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Buses World News
Buses World News
In brief: Worldwide montly news & informations about Buses, Busmakers, Passengers' and the Transport Industry
15.4.16
BUS LANES * USA: TESTED in DC
* D.C. - Will test bus-only lanes on a short stretch of Georgia Avenue
-- New dedicated bus lanes debut next week in a four-block stretch of Georgia Avenue NW, in what would be the District’s first enforceable bus lanes in decades... Although it’s a short third-of-a-mile stretch of transit lane, officials say it should help speed up bus travel in what currently is a clogged portion of the route served by Metrobus routes...The 70s line is one of the city’s busiest, carrying about 20,000 passengers from downtown Washingtontodowntown Silver Spring. Buses in the corridor have high ridership throughout the day. Now the buses will have their own lane from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday trough Saturday, DDOT said...The bus lanes pilot on Georgia Avenueanswers growing calls for prioritizing bus travel in some of the region’s busiest corridors where buses carry a substantial number of commuters yet are often stuck behind the general traffic.Metro, an active advocate for bus lanes, hasn’t had many dedicated lanes since most of the region’s more than 60 miles of bus lanes faded into history after the arrival of Metrorail in the 1970s. The agency currently runs buses on transit-only lanes in Alexandria... D.C. transportation officials say they hope to use the Georgia Avenue pilot as testing ground for larger future projects.DDOT also is planning to install rush-hour bus lanes along16th Street NW... (Photo courtesy of Metro: Bus Lane on 14th Street next to the Mall in the early 1970s) -- Washington, DC, USA - The Washington Post, by Luz Lazo - April 5, 2016
* Virginia - To help ease Va. 7 congestion, a plan for bus-only lanes
-- New buses that can zip past traffic in their own lanes are the recommended way to help Northern Virginians navigate a congested Va. 7 between Tysons and Alexandria... The recommendation being presented Thursday is that buses would follow the Spring Hill Metro to Falls Church where the buses would then follow the red line to connect to East Falls Church, then continue to the Mark Center only, without continuing to either Van Dorn St. or King St. Metro stations... As presented, the proposed bus route is expected to draw 9,500 new transit riders each day, at a construction and related cost 70 percent less than light rail and operating costs about 40 percent lower than light rail... With bus-only lanes, like those that have opened along Route 1 between Arlington and Alexandria, buses would be able to bypass much of that traffic to speed up trips. That Metroway service is set to open additional bus-only lanes in Arlington on April 17... (Image Courtesy of NVTC) -- Washington, DC, USA - WTOP, by Max Smith - April 6, 2016
* Texas - How Houston's bus network got its groove back
-- Not long ago, Houston’s bus service befit a version of the city out of the 1950s. Despite decades of decentralized urban growth, most bus lines still zig-zagged into one small section of the downtown core, where only 25 percent of the region’s jobs are located. Route redundancies were rampant. And despite the all-day transit needs of university students and low-income riders, frequent service (meaning buses arriving every 15 minutes or faster) was mostly limited to weekday rush hours... But one Sunday morning in August 2015, Houstonians awoke to a completely re-envisioned system—the first that the Metropolitan Transit Agency had undertaken in four decades. A less redundant, more grid-like network of routes “vastly expanded the reach of frequent service” and offered all-day, all-week service on several key lines, according to Human Transit’s Jarrett Walker, who worked with the city as a consultant on the redesign. Houston Metro was able to transform the system largely by trimming and tightening unnecessary routes, with no significant additional costs... Inevitably, not all Houstonians were or are supporters. Because transit officials focused on cutting redundant bus service with low ridership to open up capacity for heavier-use lines, some riders saw their walks to the bus stop get a little longer... But so far the data suggest that the changes, even with their pain points, were worth it... By the third month of service, local ridership was up 8 percent. And transit experts believe that more people are poised to discover the new system as the months and years roll on, bumping up ridership more over time... L.A., with the second-largest bus fleet in North America, is considering following Houston’s lead... Houston, TXS, USA - City Lab, by Laura Bliss - Apr 5, 2016
BRT Services USA * Seattle more services - ** Tennessee: A new one
* Seattle - Mayor Ed Murray celebrates expanded Metro bus service
-- Seattle Mayor Ed Murray celebrated the first day of expanded weekday Metro bus service in neighborhoods across Seattle... Seattle voters approved Transit Proposition 1 in November 2014 and provided the City of Seattle with approximately $45 million annually for the next six years to improve and expand in-city bus service... Bus lines seeing more frequent and reliable service in this expansion will see improved connections and frequencies on many routes that serve the new light rail stations at the University of Washington and Capitol Hill... (Picture from City of Seattle - Mayor Ed Murray and transit supporters celebrated the first day of expanded weekday Metro bus service in neighborhoods across state) -- Seattle, WASH, USA - My North West, by CANDY HARPER/KIRO Radio - 28 March 2016 ** Tennessee - Nolensville Pike buses now offer new service, BRT Lite
-- A new service, Bus Rapid Transit lite or BRT lite, is available to Nolensville Pike bus customers... The new service begun Sunday, March 27 as part of Nashville MTA’s improvements... All buses serve Nolensville Pike between Downtown and Harding Place with branches to Hickory Plaza and Wallace and Ezell... On weekdays, buses will run every 10 minutes during rush hours, every 15 minutes midday, and every 20 minutes nights and weekends...
