Introduction of Reserved Bus Lane

Abstract

This paper evaluates the impact of adding a reserved bus lane on the running times and on-time performance of two parallel bus routes, one of them a limited-stop bus service and the other a regular bus service. By means of automatic vehicle location and automatic passenger count data, statistical models were built to estimate running time and on-time performance. The reserved bus lane yielded savings of 1.3% to 2.2% in total running time, and benefits were more significant for northbound afternoon peak trips than for southbound morning peak trips because of congestion levels northbound. The introduction of a reserved lane increased the odds of being on time by 65% for both routes. A decline in the variability of running time and delay at the end was noticed after implementation of the reserved lane; the decline indicated that the reliability of the service being offered along the corridor had improved. The analysis showed that the more affected a bus service was by adverse traffic conditions, the more it benefitted in running time from improvements introduced by reserved lanes while keeping schedules constant. Reserved lanes had a substantial effect on both service reliability and on-time performance, two key variables in customer satisfaction that justified such implementation. This study will help transit planners and schedulers to understand the effects of implementing reserved lanes on running time, on-time performance, and transit schedules.