Traffic congestion

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Traffic jam" redirects here. For other uses, see Traffic jam (disambiguation).

Congestion on a city road in Moscow.

Traffic jam in Los Angeles, 1953

Traffic congestion is a condition on transport networks that occurs as use increases, and is
characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most
common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that
the interaction between vehicles slows the speed of the traffic stream, this results in some
congestion.
As demand approaches the capacity of a road (or of the intersections along the road), extreme traffic
congestion sets in. When vehicles are fully stopped for periods of time, this is colloquially known as
a traffic jam or traffic snarl-up. Traffic congestion can lead to drivers becoming frustrated and
engaging in road rage.
Mathematically, congestion is usually looked at as the number of vehicles that pass through a point
in a window of time, or a flow. Congestion flow lends itself to principles of fluid dynamics.

Contents
 [hide]

1Causes

o 1.1Mathematical theories

o 1.2Economic theories

2Classification

3Negative impacts

o 3.1Road rage

4Positives of traffic congestion

5Countermeasures

o 5.1Road infrastructure

o 5.2Urban planning and design

o 5.3Supply and demand

o 5.4Traffic management

o 5.5Other associated

6By country

o 6.1Australia

o 6.2Bangladesh

o 6.3Brazil

o 6.4Canada

o 6.5China

o 6.6India

o 6.7Indonesia

o 6.8New Zealand

o 6.9Philippines
 o 6.10Turkey

o 6.11United Kingdom

o 6.12United States of America

7See also

8References

9Further reading

10External links

Causes[edit]

Traffic congestion on Marginal Pinheiros, near downtown So Paulo. According to Time magazine, So Paulo
has the world's worst traffic jams.[1] Drivers are informed through variable message signs the prevailing queue
length.

Traffic congestion occurs when a volume of traffic or modal split generates demand for space greater
than the available street capacity; this point is commonly termed saturation. There are a number of
specific circumstances which cause or aggravate congestion; most of them reduce the capacity of a
road at a given point or over a certain length, or increase the number of vehicles required for a given
volume of people or goods. About half of U.S. traffic congestion is recurring, and is attributed to
sheer weight of traffic; most of the rest is attributed to traffic incidents, road work and weather
events.[2]
Traffic research still cannot fully predict under which conditions a "traffic jam" (as opposed to heavy,
but smoothly flowing traffic) may suddenly occur. It has been found that individual incidents (such as
accidents or even a single car braking heavily in a previously smooth flow) may cause ripple effects
(a cascading failure) which then spread out and create a sustained traffic jam when, otherwise,
normal flow might have continued for some time longer.[3]
Mathematical theories[edit]
Congestion on a street in Taipei consisting primarily of motorcycles.

Some traffic engineers have attempted to apply the rules of fluid dynamics to traffic flow, likening it to
the flow of a fluid in a pipe. Congestion simulations and real-time observations have shown that in
heavy but free flowing traffic, jams can arise spontaneously, triggered by minor events ("butterfly
effects"), such as an abrupt steering maneuver by a single motorist. Traffic scientists liken such a
situation to the sudden freezing of supercooled fluid.[4]
However, unlike a fluid, traffic flow is often affected by signals or other events at junctions that
periodically affect the smooth flow of traffic. Alternative mathematical theories exist, such as Boris
Kerner's three-phase traffic theory (see also spatiotemporal reconstruction of traffic congestion).
Because of the poor correlation of theoretical models to actual observed traffic flows, transportation
planners and highway engineers attempt to forecast traffic flow using empirical models. Their
working traffic models typically use a combination of macro-, micro- and mesoscopic features, and
may add matrix entropy effects, by "platooning" groups of vehicles and by randomising the flow
patterns within individual segments of the network. These models are then typically calibrated by
measuring actual traffic flows on the links in the network, and the baseline flows are adjusted
accordingly.
A team of MIT mathematicians has developed a model that describes the formation of "phantom
jams," in which small disturbances (a driver hitting the brake too hard, or getting too close to another
car) in heavy traffic can become amplified into a full-blown, self-sustaining traffic jam. Key to the
study is the realization that the mathematics of such jams, which the researchers call "jamitons," are
strikingly similar to the equations that describe detonation waves produced by explosions, says
Aslan Kasimov, lecturer in MIT's Department of Mathematics. That discovery enabled the team to
solve traffic-jam equations that were first theorized in the 1950s.[5]
Economic theories[edit]

India's economic surge has resulted in a massive increase in the number of private vehicles on its roads
overwhelming the transport infrastructure. Shown here is a traffic jam in Delhi.
As in India, China's economic surge has resulted in a massive increase in the number of private vehicles on its
roads overwhelming the transport infrastructure. Shown here is a traffic jam during rush hour at 17:30 in
downtown Haikou City, Hainan Province.

Congested roads can be seen as an example of the tragedy of the commons. Because roads in
most places are free at the point of usage, there is little financial incentive for drivers not to over-use
them, up to the point where traffic collapses into a jam, when demand becomes limited
by opportunity cost. Privatization of highways and road pricing have both been proposed as
measures that may reduce congestion through economic incentives and disincentives. Congestion
can also happen due to non-recurring highway incidents, such as a crash or roadworks, which may
reduce the road's capacity below normal levels.
Economist Anthony Downs argues that rush hour traffic congestion is inevitable because of the
benefits of having a relatively standard work day[citation needed]. In a capitalist economy, goods can be
allocated either by pricing (ability to pay) or by queueing (first-come first-served); congestion is an
example of the latter. Instead of the traditional solution of making the "pipe" large enough to
accommodate the total demand for peak-hour vehicle travel (a supply-side solution), either by
widening roadways or increasing "flow pressure" via automated highway systems, Downs advocates
greater use of road pricing to reduce congestion (a demand-side solution, effectively rationing
demand), in turn plowing the revenues generated therefrom into public transportation projects.
A 2011 study in the The American Economic Review indicates that there may be a "fundamental law
of road congestion."The researchers, from the University of Toronto and the London School of
Economics, analyzed data from the U.S. Highway Performance and Monitoring System for 1983,
1993 and 2003, as well as information on population, employment, geography, transit, and political
factors. They determined that the number of vehicle-kilometers traveled (VKT) increases in direct
proportion to the available lane-kilometers of roadways. The implication is that building new roads
and widening existing ones only results in additional traffic that continues to rise until peak
congestion returns to the previous level.[6][7]