IDEAS TO SOLVE UNUSUAL CONGESTIONS * Australia: BRT
* Tasmania - Buses key to solving Hobart gridlock issue
-- It seems obvious — the road network cannot manage the traffic volume, it fills up with cars and it comes to a standstill, enraging drivers and creating productivity losses... But cars are not the sole cause. Drivers make the decision to drive to work. We all love our cars and the freedom they provide... Congestion has become a problem in Australia because other travel options are not as convenient as driving your car. But public transport can be made more attractive... Here are some ideas to give short to medium-term relief: * BUS priority lanes on major city roads in peak times, 7.30am to 9.30am and 4.30pm to 6.30pm, that can also be used by cars with three or more passengers. * REINFORCE peak period bus priority by running buses on key routes in peak times every 10 minutes. * INTRODUCE an Any Bus, Any Time approach so all buses on a route can stop and pick up at every stop. * DURING non-peak times services should run every 30 minutes from 6.30am to 9.30pm for early starters and late finishers * INTRODUCE bus priority lay off areas and “B lights” at all traffic lights so buses can get ahead of the traffic. * IMPROVE bus interchange facilities to enable bus service providers to deliver seamless transfers between services. * DO a bus-stop infrastructure upgrade to provide enclosed bus stops to protect passengers from the weather, lighting for security at night, and be 400m from every home. * PROVIDE real-time information at bus stops and, through trip-plan web applications, give passengers information about when the bus is expected. * INTRODUCE Wi-Fi on buses and continue to implement statewide integrated ticketing. * BUILD park and ride facilities so drivers can park near major bus stops in outer Hobart and surrounding towns. * CONTINUE to implement a long-term bus replacement program that reduces the average age of the fleet to 12 years and invest in new vehicle and intelligent transport system technology. ... This would be an investment in the future livability and functionality not only for Hobart as a city... (Picture by NIKKI DAVIS-JONES - Passengers board a Metro bus in the Hobart bus mall) -- Hobart, Tasmania, Australia - The Mercury, by MICHAEL APPS: Executive director of the Bus Industry Confederation - March 25, 2016
* Tanzania - 50 City Express Buses ready to ply routes
-- Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said yesterday city express buses will be tested within one week to allow drivers and other road users to familiarise with routes and operations of the project... Up to 50 buses will be plying the Rapid Transit (Dart) routes, Mr Majaliwa said... The project was initially scheduled to start in October last year but faced a number of setbacks that forced the PM to step in... Mr Majaliwa has been leading talks between the government and stakeholders to ensure sustainability of the project... (Photo: Buses Tanzania: Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Moshi, Kampala, Mombasa, Nairobi Kigali) -- Dar es Salaam, Tanzania - All Africa - 23 March 2016
* Tennessee - Senate approves rapid transit bill for buses on highway
-- Drivers in Middle Tennessee may soon see buses passing them on the highway... The state Senate on Wednesday voted 24-4 in favor of a bill that would create a rapid transit system along Tennessee's interstates... The measure would allow drivers operating buses, owned by a publicly owned transit company, to pass vehicles on the right while operating on the shoulder or right-of-way on any state or interstate highway... The initiative is one being done in nearly a dozen other states, including North Carolina and Georgia. The basis of the bill is an attempt to alleviate congestion and create a fast-flowing, reasonably priced public transit system... The bill is waiting to be placed on the House floor calendar... (Photo: The Tennessean) -- Nashville, TENN, USA - The Tennessean, by Joel Ebert - March 23, 2016
* Oregon - Portland's proposed rapid bus actually slower than existing bus
