Evaluation of Bus Rapid Transit Implementation in China: Current Performance and Progress
Publication: Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 139, Issue 3
Abstract
This paper evaluates the physical characteristics, technical performance, and operational issues associated with bus rapid transit (BRT) systems implemented in 13 Chinese cities. BRT systems in China have shown medium performance; the peak ridership averaged , and the peak hour speed averaged . Compared with Latin American BRT systems, Chinese BRT systems operate at a comparable speed but carry much fewer passengers. The empirical analysis of Chinese BRT systems implies that the technical performance of BRT is not significantly related with urban size. This paper gives some evidence that overtaking lanes and shared lanes have significant impacts on peak ridership and frequency, and long station-spacing has a positive impact on peak hour speed. Although BRT has become a viable option of transportation improvement, some notable disadvantages identified in Chinese BRT design and operation should be taken into consideration for improving BRT implementation.
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Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project No. 41201102), and Leading Academic Discipline Program, 211 Project for Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (the 4th phase). The authors wish to thank the editor and three anonymous reviewers for their significant and constructive comments for improving the manuscript. Any mistakes and omissions in this paper remain our responsibility. The authorship order reflects each author's relative contribution to the work.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Urban Planning and Development
Volume 139 • Issue 3 • September 2013
Pages: 226 - 234
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 5, 2012
Accepted: Mar 6, 2013
Published online: Mar 8, 2013
Discussion open until: Aug 8, 2013
Published in print: Sep 1, 2013
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