Classification[edit]
Qualitative classification of traffic is often done in the form of a six letter A-F level of service (LOS)
scale defined in the Highway Capacity Manual, a US document used (or used as a basis for national
guidelines) worldwide. These levels are used by transportation engineers as a shorthand and to
describe traffic levels to the lay public. While this system generally uses delay as the basis for its
measurements, the particular measurements and statistical methods vary depending on the facility
being described. For instance, while the percent time spent following a slower-moving vehicle figures
into the LOS for a rural two-lane road, the LOS at an urban intersection incorporates such
measurements as the number of drivers forced to wait through more than one signal cycle. [8]
Traffic congestion occurs in time and space, i.e., it is a spatiotemporal process. Therefore, another
classification schema of traffic congestion is associated with some common spatiotemporal features
of traffic congestion found in measured traffic data. Common spatiotemporal empirical features of
traffic congestion are those features, which are qualitatively the same for different highways in
different countries measured during years of traffic observations. Common features of traffic
congestion are independent on weather, road conditions and road infrastructure, vehicular
technology, driver characteristics, day time, etc. Examples of common features of traffic congestion
are the features [J] and [S] for, respectively, the wide moving jam and synchronized flow traffic
phases found in Kerners three-phase traffic theory. The common features of traffic congestion can
be reconstructed in space and time with the use of the ASDA and FOTO models.

Negative impacts[edit]

A frustrated driver in traffic jam.

Traffic congestion has a number of negative effects:

Wasting time of motorists and passengers ("opportunity cost"). As a non-productive activity

for most people, congestion reduces regional economic health.

Delays, which may result in late arrival for employment, meetings, and education, resulting in
lost business, disciplinary action or other personal losses.

Inability to forecast travel time accurately, leading to drivers allocating more time to travel
"just in case", and less time on productive activities.

Wasted fuel increasing air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions owing to increased idling,
acceleration and braking.

Wear and tear on vehicles as a result of idling in traffic and frequent acceleration and
braking, leading to more frequent repairs and replacements.

Stressed and frustrated motorists, encouraging road rage and reduced health of motorists

Emergencies: blocked traffic may interfere with the passage of emergency vehicles traveling
to their destinations where they are urgently needed.

Spillover effect from congested main arteries to secondary roads and side streets as
alternative routes are attempted ('rat running'), which may affect neighborhood amenity and real
estate prices.
 Higher chance of collisions due to tight spacing and constant stopping-and-going.
Road rage[edit]
Road rage is aggressive or angry behavior by a driver of an automobile or other motor vehicle. Such
behavior might include rude gestures, verbal insults, deliberately driving in an unsafe or threatening
manner, or making threats. Road rage can lead to altercations, assaults, and collisions which result
in injuries and even deaths. It can be thought of as an extreme case of aggressive driving.
The term originated in the United States in 19871988 (specifically, from Newscasters at KTLA, a
local television station), when a rash of freeway shootings occurred on the 405, 110 and 10 freeways
in Los Angeles, California. These shooting sprees even spawned a response from the AAA Motor
Club to its members on how to respond to drivers with road rage or aggressive maneuvers and
gestures.[9]

Positives of traffic congestion[edit]

Congestion has the benefit of encouraging motorists to re-time their trips so that expensive road
space is in full use for a greater number of hours per day.[10]
The standard response to congestion is to expand road space somehow, perhaps by widening an
existing road or else by adding a new road, bridge or tunnel. However, this could well result in
increased traffic flow, otherwise known as induced demand, causing congestion to appear
somewhere else. Moreover, Braess' paradox shows that adding road capacity might make
congestion worse even if demand does not increase.
It has been argued that traffic congestion, by reducing road speeds in cities, could reduce the
frequency and severity of road accidents.[11]

Countermeasures[edit]
It has been suggested by some commentators that the level of congestion that society tolerates is a
rational (though not necessarily conscious)[citation needed] choice between the costs of improving the
transportation system (in infrastructure or management) and the benefits of quicker travel.
Others[who?] link it largely to subjective lifestyle choices, differentiating between car-owning and car-
free households.
Road infrastructure[edit]

Metered ramp on I-894 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin U.S. The queue of cars waiting at the red light can be seen on
the upper portion of the picture.

Junction improvements
 Grade separation, using bridges (or, less often, tunnels) freeing movements from
having to stop for other crossing movements

Ramp signalling, 'drip-feeding' merging traffic via traffic signals onto a congested
motorway-type roadway

Reducing junctions

Local-express lanes, providing through lanes that bypass junction on-ramp

and off-ramp zones

Limited-access road, roads that limit the type and amounts

of driveways along their lengths

Reversible lanes, where certain sections of highway operate in the opposite direction on
different times of the day/ days of the week, to match asymmetric demand. These pose a
potential for collisions, if drivers do not notice the change in direction indicators. This may be
controlled by variable-message signs or by movable physical separation

Separate lanes for specific user groups (usually with the goal of higher people throughput
with fewer vehicles)

The HOV lanes in Highway 404 in Southern Ontario are separated by a stripped buffer zone that
breaks occasionally to allow vehicles to enter and exit the HOV lane.

Bus lanes as part of a busway system

Express Toll Lanes

HOV lanes, for vehicles with at least three (sometimes at least two) riders, intended
to encourage carpooling

Slugging, impromptu carpooling at HOV access points, on a hitchhiking or

payment basis
 Market-based carpooling with pre-negotiated financial incentives for the
driver
Urban planning and design[edit]
City planning and urban design practices can have a huge impact on levels of future traffic
congestion, though they are of limited relevance for short-term change.

Grid plans including fused grid road network geometry, rather than tree-like network
topology which branches into cul-de-sacs (which reduce local traffic, but increase total distances
driven and discourage walking by reducing connectivity). This avoids concentration of traffic on a
small number of arterial roads and allows more trips to be made without a car.

Zoning laws that encourage mixed-use development, which reduces distances between
residential, commercial, retail, and recreational destinations (and encourage cycling and
walking)

Carfree cities, car-light cities, and eco-cities designed to eliminate the need to travel by car
for most inhabitants.[12][13]

Transit-oriented development are residential and commercial areas designed to maximize

access to public transport by providing a transit station or stop (train station, metro station, tram
stop, or bus stop).
Supply and demand[edit]
See also: Transportation Demand Management

Widening works under way on the M25 motorway surrounding London, England to increase the number of
lanes.