-- Portland’s first-ever rapid bus project has hit a speed bump, after a transit study found the new line would actually be slower than current buses on the same streets... Leaders in Gresham, Portland and the regional Metro government identified the Powell-Division corridor for rapid transit a few years ago. Passengers complained that current buses were so packed, the buses would routinely roll past would-be riders, waiting at bus stops... Portland-area planners prioritized hearing from the diverse communities of Gresham and Southeast Portland before mapping out a specific rapid bus line from Mount Hood Community College to downtown Portland. The route with the most support involved following Powell Boulevard near the river, and then jog over to Division, likely on 82nd Avenue... But Metro spokesmanCraig Beebe saidthe new study found that route would be slower from end-to-end than current TriMet buses. “The reasons include design constraints on inner Powell and 82nd Ave, or 50th or 52nd Ave — the cross-over street from Powell to Division,” Beebe said... The transit study says the third option, of simply improving current bus lines, could begin in three to five years... But giving up on bus rapid transit would likely mean giving up eligibility for federal funding of $75 million — money that would have to be matched dollar-for-dollar from local sources. However, officials said the federal government is not likely to fund a bus rapid transit project that isn’t actually faster than the buses already running on the same streets... (Photo by Thomas Le Ngo/TriMet: Passengers exit a TriMet bus) -- Portland, ORE, USA - OPB, by Rob Manning - March 23, 2016
RAPID TRANSIT BUSES for Metro Transit BRT in Minneapolis * USA
* Minnesota - New Metro Transit BRT buses unveiled to launch Rapid Transit Buses
(Video: MARQ2 Buses - Maple Grove, Metro Transit and Others, by TheTransitCamera - Jan 7, 2016: Bus action on the Marquette/2nd Avenue S. express bus corridors in downtown Minneapolis during the afternoon rush hour. This footage features a variety of Gillig, New Flyer and MCI units in action. Models include the D40LF, D60, D60LFR, XD60 (Xcelsior), Low Floor, BRT, and D4500CT)
--Metro Transit gave KARE 11 News a first peak at their newest weapon in the battle against commuter problems.It is the Twin Cities first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line... The “A” line will begin service in Spring between Rosedale Mall and the 46th Street Station on the Blue Line light rail via Snelling Avenue in St. Paul and 46th Street in Minneapolis... Twenty stations along the 10 mile route are currently under construction... The 'A Line' will feed passengers to both the Green Line light rail at University Avenue and the Blue Line light rail at 46th Street. It is to run every 10 minutes from 4 a.m. - 1 a.m. weekdays and weekends... Minneapolis, MINN, USA - Kare 11, by Allen Costantini - January 28, 2016
PASSENGERS' PUBLIC SERVICE * USA: New Express BRT Chicago
* Illinois - This Express Bus will have wi-fi, phone chargers and fewer stops
-- Far Northwest Sidebus riders looking to get up and down Milwaukee Avenue in a hurry will have a new option with the launch of the first bus rapid transit line fromPace...The Pulse bus rapid transit line will take riders from the Jefferson Park Transit Center to the Golf Mill Shopping Center in Niles starting in 2017, officials said...Heather Cherone outlines the new features on these buses: Traffic lights will be synchronized by onboard computers to keep buses moving along Milwaukee Avenue, with stops every half-mile rather than every few blocks like the No. 270 Milwaukee Avenue Pace bus, which will continue to operate, officials said... Pulse buses are expected to reduce travel times on the 7-mile stretch of Milwaukee Avenue by 10 to 15 percent, officials said... Pulse buses will offer Wi-Fi and cellphone-charging stations, officials said... Those stops will feature shelters with interior lighting, seating, bicycle racks and heat during the winter. Electronic signs at each stop will feature "real-time bus arrival information" and transit and neighborhood maps, officials said... Pace also plans a Pulse bus rapid transit line along Harlem Avenue, officials said... (Photo: A rendering of the planned Pulse Bus Rapid Transit stop at Central and Milwaukee avenues) -- JEFFERSON PARK, ILL, USA - DNA Info, by Heather Cherone - April 22, 2015
BRT BUSES USA * Utah: Electric ones - * Michigan: Wants larger buses
* Utah - UTA shows off electric BRT bus
(Photo: BYD bus driver Ray Munoz knows what a great ride the bus provides. He has driven it up hills in San Francisco and on the flatlands in the Midwest) -- The world’s only 60-foot, zero-emissions, battery-operated bus came to Utah County on Thursday as part of a two-day test for potential future use by the Utah Transit Authority and Bus Rapid Transit... The bus is manufactured by the BYD Company, based in China, the company is just starting to put its vehicles into service... The prototype bus was built from frame up in Lancaster, Calif., and has been beta tested in the Los Angeles areaand throughout the U.S.A. any buses used for BRT or receiving government funding must be built in the United States (of A.). The new Lancaster site provides that option...
