Buses World News
In brief: Worldwide montly news & informations about Buses, Busmakers, Passengers' and the Transport Industry
Are buses really better? * Australia: Experts disagree over answer to Perth transport woes
* Northern Territories - It's cheaper public transport system using buses instead of light rail ?
-- A Colombian urban strategist has argued Perth can create a better, cheaper public transport system using buses instead of light rail, but not everyone agrees... Enrique Peñalosa the former mayor of Bogota (Colombia), told 720 ABC Perth that buses could be more efficient and move just as many people as rail... In Colombia, Mr Peñalosa's administration looked to buses as rail was too expensive to build and operate, and would have required ongoing subsidies... It's a message that is likely to find favour with Transport Minister Dean Nalder, who earlier this year announced the government was axing the promised $2.5 billion Max Light Rail project for Perth's northern suburbs, and replacing it with a rapid bus transit system...
(Photo from ABC News, by Giulio Saggin - Peak hour in Brisbane: Experts disagree on whether buses are a better mass transit solution, or just add to congestion) -- Perth, NT, Australia - 720 ABC , by Emma Wynne - 19 April 2015Labels: rapid Transit debate
PASSENGERS TRANSPORT * USA: RAPID BUSES vs. LIGHT RAIL
* Oregon - Why rapid-buses are preferable to rail transit
(Photo: Richmond Hill Centre Terminal is a York Region Transit and Viva terminal)
Oak Grove,ORE,USA -Transportation Policy Center, by jlongo -August 12, 2014: -- Transit agencies from Baltimore to San Diego and from Seattle to St. Petersburg are planning new light-rail lines. Yet light-rail is not only vastly more expensive than buses, it is slower, less comfortable, less convenient and has lower capacities than a well-designed rapid-bus system... Being expensive to build, light-rail can only reach parts of a region and thus most people have to drive to a park-and-ride station or transfer from a bus to train and back, thus lengthening the time of their trip. By comparison, for less money, rapid buses, which often rely on dedicated bus lanes to bypass traffic, can reach every corner of an urban area... And while it would appear that light rail can transport more people per day, the opposite is true... A single light-rail car can hold about 150 people, and in most cities three can be strung together in a train holding 450. By comparison, the biggest buses hold only a few more than 100 people. For safety reasons, however, most light-rail lines can support only about 20 trains an hour in each direction, while city streets can serve more than 160 buses per hour, giving the buses a huge capacity advantage. Where an expensive light-rail line can move about 9,000 people per hour, an inexpensive bus route can move nearly twice that many on city streets and many times more on a freeway lane... Transit agencies that want to build-light rail are wasting their taxpayers’ money. Cities that haven’t yet built light-rail should plan rapid-buses instead. Cities that have light rail should expand their systems with rapid buses and plan to replace the rail lines when they wear out with more efficient buses...
* Montana - Missoula buses will be 'zero fare' beginning Jan. 5
(Photo: Mountain Line riders check the route map at the downtown transfer center in August 2013)
Missoula,MONT,USA -The Missoulian, by Kim Briggeman -August 12, 2014: -- The Mountain Line bus system will operate on a zero-fare basis starting Jan. 5. The arrangement is made possible with support from the city of Missoula, the University of Montana and a variety of public and private entities... The goal is to increase ridership by 45 percent – 400,000 annual riderships, said Eric Hines, who chairs the MUTD board. That works out to nearly 1,100 more rides a day, all of them free... The partners will pony up $460,000 a year in order to eliminate the fares. UM and the city have the lion’s share of the financial commitments – roughly $205,000 and $100,000, respectively... Missoula becomes one of only about 40 cities and metropolitan areas to offer free public transportation...Labels: buses vs. rails, rapid Transit debate
RAPID TRANSIT DEBATE * Canada - Vancouver shows how not to handle buses
Vancouver is struggling with new bus lanes because of interference from cars. Vancouver,BC,CAN -The Cascacia Report by Bradley Meacham -June 08, 2007: -- ... The congestion means that bus lanes haven't cut travel times. But the city's report notes an improvement: "bus lanes can raise the profile of transit on a corridor and can be a symbol of transit priority"... The question remains why we can't mimic the successful Rapid Ride program in Seattle. If you simplify the system and provide frequent service, people will ride...
* Canada - Bus-only lane ineffective, study shows - On paper it seemed simple
Vancouver,BC,CAN -The Vancouver Sun, by Gerry Bellett -June 07, 2007: -- Spend $207,000 to create bus-only lanes during peak hours along Broadway so the 99 B-line express bus can whisk passengers quicker... That was the theory and the money was spent and special bus lanes were designated along one of the busiest traffic and transit corridors in the city... But in practice passengers aren't getting there any quicker... A report from Neda Emami of Vancouver's strategic transportation planning department admits the city's transit plan hasn't had the desired effect... In fact, a 2004 study warned such a plan "would have little or no impact on bus travel times on the corridor"...
* USA - RapidRide
King County,Seattle,Washington,USA -metrokc - June 2007: -- Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a term used to describe transit services and facility improvements that achieve faster operation than traditional buses... Recently, Metro and the cities of Shoreline and Seattle moved the Aurora Avenue N./State Route 99 corridor closer to RapidRide service levels by increasing the frequency of service throughout the day and by moving buses to a dedicated transit lane in some sections of Aurora Avenue N. Over the past five years, ridership has increased on Aurora Avenue N. by almost 2,000 rides per day, more than 600,000 annually... Under the new initiative, Metro will install new buses and upgraded passenger waiting areas, add technology to synchronize traffic signals and operate real-time bus arrival signs, and develop and implement RapidRide service on the following five corridors...
Labels: rapid Transit debate
Vancouver is struggling with new bus lanes because of interference from cars. Vancouver,BC,CAN -The Cascacia Report by Bradley Meacham -June 08, 2007: -- ... The congestion means that bus lanes haven't cut travel times. But the city's report notes an improvement: "bus lanes can raise the profile of transit on a corridor and can be a symbol of transit priority"... The question remains why we can't mimic the successful Rapid Ride program in Seattle. If you simplify the system and provide frequent service, people will ride...