During rush hour, right turns onto the side street shown here are prohibited in order to prevent rat running
Congestion can be reduced by either increasing road capacity (supply), or by reducing traffic
(demand). Capacity can be increased in a number of ways, but needs to take account of latent
demand otherwise it may be used more strongly than anticipated. Critics of the approach of adding
capacity have compared it to "fighting obesity by letting out your belt" (inducing demand that did not
exist before). For example, when new lanes are created, households with a second car that used to
be parked most of the time may begin to use this second car for commuting. [14][15] Reducing road
capacity has in turn been attacked as removing free choice as well as increasing travel costs and
times, placing an especially high burden on the low income residents who must commute to work.
Increased supply can include:

Adding more capacity at bottlenecks (such as by adding more lanes at the expense of hard
shoulders or safety zones, or by removing local obstacles like bridge supports and widening
tunnels)

Adding more capacity over the whole of a route (generally by adding more lanes)

Creating new routes

Traffic management improvements (see separate section below)

Reduction of demand can include:

Parking restrictions, making motor vehicle use less attractive by increasing the monetary and
non-monetary costs of parking, introducing greater competition for limited city or road space.
[16]
Most transport planning experts agree that free parking distorts the market in favour of car
travel, exacerbating congestion.[17][18]

Park and ride facilities allowing parking at a distance and allowing continuation by public
transport or ride sharing. Park-and-ride car parks are commonly found at metro stations, freeway
entrances in suburban areas, and at the edge of smaller cities.

Reduction of road capacity to force traffic onto other travel modes. Methods include traffic
calming and the shared space concept.

Road pricing, charging money for access onto a road/specific area at certain times,
congestion levels or for certain road users

"Cap and trade", in which only licensed cars are allowed on the roads. [19] A limited
quota of car licences are issued each year and traded in a free market fashion. This
guarantees that the number of cars does not exceed road capacity while avoiding the
negative effects of shortages normally associated with quotas. However, since demand for
cars tends to be inelastic, the result are exorbitant purchase prices for the licenses, pricing
out the lower levels of society, as seen Singapore's Certificate of Entitlement scheme.[20]

Congestion pricing, where a certain area, such as the inner part of a congested city,
is surrounded with a cordon into which entry with a car requires payment. The cordon may
be a physical boundary (i.e., surrounded by toll stations) or it may be virtual, with
enforcement being via spot checks or cameras on the entry routes. Major examples
are Singapore's electronic road pricing, the London congestion charge system, Stockholm
congestion tax and the use of High-occupancy toll lanes, predominately in North America.
 Road space rationing, where regulatory restrictions prevent certain types of vehicles from
driving under certain circumstances or in certain areas.

Number plate restrictions based on days of the week, as practiced in several large
cities in the world, such as Athens,[21] Mexico City, Manila and So Paulo.[22] In effect, such
cities are banning a different part of the automobile fleet from roads each day of the week.
Mainly introduced to combat smog, these measures also reduce congestion. A weakness of
this method is that richer drivers can purchase a second or third car to circumvent the ban.
[citation needed]

Permits, where only certain types of vehicles (such as residents) are permitted to
enter a certain area, and other types (such as through-traffic) are banned. [22] For
example, Bertrand Delano, the mayor of Paris, has proposed to impose a complete ban on
motor vehicles in the city's inner districts, with exemptions only for residents, businesses,
and the disabled.[23]

Bike lane constructed in congested areas to encourage use of the alternative transportation.

Policy approaches, which usually attempt to provide either strategic alternatives or which
encourage greater usage of existing alternatives through promotion, subsidies or restrictions.

Incentives to use public transport, increasing modal shares. This can be achieved
through infrastructure investment, subsidies, transport integration, pricing strategies that
decrease the marginal cost/fixed cost ratios,[24][25] improved timetabling and greater priority for
buses to reduce journey time e.g. [Bus Lanes], [BTR] .[26][27]

Cycling promotion through legislation, cycle facilities, subsidies, and awareness

campaigns.[28] The Netherlands has been pursuing cycle friendly policies for decades, and
around a quarter of their commuting is done by bicycle. [29][30]

Promotion of more flexible work place practices. For example, a flexible workplaces
pilot was undertaken in Brisbane, Australia during 2009 to test the applicability of a voluntary
travel behaviour change program to achieve transport system outcomes, particularly as they
related to managing congestion, either through mode shift or peak spreading. During the
one-month Pilot, amongst almost 900 Brisbane CBD workers across 20 private and public
sector organisations, shifts of more than 30% out of the morning and afternoon peak travel
was recorded.[31]

Telecommuting encouraged through legislation and subsidies.[32]

Online shopping promotion,[33][34] potentially with automated delivery booths helping to

solve the last mile problem and reduce shopping trips made by car.[35]
Traffic management[edit]

Traffic congestion detector in Germany.

Use of so-called Intelligent transportation system, which guide traffic:

Traffic reporting, via radio, GPS and mobile apps, to advise road users

Variable message signs installed along the roadway, to advise road users

Navigation systems, possibly linked up to automatic traffic reporting

Traffic counters permanently installed, to provide real-time traffic counts

Convergence indexing road traffic monitoring, to provide information on the use of highway
on-ramps

Automated highway systems, a future idea which could reduce the safe interval between
cars (required for braking in emergencies) and increase highway capacity by as much as 100%
while increasing travel speeds[citation needed]

Parking guidance and information systems providing dynamic advice to motorists about free
parking

Active Traffic Management[36] system opens up UK motorway hard shoulder as an extra traffic
lane, it uses CCTV and VMS to control and monitor the traffic's use of the extra lane
Other associated[edit]

School opening times arranged to avoid rush hour traffic (in some countries, private car
school pickup and drop-off traffic are substantial percentages of peak hour traffic). [citation needed]
 Considerate driving behaviour promotion and enforcement. Driving practices such
as tailgating and frequent lane changes can reduce a road's capacity and exacerbate jams. In
some countries signs are placed on highways to raise awareness, while others have introduced
legislation against inconsiderate driving.

Visual barriers to prevent drivers from slowing down out of curiosity (often called
"rubbernecking" in the United States). This often includes accidents, with traffic slowing down
even on roadsides physically separated from the crash location. This also tends to occur at
construction sites, which is why some countries have introduced rules that motorway
construction has to occur behind visual barrier

Speed limit reductions, as practiced on the M25 motorway in London. With lower speeds
allowing cars to drive closer together, this increases the capacity of a road. Note that this
measure is only effective if the interval between cars is reduced, not the distance itself. Low
intervals are generally only safe at low speeds.