(Photo: The lithium battery powered, 60-foot long bus UTA showcased in Orem) -- The bus holds 120 passengers when full and is completely handicapped accessible, with torque available immediately -- basically, it doesn’t need to build up speed and change gears, and it holds on a hill. The only real noise comes from an intermittent compressor in the back of the bus and the noise of cars passing by... The BYD busis articulated, which means it bends in the middle to allow for better cornering. It boasts the longest drive range in the industry -- 170 miles on a single charge... Hugh Johnson, UTA regional manager, said the BRT route will have approximately 20 buses, with 16 in motion at any given time. They will most likely be hybrid electric buses in the beginning... Provo,UH,USA - The Herald Extra - 10 April 2015
* Illinois - Rapid it do so for Laker Line
(Photo 1. The type of bus the Rapid wants to buy for use on its Laker Line) -- Local officials used “Stand Up for Transportation Day” to try to push for more funding for a bus rapid transit line between Grand Valley State University’s Allendale campus and downtown Grand Rapids’ Medical Mile...
(Photo 2. The type of bus the Rapid wants to buy for use on its Laker Line) -- The Rapid showed off the 60-foot articulated — or “bendy” — buses they plan to use on the Laker Line. The buses are big enough to carry 80 people, including standing room. Many of the parts for the buses are manufactured in West Michigan... But Laker Line organizers need more cash to make the $45 million project happen... The Rapid saysits bus rapid transit that runs the Division Avenue corridor, the Silver Line, has been successful since its launch in August 2014. It says ridership has spiked 40 percent on that route, with nearly a quarter of a million rides between late August and the end of December... Spectrum Health says it has seen an 11 percent increase in ridership since the Silver Line started running, and an 8 percent increase in people who use the line 10 or more times per month... Grand Rapids, MICH, USA - WOOD/24 Hour News - April 9, 2015
BRT Systems * USA: TXS: Signals works 15 - 20% of the time - * California. San Diego's - * Illinois. Pace's ones
* Texas - Austin's award-winning Rapid Bus Signal System only works 15-20% of the time
-- Austin's bus system got two new lines last year, called MetroRapid. They're generally larger, run more frequently, have fewer stops (to run faster) and offer some amenities not found on the city's local buses, like WiFi. More than a million trips have been taken on the new rapid bus lines. They also have a higher price... But these rapid buses supposedly justify that higher price by getting you around faster. Capital Metro labels it a "premium" service, and one advantage they're supposed to have is they can hold green lights longer at intersections outside of downtown, extending the time before a light turns red and allowing the rapid bus to get through in time... The system is called "Transit Signal Priority" (TSP), and it's the first of its kind in Texas... But the problem is, the system's not really working as it should, and the rapid buses are running slower — and later — than Capital Metro planned for... Part of the reason for that is that the two new rapid lines were modeled and planned based on 2008 traffic data; the corridors the MetroRapid 801 and 803 routes travel have become much more congested since that time... Capital Metro, however, says there's a long way to go before the system is working as well as it could be... (Photo by Spencer Selvidge/KUT News -- A signal system is supposed to extend green lights for Capital Metro's "rapid" buses, but it's only working 15-20% of the time)
Austin, TXS, USA - KUT.org, by Terrence Henry - April 2, 2015
* California - 6 Months In, San Diego’s New Rapid Bus Line boosts ridership but not speed
