CHAPTER Street users
FREQUENT NETWORK SERVICES
RAPID TRANSIT NETWORK SERVICES CORRIDORS
Frequent services operate at least every 15 minutes, 7am – 7pm, 7 days a week, with lower frequencies early morning and evenings. Convergence of frequent bus routes add up to a frequency of more than 1 per minute in the busiest areas. These frequencies may cause difficulties with stop capacity and sizing. These corridors pass through built-up urban areas with high pedestrian volumes.
Rapid transit corridors are run with large buses at a frequency of at least 15 minute headways. They generally have a dedicated right of way and sometimes are grade separated from street level. Stops are widely spaced, generally between 1 and 2 km. They are often run either underground, alongside highways or along major arterial roads.
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Public transport streets provide dedicated bus lanes and other measures to carry high capacity without congestion of buses. JOURNEY TIME – MANAGING DELAY
The most effective strategy for improving public transport journey times is to focus on reducing delays. Traffic and signal delay can be improved via infrastructural improvements such as bus lanes, transit lanes, bus priority traffic signals and changing traffic signal phasing to favour major bus routes. It can also be improved by location and design of stops, allowing buses to start quickly after boarding. Boarding delay can be minimised by operational strategies. Removing public transport delay benefits users as it shortens the journey time for users. It also reduces the time and operating costs of each run, making the services more efficient. This efficiency of service allows additional vehicles to be deployed, creating higher frequencies. Higher frequencies reduce passenger waiting time which is considered 2.5 times as significant as time spent in motion. Efficient, high-frequency services create an environment where public transport is reliable and resilient.
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