Lane splitting/filtering, in which some jurisdictions allow motorcycles, scooters and bicycles
to travel in the space between cars, buses, and trucks.[37][38]

By country[edit]
Australia[edit]
Traffic during peak hours in major Australian cities, such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth,
is usually very congested and can cause considerable delay for motorists. Australians rely mainly on
radio and television to obtain current traffic information. GPS, webcams, and online resources are
increasingly being used to monitor and relay traffic conditions to motorists. [citation needed]
Bangladesh[edit]
Traffic jams have become intolerable in Dhaka. Some other major reasons are the total absence of
a rapid transit system; the lack of an integrated urban planning scheme for over 30 years; [39] poorly
maintained road surfaces, with potholes rapidly eroded further by frequent flooding and poor or non-
existent drainage;[40] haphazard stopping and parking;[41] poor driving standards;[42] total lack of
alternative routes, with several narrow and (nominally) one-way roads. [43]
Brazil[edit]

Typical traffic jam in So Paulo downtown, despite road space rationing by plate number. Rua da Consolao,
So Paulo, Brazil.

According to Time magazine, So Paulo has the world's worst daily traffic jams.[1] Based on reports
from the Companhia de Engenharia de Trfego, the city's traffic management agency, the historical
congestion record was set on May 23, 2014, with 344 kilometres (214 mi) of cumulative queues
around the city during the evening rush hour.[44] The previous record occurred on November 14,
2013, with 309 kilometres (192 mi) of cumulative queues.[44]
Despite implementation since 1997 of road space rationing by the last digit of the plate number
during rush hours every weekday, traffic in this 20-million-strong city still experiences severe
congestion. According to experts, this is due to the accelerated rate of motorization occurring since
2003 and the limited capacity of public transport. In So Paulo, traffic is growing at a rate of 7.5% per
year, with almost 1,000 new cars bought in the city every day. The subway has only 61 kilometres
(38 mi) of lines, though 35 further kilometers are under construction or planned by 2010. Every day,
many citizens spend between three up to four hours behind the wheel. In order to mitigate the
aggravating congestion problem, since June 30, 2008 the road space rationing program was
expanded to include and restrict trucks and light commercial vehicles. [45][46]
Canada[edit]

Highway 401 in Ontario, which passes through Toronto, suffers chronic traffic congestion despite its width of up
to 18 lanes, due to bottlenecks with much fewer lanes. [47][48]

According to the Toronto Board of Trade, in 2010, Toronto is ranked as the most congested city of 19
surveyed cities, with an average commute time of 80 minutes.[49]
China[edit]
The August 2010 China National Highway 110 traffic jam in Hebei province, China, is considered the
world's worst traffic jam ever, as traffic congestion stretched more than 100 kilometres (62 mi) from
August 14 to the 26, including at least 11 days of total gridlock.[50][51][52]The event was caused by a
combination of road works and thousands of coal trucks from Inner Mongolias coalfields that travel
daily to Beijing. The New York Times has called this event the "Great Chinese Gridlock of 2010." [52][53]
Towards the end of 2010, Beijing announced a series of drastic measures to tackle the city's traffic
jam, including limiting the number of new plates issued to passenger cars to 20,000 a month and
barring cars of non-Beijing plates from entering areas within the Fifth Ring Road during rush hours. [54]
India[edit]
Parking space at the Mysore zoo

The number of vehicles in India is quickly increasing as a growing middle class can now afford to
buy cars. As a result, India has launched various rapid transit efforts, such as the Kolkata Metro,
in Kolkata, and the Rapid Metro, in Gurgaon.
India's road conditions are not expanding / improving in proportion with the increase in vehicle
numbers. For example, lets take the case of Kerala, a small southern state having the above
characteristics. The state has less than average (around 30m)width of major highways in the nation
(45 m), though the roads are better surfaced and maintained in Kerala. This causes considerable
difficulty to the road users and causes frequent mishaps, though road discipline and adherence to
traffic rules (and enforcement) is considered as better in Kerala.
Various causes for this include:

Private encroachments

Commercial / religious establishment's location hampering road expansion, and rampant

lobbying for this.

Unscientific road design

Lack of free ways / exit ways where local roads and main roads intersect

Lack of demarcated foot paths

Lack of bus bays

Lack of cycle tracks

Lack of coordination among various govt. departments (e.g. digging of roads by telecom/
water dept. and leaving it open)
Indonesia[edit]
According to a 2015 study by motor oil company Castrol, Jakarta is found to be the worst city in the
world for traffic congestion. Relying on information from TomTom navigation devices in 78 countries,
the index found that drivers are stopping and starting their cars 33,240 times per year on the road.
After Jakarta, the worst cities for traffic are Istanbul, Mexico City, Surabaya, and St. Petersburg.[55]
Daily congestion in Jakarta is not a recent problem. The expansion of commercial area shows
worsening daily congestion in Jalan Jendral Sudirman, Jalan Thamrin, and Jalan Gajah Mada in mid
1970s.[56]
In 2016, 12 people died as a result of traffic congestion in Java. They were among those stuck in a
three-day traffic jam at an intersection in Java called 'Brexit'. The traffic block stretched for 21 km
here and thousands of cars clogged the highway. Many people died because of carbon monoxide
poisoning, fatigue or heat.[57]
New Zealand[edit]
New Zealand has followed strongly car-oriented transport policies since after World War II
(especially in Auckland, where one third of the country's population lives, is New Zealand's most
traffic congested city, and has been labelled worse than New York for traffic congestion with
commuters sitting in traffic congestion for 95 hours per year), [58] and currently has one of the highest
car-ownership rates per capita in the world, after the United States. [59] Traffic congestion in New
Zealand is increasing with drivers on New Zealand's motorways reported to be struggling to exceed
20 kph on an average commute, sometimes crawling along at 8 kph for more than half an hour.
Philippines[edit]

Traffic congestion on EDSA

According to a survey by Waze, traffic congestion in Metro Manila is called the "worst" in the world,
after Rio de Janeiro, So Paulo, and Jakarta.[60] It is worsened by violations of traffic laws, like illegal
parking, loading and unloading, beating the red light, and wrong-way driving.[61] Traffic congestion
in Metro Manila is caused by the large number of registered vehicles, lack of roads, and
overpopulation, especially on Manila, Pateros and Caloocan.[62] Traffic caused losses of
137,500,000,000 on the economy in 2011, and unbuilt roads and railway projects also causes
worsening congestion.[63] The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) feared that daily
economic losses will reach Php 6,000,000,000 by 2030 if traffic congestion cannot be controlled. [64]
Turkey[edit]
In recent years, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality has made huge investments on intelligent
transportation systems and public transportation. Despite that, traffic is a significant problem
in stanbul. stanbul has chosen the second most congested[65] and the most sudden-stopping traffic
in the world.[66]Travel times in Turkeys largest city take on average 55 percent longer that they
should, even in relatively less busy hours.[67]
United Kingdom[edit]
Congestion on the shopping high street of Keynsham, a small town in United Kingdom.