-- Transit riders who wanted another trolley fought the Metropolitan Transit System on its newest rapid bus line. Now the line from San Diego State to downtown is six months old, and it seems riders have changed their tune... MTS says ridership on the Mid-City Rapid 215 line has increased about 16 percent since last year. It carries more than 7,000 riders along El Cajon and Park boulevards each day... But Mid-City Rapid hasn't delivered on speed. It averages 47 minutes at 7 a.m. and 51 minutes at 4 p.m. That's about 10 minutes slower than the 38 minutes planners initially estimated. And it's slower than the 15 bus, an older line serving a similar route... Part of the problem is traffic signals aren't yet synchronized to move buses more quickly down the road... A spokesman for the San Diego Association of Governments, which planned and paid for the project with funds from the region's TransNet and the Federal Transit Administration, said the lights should be synchronized in the next three months... (Photo by Megan Burks / KPBS: Bus wait times are displayed at a new Mid-City Rapid bus station April 6, 2015) -- San Diego, CAL, USA - KPBS org, by Megan Burks - April 7, 2015
* Illinois - Pace hopes to build a network of faster buses on major roads
-- Pace commuters eager to scoot through the suburbs can learn more about the agency's new Pulse arterial bus rapid transit program and give their two cents at an April 22 forum... In 2017, Pace will debut the first Pulse bus on Milwaukee Avenuetraveling from Niles to the Jefferson Park CTA stop. That will be followed by a Dempster Avenue express bus between Evanston and O'Hare International Airport that stops in Des Plaines... The two are part of Pace plans for a network of 24 corridors for arterial bus rapid transit. Proposed arterial corridors include Arlington Heights Road, Army Trail Road, Barrington/County Farm Road, Gary Avenue, Half Day Road, Higgins Road, and routes 25, 31, 53, and 83... Arterial Rapid Transit promises faster commutes than traditional bus service. There are fewer stops and quick boarding at stations, and a traffic prioritization program helps ensure buses stay on schedule... (Photo: A Pace's bus) Chicago, ILL, USA - The Daily Herald, by Marni Pyke - 6 April 2015
PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICE WORLDWIDE - * UK: Stagecoach's passenger satisfaction - * Malaysia: New BRT System busess
* UK / Scotland -Stagecoach scores highest for passenger satisfaction as survey shows Scots happier with bus service
-- Around nine in ten bus passengers in Scotland are satisfied with their service, according to the latest survey by the industry watchdog... Perth-based Stagecoach scored highest for overall satisfaction, journey time and punctuality in the latest bus passenger satisfaction survey... Stagecoach's operation in the Tayside and Central region scored highest for overall satisfaction and journey time with, respectively, 95 per cent and 93 per cent of passengers happy with the service... However, the overall picture for Scotland showed that bus passengers north of the Border were generally happier with their service than those in England... The survey of more than 47,000 passengers found that 88 per cent of bus users in England were happy with their service compared to 92 per cent of Scots...
Perth, Scotland, UK - The Herald Scotland, by Helen McArdle - 12 March 2015
* Malaysia - Electric bus service for Subang and Sunway folk
(Photo: The BRT will use 15 electric buses. These can run for 12 hours a day, about 250km or 23 trips) -- Coming in June, Sunway will see a new public transport service called the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which will help reduce congestion, improve time management and provide seamless connectivity for commuters... This project, the first of its kind in Malaysia, is expected to be completed by May, enabling commuters to use the 5.4km route within Subang and Bandar Sunway... An eco-friendly transportation system, the BRT will use 15 electric buses on dedicated lanes to minimise congestion... It is estimated that 2,400 passengers will be transported per hour in 2015 and the numbers are expected to reach 5,200 in 2035...
