Dynamic Bus Lanes Versus Exclusive Bus Lanes: Comprehensive Comparative Analysis of Urban Corridor Performance
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Date
2023
Subject Area
place - north america, place - urban, mode - bus, mode - car, infrastructure - bus/tram lane, infrastructure - bus/tram priority, land use - planning, operations - frequency, operations - performance, operations - traffic
Keywords
Bus lanes, bus priority, urban corridor performance
Abstract
Exclusive bus lane (EBL) is one of the most common transit prioritization strategies implemented to improve transit speed. However, one major drawback of implementing EBLs is the associated reduction in road capacity left for other road users. In corridors with EBLs and infrequent bus service, the lanes are underutilized for extended periods of time. Dynamic bus lane (DBL), a new priority strategy enabled by vehicle connectivity, can provide buses with priority while allowing the general traffic to access the bus lane when buses are not present. Although the DBL concept is promising, a limited number of studies have explored its effectiveness under various conditions. Thus, this paper investigates the impacts of DBLs through a comparison with EBLs and mixed traffic operation under different levels of traffic demand and transit frequency. As a case study, the Eglinton East corridor in Toronto, Canada, was simulated using Aimsun Next, and different scenarios of behavioral impacts were considered in the analysis. The results reveal that DBL is a promising strategy with potential to improve the overall corridor performance over a wide range of traffic and transit service conditions, especially under intermediate traffic demand levels. On the other hand, EBL can be an efficient prioritization strategy that improves the overall corridor performance under high traffic demand and high transit frequency levels, but only if accompanied by a major mode shift from auto to transit.
Rights
Permission to publish the abstract has been given by SAGE, copyright remains with them.
Recommended Citation
Othman, K., Shalaby, A., & Abdulhai, B. (2023). Dynamic Bus Lanes Versus Exclusive Bus Lanes: Comprehensive Comparative Analysis of Urban Corridor Performance. Transportation Research Record, 2677(1), 341-355.