In the United Kingdom the inevitability of congestion in some urban road networks has been officially
recognized since the Department for Transport set down policies based on the report Traffic in
Towns in 1963:
Even when everything that it is possibly to do by way of building new roads and expanding public
transport has been done, there would still be, in the absence of deliberate limitation, more cars
trying to move into, or within our cities than could possibly be accommodated. [68]

A solution to traffic congestion using Northern Ireland Railways from Moira to Belfast Great Victoria Street.

The Department for Transport sees growing congestion as one of the most serious transport
problems facing the UK.[69] On 1 December 2006, Rod Eddington published a UK government-
sponsored report into the future of Britain's transport infrastructure. The Eddington Transport Study
set out the case for action to improve road and rail networks, as a "crucial enabler of sustained
productivity and competitiveness". Eddington has estimated that congestion may cost the economy
of England 22 bn a year in lost time by 2025. He warned that roads were in serious danger of
becoming so congested that the economy would suffer.[70] At the launch of the report Eddington told
journalists and transport industry representatives introducing road pricing to encourage drivers to
drive less was an "economic no-brainer". There was, he said "no attractive alternative". It would
allegedly cut congestion by half by 2025, and bring benefits to the British economy totalling 28 bn a
year.[71]
United States of America[edit]
On Fridays in California, Interstate 5 is often congested as Los Angeles residents travel north for the weekend.

Rush hour traffic in Interstate 95 in Miami.

The Texas Transportation Institute estimated that, in 2000, the 75 largest metropolitan areas
experienced 3.6 billion vehicle-hours of delay, resulting in 5.7 billion U.S. gallons (21.6 billion liters)
in wasted fuel and $67.5 billion in lost productivity, or about 0.7% of the nation's GDP. It also
estimated that the annual cost of congestion for each driver was approximately $1,000 in very large
cities and $200 in small cities. Traffic congestion is increasing in major cities and delays are
becoming more frequent in smaller cities and rural areas.
30% of traffic is cars looking for parking.[72]
Reduce Traffic
Congestion
Traffic congestion is no fun for anyone, but its deadly for public
transport. When buses and trams are stuck in traffic jams they fall
behind schedule and, because this means that more people will be
waiting at the next stops, they fall even further behind schedule
leading to bunching and compounding delays. Bunched buses and
delays make public transport unattractive for customers and
increase operational costs, so congestion impacts on public
transport must be eliminated whenever possible.

Three techniques for reducing the impact of traffic congestion on

public transport are:

1. Provide exclusive lanes for public transport;

2. Use regulations and traffic engineering to control traffic;

3. Use innovative ideas to reduce traffic impacts on public

transport;

These techniques are outlined below. More detailed information is

available on the Improve Public Transport wiki guideways best
practices.
1. Provide Exclusive
Lanes for Public
Transport

Ljubljana Painted Bus Lane (Source: Andrew Nash, 2011)

Exclusive public transport lanes means the lane on which the bus or
streetcar runs is not open to private vehicle traffic. Exclusive lanes
enable buses and trams to avoid congestion helping increase their
speed, reliability and attractiveness. Unfortunately, exclusive lanes
are often controversial since they take space that could otherwise
be used by private vehicles.

Exclusive lanes come in many shapes and sizes, for example:

Taxicabs are allowed to use exclusive lanes in some cities (e.g.

Vienna, San Francisco. Paris).

Bicycles are often allowed to use exclusive lanes.

Exclusive lanes can be time-based, in other words exclusive

during certain times (peak periods) and reverting to mixed-flow or
parking lanes at other times.
The method of separating exclusive lanes from other traffic is an
important factor in determining their effectiveness. Simply put, the
better the separation the more effective. Painted lanes are least
effective and lanes separated by barriers or on their own right of
way are best.

Prague: Nmst Republiky square. Buses and trams share the

exclusive transit right of way on a pededstrianized area. (Source:
Andrew Nash, 2010)
Transit malls are a type of exclusive public transport lane. They are
sections of street, generally located in a city centre, where several
transit lines operate with little or very limited private traffic. Transit
malls can increase urban livability while making public transport
more efficient and attractive to customers. Well-designed transit
malls, including those in San Jose, Portland, and Denver, are good
examples of high-quality urban design and transportation planning.

Building a separate right of way (for example, a bus way) is a costly

improvement but can be worthwhile especially if it serves as the
catalyst for implementing other transit priority improvements.
Furthermore, even given their high cost, these improvements can be
less expensive than building new heavy rail public transport
systems. The most effective purpose built exclusive guideways are
designed to serve several different public transport routes (for
example, a bus tunnel in a downtown area).

More detailed information and examples are available on the public

transport guideways wiki page.
2. Use Regulations and
Traffic Engineering to
Control Traffic
Traffic regulations can be used to reduce congestion impacts on
public transport. This means adding traffic restrictions that help
public transport and removing traffic restrictions that hurt public
transport. Examples of traffic regulations include:

Parking Restrictions one main cause of delays to transit

vehicles is waiting while private vehicles maneuver in and out of
parking spaces. Parking restrictions and controls can be
implemented to reduce the impact of parking movements on
transit vehicles and to provide space needed for exclusive transit
lanes.
Turn Restrictions turning vehicles are another significant
source of delay for transit vehicles. Implementing turn restrictions
carefully can significantly reduce these delays.
Transit Exemption from Turning Requirements in some
cases, restrictions to turning movements can lengthen and delay
transit routes. In these cases, it can be beneficial to exempt
transit from the turning movement restriction.
Loading Restrictions historically, vehicle loading on public
streets has been a problem in cities throughout history. In ancient
Rome, goods delivery was banned during the day because of
congestion. Careful design of loading areas can improve transit
priority by reducing interference with transit vehicles.
Its important to note that traffic regulations (e.g. removing parking)
can be controversial. This means that they should be developed and
implemented with public input, and that they need to be designed to
minimize unnecessary negative impacts. One effective method is
including traffic regulations as part of a comprehensive program
designed to improve neighborhood livability.
3. Use Innovative Ideas
to Reduce Traffic
Impacts on Public
Transport
In this section well look at two ways of being innovative in reducing
the impact of traffic congestion on public transport:

clever application of exclusive guideway measures;

New technology.

3.1 Clever Application of

Existing Technology
There are many opportunities to use clever traffic engineering to
reduce the impacts of traffic on public transportation. Often these
combine traffic signals with short sections of exclusive public
transport lanes. Two common examples are:

Queue Jumper (Source: Knoxville Area Transit Development
Plan, 2009)
Queue bypasses

are short sections of exclusive roadway located near an

intersection that enable transit vehicles to bypass congestion at
the intersection.