(Photo: Dedicated lanes for BRT’s electric buses) During the visit, Prasarana group managing directorAzmi Abdul Aziz said the project was aiming for gold class certification, the highest recognition for BRT services around the world from the Institute of Transportation and Development Policy. It is an independent organisation working with local councils and governments based in New York... He also briefed the media on the facilities available on the buses and in the depot... Boasting comfortable seats, the buses are scheduled to operate with a headway of five minutes at 30kmh to 40kmh although they are capable of a maximum speed of 80kmh... A total of 15 charging bays are set up in the depot, which also houses the bus maintenance centre as well as the operations and security control centre... Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - The Star Online, by PRIYA MENON- March 19, 2015
TRANSPORT PUBLIC SERVICE * USA: Chicago's Pace buses
* Illinois - Pace unveils plan for ambitious $2.3 billion Rapid Transit Network
(Photo by Chuck Berman, Chicago Tribune 2011: Bus on shoulder. A Pace bus uses a bus-on-the-shoulder inner lane on the Stevenson Expressway -I-55- in 2011. That program and other bus rapid transit options are being considered for the whole Chicago area) Chicago, ILL,USA -The Chicago Tribune, by Richard Wronski -21 Jan 2015:-- A wide-ranging network of suburban bus routes could transform the way people commute and shop, connecting people to job centers inNaperville, Elginand Elk Grove Village, according to an ambitious $2.3 billion plan shared byPace on Tuesday... By example: Express buses with high-tech amenities would take riders from the south suburbs toO'Hare International Airport... And buses would travel on the shoulder ofthe Jane Addams andEdens expressways, bypassing car traffic... These bus routes, and dozens of others like them, could provide new public transit options for thousands of riders in scores of communities in the six-county area... By way of comparison, the network would serve the entire six-county area, whereas the once-hoped-for STAR Line would have primarily served only the northwest and far west suburbs. That suburb-to-suburb rail link, with an estimated cost of at least $1 billion, has been essentially discarded due to lack of funding...Steve Schlickman, executive director of the University of Illinois at Chicago's Urban Transportation Center, laudedPace'seffort in going after the federal program, despite the scarcity of federal funding likely to result...
* Connecticut - CTfastrak, bus-only corridor, to open in March
(Photo from WTNH, by George DeYounge) Newington,CONN,USA -AP/WTNH -November 25, 2014: -- The state Department of Transportationsays the $567 million bus-only corridor between Hartfordand New Britain will begin operating in late March...The CTfastrak project includes 11 stations inNew Britain, Newington, West Hartford and Hartford, with buses running every three-to-six minutes during peak commuting hours... The 9.4-mile corridor also will be used by buses that will exit the system to bring passengers to destinations such asWestfarms Mall, Manchester Community College, UConn Health Center and Central Connecticut State University...Officials say Hartford Express buses also will run from Bristol, Cheshire, Southington and Waterbury, entering the bus-only corridor once they reachNew Britain...
* Michigan - Local officials talking options for Ypsilanti express bus to downtown Ann Arbor
(Photo by Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News - An AAATA bus picks up passengers in downtown Ann Arbor at the end of the work day on Friday before heading to Ypsilanti via Washtenaw Avenue) Ipsilante,MICH,USA -M Live, by Ryan Stanton -October 27, 2014: -- Talks of launching an express bus service from the Ypsilanti areastraight into downtownAnn Arbor-- without stops in between -- are picking up... The Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority has approachedthe Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority to see if there's a way to get the service going to make it easier for more people fromthe Ypsilanti area to commute to work inAnn Arborwithout a car...The AAATA's five-year plan, funded by a new 0.7-mill tax approved by voters in May, anticipates express bus service fromthe Ypsilanti area starting in August 2017...
* Massachusetts - Freeport meeting airs possibility of weekend METRO buses
(Photo: Express Bus to Freeport and Yarmouth in the Works. Portland Metro's Denise Beck discusses possible Freeport-express route stops with a Metro rider) Freeport,MASS,USA -The Forecaster, by Kate Gardner -November 24, 2014:-- The proposed METRO express bus service from Portland to Yarmouth and Freeport. The Greater Portland Transit District began its community outreach on Nov. 17 with an information gathering session inPortland...The express bus service would begin in Portlandand make stops in Falmouth,Yarmouth, and Freeport. The original plan, presented at a Freeportmeeting in June, was for a commuter-centric, rush-hour service with morning and evening buses that would also serveCumberland...METRO General Manager, Greg Jordan said, METROwill now look at the feedback to determine possible bus routes. He said more meetings will be held with the public in the spring, when the designs are ready to be reviewed before being finalized...
