WITH-FLOW BUS LANES: ECONOMIC JUSTIFICATION USING A THEORETICAL MODEL

A theoretical model has been developed and used to investigate the economic justification for the installation of a with-flow bus lane along a link of a road terminating in a signalized intersection. The model takes account of the different behaviour of priority and non-priority vehicles in the various parts of the link: at the merge point at the beginning of the reserved lane, along the section containing the reserved lane, and in the queueing space at the signalised junction beyond the reserved lane. The reserved lane can be stopped short of the stop line in order to provide a "setback" space which can be used by all traffic, thus preserving the capacity of the junction, but if this is not done and ongestion results the model allows vehicles to divert along minor roads parallel to the main link if this proves to be beneficial. The benefits to priority vehicles in terms of time and operating cost savings and the disbenefits to non-priority vehicles were calculated for a range of traffic flows, compositions, signal settings and road layout; from these figures warrants (i.e. the minimum flows of priority vehicles required if the schemes are to give positive benefits) were obtained for bus lanes and for bus/taxi lanes. An Appendix contains a manual for assessing the merits of reserved lane treatment, which permits the results of the study to be generalised to particular situaitons, including schemes which give priority to classes of vehicles other than buses or taxis. /Author/

• Corporate Authors:

  Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)

  Wokingham, Berkshire  United Kingdom 
• Authors:
  • Oldfield, R H
  • Bly, P H
  • Webster, F V
• Publication Date: 1977

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 31 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Bus lanes; Copolymers; Economic factors; Mathematical models; Merging area; Routes; Signalized intersections; Strategic planning; Taxicabs
• Uncontrolled Terms: Convenience; Models
• Old TRIS Terms: Reserved routes
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00173243
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: TRRL Lab. Rpt. 809
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Apr 12 1978 12:00AM