Queue jumps are queue bypass physical improvements with

the addition of change in traffic signal timing that enables transit
vehicles to start ahead of private vehiclesessentially jumping
ahead of them.
Implementing these types of measures involves careful analysis of
specific local conditions. Again the best way to do this is as part of
developing a comprehensive plan for making a street more livable.

An excellent reference for both specific measures and the process

for analyzing and planning them is the City of Portlands Transit
Preferential Streets Program Sourcebook (pdf).
Queue Jumper (Source: Knoxville Area Transit Development Plan,
2009)
3.2 New Technology
New technologies are being developed that could reduce the impact
of traffic congestion on public transport. Some specific examples
include:

Real time public transport lanes are lanes that use real
time traffic control devices (for example, changeable message
signs) to clear street lanes for public transport vehicles exactly
when the PT vehicles are present; when PT vehicles are not
present the lanes are free for use by any traffic. This concept has
been evaluated in research (Eichler, M. Bus lanes with
intermittent priority: assessment and design. Masters Thesis,
Dept. of City and Regional Planning, University of California,
Berkeley; 2006) but there are no actual examples of it in
operation yet.

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Public Transport Guideways

 Goteborg (Sweden) bus operating on exclusive busway (source: Andrew Nash, 2009).

Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Traffic Regulations
3. Exclusive PT Lanes
3.1 Length
3.2 Allowed Vehicles
3.3 Temporal Restrictions
3.4 Separation Method
3.5 PT Lane Location
3. Transit Malls
4. Purpose Built Guideways
4.1 Center City Tunnels
4.2 Elevated Structures
4.3 O-Bahn System
5. Innovative PT Guideways
5.1 Queue Bypass/Jumps
5.2 Real Time PT Lanes
6. References
About the Project

1. Introduction
A key problem for surface public transport is traffic congestion on city streets. Buses and streetcars get
caught in the same traffic jams as other vehicles. Streetcars are most impacted since they cannot go
around vehicles blocking the tracks.

There are many techniques that can be used to reduce the influence of traffic congestion on public
transport. Naturally, the best approach is to provide a separate right of way for public transport but this is
expensive when the right of way must be built (e.g. subway) and controversial when existing street space
 is reallocated as a transit only lane. If right of way cannot be completely separated there are other options
for limiting the impact of traffic on public transport. Jarrett Walker has developed a three-category right-of-
way separation hierarchy with examples for both bus and rail systems on his blog Human Transit.

When a separate right of way is not achievable, clever traffic engineering can be used to reduce overall
congestion (e.g. through turning restrictions) and to provide a separate right of way "only when needed"
(real time exclusive guideway) or "only where needed" (e.g. queue jumps) using traffic control systems.
Interestingly, traffic congestion only needs to be reduced slightly to have a significant benefit on public
transport operations.

The role of good traffic engineering in successful implementation of public transport priority improvements
cannot be overemphasized. Roadways serve many different types of users, and public transport priority
improvements should not penalize those other users without providing a substantial improvement to
public transport. Sophisticated traffic engineering techniques must be used to accomplish transit priority
and minimize the impact on other users. Therefore, public transport planners should maintain good
relationships with traffic engineers and be able to work cooperatively on improvement projects.

This section describes the following techniques for reducing the impact of congestion on public transport:

1. Traffic Regulations - adding or eliminating traffic regulations to reduce the impact of congestion
on public transport.

2. Exclusive PT Lanes - designating portions of the street (lanes) for exclusive use by public
transport.

3. Transit Malls - transit malls are often located in center cities.

4. Purpose Built Guideways - streets or structures built specifically for public transport.

5. Innovative PT Guideway - including queue jumps and other for example techniques that combine
measures (e.g. queue jump lanes) and real time exclusive PT lanes.

6. References - Recommended PT guideway references.

Some public transport guideway improvements fall in several of the categories listed above. In fact, this is
a key characteristic of public transport priority planning: there are few simple techniques, successful
public transport priority planning requires taking a comprehensive approach blending aspects of all
improvement types into something that works for the particular situation.

2. Traffic Regulations
The simplest category of transit priority improvements consists of making changes to traffic regulations
that control the movement of vehicles on the roadway. This means adding traffic restrictions that help
public transport and removing traffic restrictions that hurt public transport. The approach starts by taking a
detailed look at the street or street segment.
Specific examples of traffic restrictions include:
 Parking Restrictions - one main cause of delays to transit vehicles is waiting while private
vehicles maneuver in and out of parking spaces. Parking restrictions and controls can be implemented to
reduce the impact of parking movements on transit vehicles and to provide space needed for exclusive
transit lanes.

Turn Restrictions - turning vehicles are another significant source of delay for transit vehicles.
Implementing turn restrictions carefully can significantly reduce these delays.

Transit Exemption from Turning Requirements - in some cases, restrictions to turning

movements can lengthen and delay transit routes. In these cases, it can be beneficial to exempt transit
from the turning movement restriction.

Loading Restrictions - historically, vehicle loading on public streets has been a problem in cities
throughout history. In ancient Rome, goods delivery was banned during the day because of congestion.
Careful design of loading areas can improve transit priority by reducing interference with transit vehicles.

It is important to note that, like most public transport priority improvements, traffic regulations can be
controversial to private vehicle drivers and adjoining property owners (e.g. removing parking). In the long
run public support is critical to implementation of public transport priority programs, therefore public
transport measures must be designed to minimize unnecessary negative impacts. One effective method
is working closely with the community to design the improvements as part of a program to improve
neighborhood livability.

Back to top.

3. Exclusive PT Lanes
Separating public transport vehicles from other traffic is a very effective method of improving public
transportation. In fact, a key characteristic of rapid transit systems (e.g. subways and elevated rail
systems) is that they provide a completely separate right of way for public transport. Unfortunately
building separate rights of way is very expensive and therefore many cities opt to create separated PT
lanes by designating existing street space for the exclusive use of public transport. This section outlines
key aspects of public transport lanes created by redistributing existing street space. (Purpose built
exclusive PT lanes are outlined in below.)
 Painted bus lane in Vienna. Taxis allowed to use lane. (Source: Andrew Nash, 2010)

Exclusive public transport lanes means the lane on which the bus or streetcar runs is not open to private
vehicular traffic. The provision of dedicated space enables the public transport vehicle to avoid congestion
caused by private vehicle traffic. This helps increase the speed, reliability and attractiveness of public
transportation.

An excellent reference on all aspects of exclusive lanes is: Effective Bus-Only Lanes (2006) by Michael
Kiesling and Matthew Ridgway.

