Recent projects in Bus Rapid Transit have yielded numerous advantages for passengers, along with a surge in usage. Take, for instance, the reduction in travel duration on the Boston Silver Line from twenty to fifteen minutes, which led to a nearly two-thirds increase in ridership during its inaugural year. Similarly, Vancouver’s B-Line routes experienced a rise in ridership between 20 to 25 percent. The express arterial bus service in Los Angeles has cut down travel times by 29%, resulting in a ridership increase of up to 40%.
Los Angeles
Bus rapid transit is an increasingly popular mode of public transportation, and its popularity is proving to be beneficial to all users. The Boston Silver Line, for instance, cut travel time from 20 to 15 minutes, and more than doubled ridership within its first year of operation. Vancouver’s B Line routes have seen ridership increases of 20 to 25%. The expansion of the Los Angeles express arterial bus route has reduced travel times by almost 30% and increased ridership by 40%.
According to Metro, the number of riders on the Metro system has reached over 300,000 on weekdays. More than 60% of riders live in low-income households, and more than 72% are Latinx. These numbers are even higher for neighborhoods of color. This shows that bus rapid transit is an option for many Los Angeles residents.
The transit authority has begun a system to allow express buses priority at traffic signals. They have placed 210 antenna loops on the pavement to ensure this. These loops transmit an identification signal to a central control centre, which can track buses.
Miami
In recent years, Miami has seen the growth of bus rapid transit as an alternative to driving. While this is a great option for city residents, it has also sparked controversy. Some have asked why Miami would even consider BRT, while others question its benefits. There has been debate over whether or not bus rapid transit would actually be faster than cars.
BRT advocates point out a number of issues, including the need for lower financial burdens for low income residents. The first major benefit is the possibility of reducing the time people spend on commuting. The second major benefit is that BRT could improve access to jobs, which could be particularly beneficial to residents without a car. In Miami, for example, an estimated 14.3% of households do not own a vehicle. This makes improving public transportation options a priority for those who cannot afford to drive.
Another benefit is that buses can be a cheaper alternative to driving. Buses in Miami are becoming more popular and people are using them to commute to work. For example, the 34 Express bus route attracts more riders each year than any other year. However, ridership on most major routes has declined. This growth, while still low, demonstrates the potential for bus travel in Miami-Dade.
Montreal
Montreal’s Metro has more than doubled in ridership since it first opened in 1967. It is the most used public transportation system in North America, compared to the city’s population. However, ridership has not grown steadily. Ridership declined from the late 1960s through the early 1990s and then rose again between 1996-2015. Ridership has more than doubled in the past decade, with some lines experiencing overcrowding during peak hours.
Since 2013, public transportation has been on the rise for commuters in the Montreal area, particularly among young people. The Autorite regionale de transport metropolitanin has recently found that the number of car trips during the morning rush hour has decreased by one percent in comparison to previous years. This means that there are approximately 15,000 fewer cars driving around the metro area each day.
As ridership on transit systems has increased, cities and municipalities are implementing new strategies to improve the transit experience. One such strategy is the Transitway, a thirty-five-km-long bus rapid transit system that connects Montreal’s outer suburbs to the city center. It is powered by local buses and runs on a dedicated right of way to avoid traffic and ensure reliability. The Transitway’s ridership is comparable to the subway system in other cities.
Houston
The growing popularity of bus rapid transit in Houston is a testament to the city’s success. While the rest of the country has followed the nationwide trend of improving mass transit, Houston has proven that it can do it on a small budget and still provide high quality service. The city completely redesigned its bus system last year, streamlining routes and increasing service along the busiest routes.
As Houston’s population has grown, so has its demand for public transportation. For decades, the city’s bus system has not kept pace with these changes. Many routes are centered on downtown, leaving out other areas of employment. In addition, the bus system has not responded adequately to the suburbanization of Houston, resulting in falling transit ridership. Despite all this, Houston METRO still has more hours than it did in decades past.
The city is expanding its BRT network to meet increasing demand. It plans to expand the service to areas of Houston that are not currently served by mass transit. It will connect inner-loop and suburban neighborhoods to core commuting centres. The city hopes to have over 15,000 daily riders by 2020.
Curitaba, Brazil
Curitiba, Brazil has been a global leader in bus rapid transit with a network of over 21,000 buses that covers more than 270 miles. The system was developed by a private-public partnership. 22 private companies provide buses and taxis. Although many Curitibanos have their own cars, the city’s average gas consumption per capita is less that half of eight similar Brazilian cities.
Curitiba’s BRT success inspired other Latin American cities. Bogota, Colombia, soon began testing BRT on a larger scale. The city’s mayor, Enrique Penalosa, seized on the idea and borrowed many concepts from Curitiba. He later built his own BRT network, the Transmilenio. Although not as widespread as Curitiba, the Transmilenio boasts a network that includes many of the BRT concepts Curitiba developed.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the city became famous for its innovative public transportation system. Many political leaders visited the city to learn about its innovative programs. Curitiba was also home to many urban planners and researchers. Curitiba’s success spurred cities to replicate Curitiba’s successful model, although recent social and economic problems have put a damper on many of those plans.
Seoul, South Korea
In Seoul, South Korea, bus rapid transit is becoming a more popular mode of transportation. Express services are becoming more popular due to the increasing suburbanization of the city. The new rail system will offer suburban residents faster travel times and more efficient service. It will also reduce air pollution.
Seoul’s public bus system started operations in 1953 and was an important part of the city’s early economic growth. Bus service grew rapidly in the 1960s and 1971, when it accounted for 74% of all passenger trips. There are currently 8726 buses in the city, operated by 89 private bus companies. Each company has different routes and service levels. Although the number of trips on bus lines is not dependent on service level, it can still be difficult to find standardized service.
There are 157 km of bus exclusive lanes in the city, which are vital to BRT systems. The Korean word for BRT is ganseongeubhaengbeoseucegye (bus exclusive lane).
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