REGIONAL COMMUTER BUSES AND THEIR POTENTIAL APPLICABILITY IN CONNECTICUT
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
1999
Subject Area
place - low density, mode - bus
Keywords
Suburbs, Regional transportation, Markets, Intrastate transportation, Intracity bus transportation, Human comfort, Connecticut, Commuter service, Comfort, Bus transit
Abstract
The regional commuter bus is a long-established service concept encompassing the fastest and most comfortable bus transit. There is no universally applicable definition of the regional commuter bus, but it combines the flexibility of the bus with the comfort of commuter rail. Most regional commuter buses operate in suburb-to-city service, although some routes accommodate reverse-commute and suburb-to-suburb travel. The regional commuter bus serves a wider variety of origins and destinations than does rail transit. Yet like commuter rail, the commuter bus caters to longer-distance metropolitan travel, and it usually attempts to offer a comfortable seat to all passengers. Because of its amenity orientation and its fast service, the regional commuter bus often competes with the car on a basis of choice. The advantages of the regional commuter bus make it an option for planners to consider in markets in which ordinary bus service might not be applicable. One potential market for the regional commuter bus is in Connecticut's southwest corridor. The zone from Bridgeport to Stamford, with its many urban centers, employment centers, and affluent suburbs, may be a promising market for high-amenity service. Vans or small buses capable of operating within the geometric limits of the Merritt Parkway would allow transit to compete effectively with the automobile along the tier of suburbs inland from I-95 and the New Haven rail line.
Recommended Citation
Allen, J. (1999). REGIONAL COMMUTER BUSES AND THEIR POTENTIAL APPLICABILITY IN CONNECTICUT. Transportation Research Record, Vol. 1666, p. 37-43.