Exclusive public transport lanes come in many shapes and sizes, but they are almost all controversial. A
key issue for exclusive transit lanes is how much they used by transit. If a transit lane is not well used,
motorists may perceive it as wasted space and complain to elected officials. Given the importance of
support for implementation of these improvements, it is critical that planners consider introducing
exclusive transit lanes only where they will be heavily used. This requires creative techniques to bypass
only congested areas and considering rerouting other transit routes so that several use the same stretch
of exclusive right of way

As the following sub-sections illustrate, there is a huge variety in the design and operation of exclusive
public transport lanes.

3.1 Length
Transit lanes vary from long stretches of roadway to short sections just before intersections.

3.2 Allowed Vehicles

Some cities allow taxicabs to use public transport lanes (for example, Vienna, San Francisco and Paris).

Many cities allow bicycles to use public transport lanes.

In many cases, private vehicles making turning movements can use exclusive transit lanes. Clearly, this
reduces the lanes transit reliability, especially in areas with high numbers of pedestrians, whose crossing
movements will delay turning vehicles. Portlands guidelines assume exclusive lanes are shared with
turning movements. A key condition for application of this technique is that the turn lane must be less
congested than the through lanes.

3.3 Temporal Restrictions

Often, exclusive transit lanes are only exclusive during certain times of day (for example, peak periods);
afterward, they revert to mixed flow or parking lanes.

3.4 Separation Method

A critical aspect in the design of exclusive transit lanes is traffic lane separation. Building a physical
barrier between the exclusive public transport lane and the adjoining mixed traffic lanes is the ideal
solution. However, an exclusive transit lane can be created by painted lines. A major difference between
these is the level and type of enforcement necessary to keep them exclusive. Physical separation has
higher capital costs, but is generally self-enforcing. Reliance on painted lines or signs requires much
greater enforcement in order to be effective.

The best approach for separating an exclusive public transport lane from the adjoining mixed traffic lanes
depends upon the factors listed above (e.g. is it peak hour only?) and the specific existing conditions and
street geometry where the lane will be implemented. The main types of separation are outlined below.

3.4.1 Signs and Painted Markings

The simplest type of exclusive public transport lane is a lane that is designated by signs and painted lines
as "bus only". This approach is inexpensive, but it is very difficult to keep other vehicles out of the lane
and therefore it is less effective than exclusive lanes separated by raised pavement or barriers. On the
other hand this approach is necessary when the lane will be shared by other vehicles (e.g. taxi cabs, or
private vehicles during non-peak hours). The photo below shows a painted bus lane in Ljubljana, Slovania
(this lane is part of Ljubljana's High Quality Bus Corridor measure being implemented as part of the
CIVITAS ELAN project).
 Ljubljana Painted Bus Lane (Source: Andrew Nash, 2011)

In order to be effective these exclusive lanes require strong pro-active enforcement by traffic police.
Relaxation in the control and enforcement of bus-only lanes after they were installed in many US cities
during the 1970s has been identified as a key element in the gradual discontinuance of bus priority
improvements.

A common example of an exclusive bus lane is the curb-side bus lane in the inside lane of the street. In
this case the bus lane restrictions are often limited to peak traffic hours only and the lane is used for
parking in the off-peak hours (note that this means that cities must systematically clear parked cars from
the lanes at the beginning of the peak hours). A curb-side bus lane is illustrated below.

Non-Barrier Separated Bus Lane (Source: Panic Telematics, 2009)

Non-Barrier Separated Bus Lane (Source: Panic Telematics, 2009)

Buses running in curb-side bus lanes do not prevent access to driveways for private vehicles and they
provide easy access to bus stops for public transport users. Illegal parking, broken down private vehicles
and violations of the restricted access, especially during periods of heavy traffic, reduce the efficiency of
these lanes.

Finally, curb-side bus lanes sometimes operate as contra-flow lanes (meaning that the buses travel in the
opposite direction from the vehicles in the adjoining lanes). The presence of buses traveling in the
opposite direction provides a significant disincentive for vehicles in the adjoining lanes to use the bus
lane.

3.4.2 Raised Surfaces

A more effective approach for separating exclusive public transport lanes from adjoining traffic is to raise
the lanes slightly above the surface of the adjoining lanes. This tells private vehicles to stay out of the
lanes, but enables emergency vehicles to use the lanes when necessary.

The raised surface method is very good for rail systems since the raised platform can have a very rough
surface or even a grass surface which makes it uncomfortable or impossible for non-rail vehicles to use
the surface. (Research from the Technical University of Berlin has developed a plant material which can
be driven upon by emergency vehicles when necessary.)

The height above the adjoining lanes can vary from slight to large.

3.4.3 Flexible Barriers

Some cities use flexible plastic posts installed in the street to separate public transport lanes from
adjoining lanes. These provide a good visual separation as well as making it quite obvious when a vehicle
drives over the barrier.

Similar to the raised surfaces, it is possible for emergency vehicles to use the lane if necessary (by driving
over the flexible barriers).

3.4.4 Solid Barriers

The most effective exclusive public transport lanes are physically separated from adjoining lanes by
barriers. These types of lanes cannot typically be located by the curb since they block the access of
private vehicles to driveways. Therefore they are usually located in the center of the street (i.e. in the
roadway median). Since they are totally separated from other traffic they are much less subject to delays
caused by illegal parking, breakdowns and bus lane violations of private vehicles.

Barrier Separated Bus Lane aka German O-Bahn (Source: Tessa Coombes, GWE Business West Background Paper
8, 2007)

Barrier Separated Bus Lane on German O-Bahn (Source: Tessa Coombes, GWE Business West Background Paper 8,
2007)

3.5 PT Lane Location

Exclusive public transport lanes can be located in any lane of the street from curbside to median. For
each type of separation there is generally a particular location that makes the most sense.
For example, peak hour only painted exclusive bus lanes are most often located in the curb lane.
Similarly, barrier separated and raised pavement lanes are generally located in the center of the street.

The location of the exclusive lanes will impact the stations/stops. When exclusive lanes are built in the
curb lane passengers can wait on the sidewalk and no special waiting area must be built. However, when
exclusive transit lanes are located in the center of the roadway stations must also be built. This requires
careful design to reduce the amount of space needed for the public transport facilities (lane and stations)
and the impact on other traffic. Special care must be given to create safe waiting areas for passengers
and access to reach the bus stops.

Back to top.

Prague: Nmst Republiky square. Buses and trams share the exclusive transit right of way on a pededstrianized
area. (Source: Andrew Nash, 2010)

3. Transit Malls
Transit malls are sections of street, generally located in a city centre, where many different transit lanes
operate with little or very limited private traffic. While transit malls are often thought of in terms of their
contribution to urban liveability, they also serve two important transit priority functions: They speed service
by reducing interference with private traffic, and they provide a good opportunity to implement systems-
level transit priority improvements.

