SIMULATION OF AN UNCONDITIONAL PREEMPTION BUS PRIORITY SYSTEM

An urban network traffic model has been modified to simulate a bus priority technique that automatically grants a green signal to buses as they approach an intersection. Such a technique could be implemented at individual intersections. Bus routes along 18th and 19th streets in downtown Washington, D.C., were simulated, and traffic data representing the morning peak were used as model input. Repeated simulation runs tested the effect that the bus priority system had on bus and nonbus traffic for combinations of bus headways (from 0.5 to 4 min) and near-side and far-side bus stop locations. The technique substantially improved many aspects of bus operations, including reduction of the mean number of unnecessary stops, and the mean, 90th percentile, and standard deviation of travel time. An improvement of 15 to 20 percent in bus travel time was supported by statistical test. Other vehicles on bus streets also benefited from this type of system. Cross-street traffic was adversely affected by shorter headways, but far-side stops were far superior to near-side stops under those conditions. Under the conditions simulated, the bus priority system would have the least impact on other vehicles in applications with far-side bus stops when headways were 2 min and greater. However, a consideration of passenger movement rather than vehicle movement may indicate that the system should be operated at shorter than optimum headways.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1975/536/536-001.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=SIMULATION+OF+AN+UNCONDITIONAL+PREEMPTION+BUS+PRIORITY+SYSTEM&author=J.+Ludwick&publication_year=1975
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03611981
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Traffic Control Devices. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Ludwick Jr, John S
• Conference:
  • 54th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia
  • Date: 1975-1-13 to 1975-1-17
• Publication Date: 1975

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 1-10
• Monograph Title: Motorist and transit-user services
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 536
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus priority; Bus stops; Bus transit; Computers; Headways; Improvements; Planning; Statistical analysis; Traffic control; Traffic simulation; Travel time
• Old TRIS Terms: Bus transportation (Intracity); Computer planning systems
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00125373
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309023874
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Oct 18 1975 12:00AM