Framework for Deployment Planning of Bus Rapid Transit Systems

Abstract

Bus rapid transit (BRT) systems combine vehicles, stations, running ways, and intelligent transportation system elements into a fully integrated system with a unique identity. It has great flexibility in incremental deployment of these BRT elements. Proposed is a deployment planning framework that provides, in a sequence of steps, a general structure for optimal deployment of BRT systems. This framework and its formulation, once operationalized, would provide transit agencies a practical tool for determining the optimal deployment strategy or strategies given budgetary, institutional, and other types of constraints associated with the corridor for which they have decided to deploy BRT. A case study example is provided to illustrate how the proposed framework would be used.