Transit malls provide a good opportunity to implement system operations improvements because they
can serve as linear transit interchange stations providing patrons with a convenient place to change from
one route to another, thus speeding their trip. This is especially true when the transit system operates on
a pulse-type schedule, that is, where several different transit routes are scheduled to arrive at the transit
mall simultaneously, allowing passengers to transfer between the routes efficiently.

Furthermore, transit malls help improve public perception. Malls make public transport more visible and
provide opportunities for better passenger information, introduction of passenger amenities at transit
stops, and innovative fare programs (for example, fare-free zones). Transit malls must be carefully
planned and designed. There are many excellent examples of transit malls in the United States, but also
several failures that resulted when the factors needed to make a transit mall successful were not fully
understood.

Transit malls are constructed as elements in new light rail transit systems. New, well-designed transit
malls, including those in San Jose, Portland, and Denver, are good examples of high-quality urban design
and transportation planning.

Back to top.

4. Purpose Built Guideways

Building a separate right of way (for example, a bus way) is a costly transit priority improvement but can
be worthwhile especially if it serves as the catalyst for implementing other transit priority improvements.
Furthermore, even given their high cost, these improvements can be less expensive than traditional
transit capital solutions like building entirely new light rail or Metro systems.

The most effective purpose built exclusive guideways are designed to serve several different public
transport routes (for example, a bus tunnel in a downtown area). The best examples of these types of
improvements are bus rapid transit systems and light rail systems that share major capital facilities.
 Goteborg (Sweden) separate bus lane in median of roadway (source: Andrew Nash, 2009).

Bus rapid transit systems are attractive and considered less expensive to build than rail. Boston and San
Francisco have benefited greatly by placing the downtown sections of their light rail networks
underground.

4.1 Center City Tunnels

Building any type of underground infrastructure in a crowded downtown area is very difficult. Therefore in
most cases underground facilities for public transport are high capacity rail-based systems such as metro
(a.k.a. heavy rail, subway) lines. However several cities have built underground facilities for streetcars
and buses - especially when these facilities can be used by multiple lines (thus increasing their
effectiveness).

In fact, many of the first "subways", including Boston's Green Line , were actually tunnels built to enable
streetcars to escape from center-city traffic congestion. In Boston a short segment of underground track
was open in 1897 under Tremont Street for streetcars coming from several different neighborhoods
(America's first subway ). Today, this section of subway has been extended to Kenmore Square and
Lechmere, but it continues to be used by 5 different routes served by modern light rail vehicles. San
Francisco's Market Street Subway is another example of a center city tunnel used by multiple light rail
lines.
Seattle's University Street Transit Tunnel Station. (Source: Joe Mabel, November 2007, via Wikimedia Commons.)

There are fewer examples of center city bus tunnels. Boston has built a center city bus tunnel for their
new Silver Line BRT (wikipedia) and Seattle opened a downtown bus tunnel in 1990. As shown in the
photo above, Seattle's tunnel has now been modified to accommodate light rail trains as well as buses.
Again, the idea is to have several different public transport lines use the same expensive facility.

An efficient use of bus tunnels are short sections of tunnel designed to serve rail stations. A good example
are the bus tunnels at Boston's Harvard Square Red Line station. In this case buses can save valuable
minutes and, most importantly, improve service attractiveness (faster trips for passengers and the ability
to transfer directly into the rail station).

4.2 Elevated Structures

While elevated public transport lines are not as expensive as underground systems they are still costly.
Furthermore, elevated lines are often much more controversial since they have greater impacts on
adjoining property (block views, increase noise, etc.). While these impacts can be mitigated and the
benefits of improved public transport could very well compensate for the environmental impacts, elevated
lines are almost always very controversial. Therefore the politically expedient - although often much more
costly - solution is to build an underground line. (Of course the end effect is that fewer total lines get built.)

Examples of elevated bus / streetcar lines?

4.3 O-Bahn System

An interesting type of bus guideway is the German O-Bahn system. In this technology buses are fitted
with a curb guide wheel. The guide wheel is a small horizontal wheel attached to the underside of a bus in
order to guide it through a narrow lane with kerbs on both sides (see figure).

A major benefit of the O-Bahn technology is that it enables the bus to run on a much narrower bus lane.
Traditional non-barrier separated bus lanes require a lane width of up to four meters to allow for lateral
movement. The lane width may be reduced to just over two and a half meters using the guided O-Bahn
system. This frees valuable road space for high quality bus stops with plentiful space and amenities as
well as providing more room for the adjoining private traffic lanes.
 Kerb Guide Wheel (Source: Tessa Coombes, GWE Business West Background Paper 8, 2007)

Kerb Guide Wheel (Source: Tessa Coombes, GWE Business West Background Paper 8, 2007)
However, in spite of their advantages there are only a few examples of O-Bahn systems currently
operating. The main criticism of these systems is that their advantages are not significant over other
alternatives (light rail for high demand corridors and regular bus lanes for lower demand).

Back to top.

5. Innovative PT Guideways

5.1 Queue Bypass/Jumps

Another guideway strategy for providing public transport priority is to combine clever use of traffic control
systems (i.e. traffic signals) with exclusive public transport lanes. The advantage of using traffic control
systems in combination is that this can reduce the amount of guideway that needs to be provided, making
it easier to implement these strategies.

These improvements combine roadway changes with traffic signal technology to enable transit vehicles to
be the first to enter a stretch of uncongested roadway. Two common methods are queue bypass and
queue jump:

Queue bypasses are short sections of exclusive roadway located near an intersection that enable
transit vehicles to bypass congestion at the intersection.
 Queue jumps are queue bypass physical improvements with the addition of change in traffic
signal timing that enables transit vehicles to start ahead of private vehiclesessentially jumping ahead of
them.

Queue Jumper (Source: Knoxville Area Transit Development Plan, 2009)

Queue Jumper (Source: Knoxville Area Transit Development Plan, 2009)

5.2 Real Time PT Lanes

Real time public transport lanes are lanes that use real time traffic control devices (for example,
changeable message signs) to clear street lanes for public transport vehicles exactly when the PT
vehicles are present; when PT vehicles are not present the lanes are free for use by any traffic.

This concept has been evaluated in research (Eichler, M. Bus lanes with intermittent priority: assessment
and design. Masters Thesis, Dept. of City and Regional Planning, University of California, Berkeley;
2006) but there are no actual examples of it in operation yet.

Back to top.