BUS DEMONSTRATION PROJECT. SUMMARY REPORT NO 8, SOUTHAMPTON.A LINKED SYSTEM OF TRAFFIC SIGNALS WITH PRIORITY ACCESS TO THE ROUTE FOR BUSES

This report describes a project introduced in 1973 on a radial route through the eastern suburbs of Southampton. The route was seriously congested in the morning peak and the scheme was designed to give priority to buses and improve conditions for other traffic. Free-flowing conditions were achieved on the main road by a series of linked traffic signals which were also used to limit the flow of traffic from side roads at periods of peak demand; other traffic management was used to separate different traffic movements and to give buses priority. Some side roads (cross-routes) were reserved for vehicles wishing to cross the main road or to join it to travel away from the city. Buses were given priority only during the morning peak by reserving certain side roads for their sole use and by exempting them from turning restrictions on the cross-routes. Once on the main route buses neither received, nor needed, further priority. The traffic control system created improved conditions of vehicular flow on the main road which, in conjunction with the traffic management measures giving priority access to buses, brought about a significant reduction in the journey times of bus passengers. The total journey time of all bus passengers in the morning period 07.00 to 09.30 was reduced by 8% and that of those travelling towards the city by over 11%. This is equivalent to almost 3-1/2 minutes for a half-hour door-to-door journey. The total saving of passenger travel time in the same morning period was about 430 passenger-hours or 3.7% of the total. Approximately 80% of this benefit accrued to bus passengers, the remainder to car occupants. The total saving represented an average saving to each traveller, by car or bus, of about 1 minute. /Author/TRRL/

• Corporate Authors:

  Department of the Environment, England

  2 Marsham Street
  London SW1P 3EB,   England 
• Publication Date: 1976

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: 15 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus priority; Bus transportation; Buses; Demonstration projects; Network links; Peak periods; Radials; Strategic planning; Traffic congestion; Traffic control; Traffic flow; Traffic signal control systems; Traffic signal preemption; Traffic signal timing; Traffic signals; Travel time; Trip length; Urban areas
• Uncontrolled Terms: Linkages
• ITRD Terms: 1272: Bus; 632: Congestion (traffic); 597: Linked signals; 612: Peak hour; 648: Priority (traffic); 9065: Radial; 671: Traffic flow; 565: Traffic signal; 313: Urban area
• Subject Areas: Highways; Motor Carriers; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00142798
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Report/Paper Numbers: Monograph
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 4 1977 12:00AM