* Virginia - Better Buses: For much less money, the county can still get much-improved mobility
(Photo: Its streetcar plan defeated, Arlington looks to better buses) Arlington,VA,USA -City Lab, by ERIC JAFFE -Nov 24, 2014:-- Last week,Arlington County, Virginia, abruptly canceled a proposed five-mile streetcar line onColumbia Pike that was years in the making.Project supporters didn't react well to the news. But the streetcar cancellation doesn't have to harm Arlingtonmobility. The opposition wasn't against public transportation at large, but rather the unfortunate tendency of recent high-cost U.S.A. streetcar systems to operate alongside cars in mixed traffic—a practice many transit experts discourage. To that end,board member Libby Garvey tells, she's very eager to improve local transit and hopes the county wastes no time advancing plans for a low-cost, bus-rapid transit-style alternative... The figures present a compelling case that BRT-style service could be nearly as effective as a streetcar in terms of mobility, at a fraction of the cost... The upsides to an enhanced bus could be even greater—on both service and economics alike—ifArlingtonwere able to operate the system as true BRT, in a dedicated transit lane. But the county's maintenance agreement on Columbia Pike precludes such an arrangement, requiring four mixed traffic lanes(via Blue Virginia). Arlingtoncould always request a change to that contract, but the negative impact on car congestion may be too great, and since the streetcar would also have shared a lane with cars, this particular design element is a wash for the sake of comparison...
* USA - Another BRT projects & funds for
Washington,DC,USA -The Washington Business Journal, by Michael Neibauer -Nov 25, 2014: ... The Washington region was awarded a $58.8 millionTIGER grant in 2010, from which the TSP system will be financed... That same grant is partly responsible forAlexandria's new dedicated Route 1 bus lane,D.C. traffic signal optimization, the Takoma-Langley Transit Center, replacementPRTC buses, and TSP systems on University Boulevard and Route 1 in Maryland, Van Dorn Street and Leesburg Pike...
*Daimler demonstrates its expertise with Bus Rapid Transit in Japan
(Photograph: The picture shows a traffic situation in Istanbul) Tokyo,Japan -Autocar Professional News -Nov 03, 2014:-- In everyday life traffic, the Bus Rapid Transit concept impresses municipalities and passengers as a reliable, environmental-friendly and rapid means of transportation... Daimler says its sustainable transportation concepts are meeting with a great response all over the world.On October 30, a forum organized by Mercedes-Benz and FUSO provided information about the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system to almost 100 customers as well as Japanese politicians, administrative officials, and media representatives... Daimler Buses installed a BRT system in Adelaide, Australia, as early as the 1980s. It has since then gathered extensive experience and gained a vast amount of know-how. Today more than 30 cities all over the world rely on the expertise of Daimler’s BRT specialists — cities as diverse as Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul, and Strasbourg... Around 180 BRT systems are in operation worldwide. The fleets encompass a total of 40,000 buses that transport 30 million passengers every day... Municipalities are impressed by the fact that BRT systems generate lower construction and maintenance costs than other means of transportation with a comparable passenger capacity. In addition, express bus lanes can be set up more quickly than tram or subway lines. The barrier-free stops that are typical of BRT systems make it easier for people whose mobility is impaired to enter the buses. Lastly, the advance ticket sale feature reduces waiting times, thus making the system even more appealing for operators and passengers...
PASSENGERS TRANSPORT INDUSTRY * Brazil: BRT systems
* Brazil - Idea for future mobility: the good old bus
(Video from YouTube by Effie Absher/CNN -23 Sept 2014: CNN's Shasta Darlington looks at public transportation in the Brazilian city of Curitiba) Curitiba,PAR,Brasil -CNN, por Meera Senthilingam -22 de septiembre 2014:-- Over 2 million people use the Rede Integrada de Transporte in Curitiba each day... Autonomous vehicles, levitating trains and supersonic tubes have all been suggested as radical ways to transport us faster as the new urban age approaches, but it seems the real secret to a faster commute has been with us all along -- the bus...Bus rapid transit (BRT) systems are paving the way for sustainable, efficient, and affordable travel and now operate in 181 cities worldwide... His design of a 'subway on wheels' transported 50,000 people daily back in the 80s and today sees over 2 million passengers step on board each day.Six circular routes radiate around the city in both directions and in dedicated lanes, enabling frequent services. Colour-coding of buses also makes it easier to know if you're on the right track... This bus-based infrastructure is significantly cheaper to build than going underground like the metro systems seen in other cities such as London and New York...Thirty-three cities in Brazil now host a BRT, as well as a further 26 across the rest of Latin America. The continent is setting the example for the field but has its own social challenges to overcome with its users... The lure is still faster travel but also convenience, with bus stops every 400 meters...The result is a high-capacity bus capable of carrying 250 passengers at once -- as many as a Boeing 787. The priority now it to get people on board... The tried and tested technology of Curitiba has proven successful and the city has long been known as a laboratory for sustainability. So as the future approaches with daydreams of jetpacks and hovercrafts, the reality for us all may be not to miss the bus...
