TECHNICAL PAPERS
Jan 1, 1983

Bus Priority Strategy: Justification and Environmental Aspects

Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 109, Issue 1

Abstract

The benefits and costs of implementing a bus preemption system at isolated intersections and at intersections forming an open arterial network were investigated. Trade‐off analyses were performed on measures of road user costs. Several hypothetical combinations of automobile and bus flow rates were investigated to determine the traffic conditions for which preemption is justified. Travel time delay and fuel consumption were used as measures of effectiveness. The measures of effectiveness were estimated utilizing the Urban Traffic Control System/Bus Priority System (UTCS/BPS) and Network Flow Simulation for Urban Traffic Control System (NETSIM) traffic flow simulation computer programs. The study concluded that the economic justification of bus preemption for a network is dependent upon the network geometric configuration and network traffic flows rather than the individual intersection's economic viability. The analysis indicated that the benefits of bus preemption increased at the internal intersections of the network. A possible cause of this was found to be vehicle platooning. Bus preemption proved to cause higher vehicular emission rates than the non‐preemption case.

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References

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Elias, W. J., “The Greenback Experiment‐Signal Preemption for Express Buses: A Demonstration Project,” Report No. DMT‐014, California Departmat of Transportation, 1976.
2.
Evans, H. K., and Skiles, G. W., “Improving Public Trainsit Through Bus Preemption of Traffic Signals,” Traffic Quarterly, Vol. 24, No. 4, Oct. 1970.
3.
Jacobson, J., and Sheffi, Y., “Analytical Model of Traffic Delays Under Bus Signal Preemption: Theory and Application,” Proceedings, 59th Annual Transportation Research Board Meeting, Washington, D.C., Jan., 1979.
4.
“NETSIM” Model, Vols. 1–5, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1977.
5.
Radelat, G., “Bus Priority Systems Supplement to the Subroutine Documentation of the MITRE's Version of the Original UTCS‐1 Model,” Traffic Systems Division, Office of Research, Federal Highway Administration, 1973.
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Wattleworth, J. A., Courage, K. G., Wallace, C. E., and Seigel, R. L., “Evaluation of Some Bus Priority Strategies on NW 7th Avenue in Miami,” Proceedings, 56th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, Jan. 1977.
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Go to Journal of Transportation Engineering
Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 109Issue 1January 1983
Pages: 88 - 106

History

Published online: Jan 1, 1983
Published in print: Jan 1983

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Authors

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A. Essam Radwan
Asst. Prof., Dept. of Civ. Engrg., Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ., Blacksburg, Va. 24061
David A. Benevelli, Associate Members, ASCE
Transportation Engr., JHK & Assocs., Alexandria, Va. 22304

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