take centre. cause these levels of activity? a look at a certain public transport route This is a growing feature of BRT The first element is the very along the Fylde coast. From operating a schemes nationally; they are finally considerable technical capital funding characteristic ‘bus’ type service with achieving proper segregated penetration of support from central Government for frequent stops, pay-as-you-board vehicles town and city centres – giving consistent, greener buses in general; as BRT system of limited and erratic performance and fast and direct access to their shopping, vehicles tend to use the latest and most modernity, the identical route has been business, and social hearts. This is in progressive designs, these are at the transformed this year into an attractive, contrast to what had been hap pening a forefront of such progress. I mentioned higher-performance rapid transit service decade or two earlier (and is still new fuels last year, and the pace here in with easy b oarding at close level platforms, happening in some cities with out-dated such develop ment continues almost at less frequent – but well located – stops, car-dominated thoughts) as buses were exponentially – to the point where it is with short stop dwell times and modern, pushed further and further out from those becoming increasingly difficult to choose attractive, articulated vehicles. centres, denying customers access thereto. which way to go. Bus infrastructure funding For those suspicious of this description, Another long-awaited major scheme is is not being left behind in this. this route is of course not bus – or BRT – now in build; although long known as the Curiously, perhaps, as interest and but the development of the 125-plus year Leigh busway, its future strength will lie in activity in BRT grows almost equally old Blackpool traditional tramway into a part in its accessing, by more conventional rapidly, I see a ‘blurring’ of the technical, light rail route. The bus industry still seems means than guideways, the heart of visual and operational distinctions reluctant to learn from our light rail Manchester city centre – a city that is between BRT and bus. This is NOT a coll eagues, but I have always argued that dramatically putting public transport as the failing, nor a watering down of BRT – but a the simple message “THINK TRAM – DO keystone to its mobility through a mixture rise in the quality of product being BUS” is an essential part of the way to of transit modes. provided by that humble bus I mentioned achieve BRT progress in this country. I hope you find this latest, 2013, edition earlier as part of those investment That’s enough of the theory then. Let’s of the BRTuk Handbook once again processes. look at BRT on the ground. Cambridgeshire interesting and useful, as it demonstrates This growth in ‘better bus’ activity is busway, still the BRT ‘star’ in the UK, that you are part of a well-established, and itself causing something of a rethink within continues its growth and public now very definitely mainstream, transit BRTuk about how best to fulfill our acceptability, with through bus services industry. perceived BRT information exchange role ever further afield (try doing that with rail!) As I conclude each year – good luck for to the industry as a whole, and I hope we and even its do om-mongers seem quieter! the future – and please continue to support can report possible developments in the The Gosport-Fareham ‘Eclipse’ BRT BRTuk in the months ahead.