* Michigan - Silver Line buses, Grand Rapids' newest, high-tech transportation fleet
(Photo by Emily Rose Bennett | MLive.com: Grand Rapids' bus service, The Rapid, will be offering a Silver Line route beginning in August) Grand Rapids,MICH,USA -MLive.com, by Andrew Krietz -July 23, 2014:-- Come August, city streets will sport buses noticeably different than those onThe Rapid's core routes...Green and silver buses, splashed with varying hues of both colors, will go into operation Aug. 25 whenThe Rapid establishes its new Silver Line route. The fleet clearly is distinct from the bus system's standard vehicles as it serves a separate — yet complementary — purpose: moving people across the metropolitan area, officials say... The Silver Line fleet is an operation of 10 hybrid electric buses designed for the route it serves in addition to 34 stations,saidPeter Varga, CEO of The Rapid. Branding initiatives — including colors, logos and station design — launched from the beginning to qualify as a bus rapid transit (BRT) system needing grant funding from federal sources... What transpired was these special buses designed to cut 40 percent off the typical commute time along a 9.6-mile route from downtownGrand Rapids southto Wyomingand Kentwood,Varga said...
* Virginia - A new bus experience is coming to Northern Virginia; it’s called Metroway
(Photo: Streetcar and buses in Toronto) Arlington,VA,USA -The Washington Post, by Luz Lazo -July 8, 2014:--The Washington region’sfirst bus rapid transit system is set to open next month... The service, called Metroway, will feature bus-only lanes along a five-mile stretch of roadway inCrystal CityandPotomac Yard in Arlington and Alexandria.It introduces a new bus experience to the Washington region: buses will travel much of the route traffic-free, they will be frequent, and riders eventually will be able to pay their fare before boarding... The service will offer faster rides and shorter waits at the bus stop.Buses will travel most of the route in bus-only lanes.Bus rapid transit is viewed as a way to speed public transit without the huge costs involved in building rail lines...
* Santiago - WiFi on buses and Bips for bikes: Transantiago’s US$1 billion makeover
(Photo by Shannon Marie Hazlitt / The Santiago Times: WiFi on buses and Bips for bikes: Transantiago’s US$1 billion makeover) Santiago,Chile -The Santiago Times, by Celia Scruby -Jun 1st, 2014:-- Minister says 'Santiago’s transport system to become ‘best in Latin America’... Around two thirds of funds in the 2014-18 Transantiago improvement project will go toward expanding and repairing the city’s bus network...Commuters will be able to surf the net while riding the bus in the not-too-distant future... Over the next four years, the Transport Ministry intends to: create a pay-by-phone fare system; control ticket evasion by applying new alerts in buses; introduce benefits and discounts for frequent users of Bip, the Santiago travel card; install wifi on buses; introduce fines for bus drivers that skip stops; begin a pay-by-Bip public bicycle network; improve the effectiveness of Lines 2, 3 and 4 of the Metro and pour significant investment into expanding lanes and improving the bus service...
* Michigan - Metro Detroit's rapid-transit buses will look like rocket ships
(Photo from Greater Cleveland RTA -A bus rapid transit service with dedicated lanes similar to this Cleveland system is in the works for the Detroit area) Detroit,MICH,USA -MLive, by Khalil AlHajal -August 12, 2013:--The new CEO of the Regional Transit Authority has offered up a striking visual description of what the bus rapid transit system planned forMetro Detroit will look like... John Hertel was named last week to head the authority charged with coordinating and improving public transportation systems in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw counties...Plans for a regional bus rapid transit system running along four main corridors have been in the works for years, and creation of the Regional Transit Authority earlier this year brought the project closer to reality...
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