Bus Rapid Transit

for Indian cities

Shreya Gadepalli
Regional Director
June 2014
MOBILITY OF PEOPLE IN
100 SMART CITIES
A typical Indian city
(1 million population)

Mode shares
Cars
5%

Walk
30%
2W
30%

A decade later
Cycle
Population 130%
Paratransi 10%
t
20%
Bus
5%
Trips 150%
DEVELOPMENT
What does it mean ?
The current path
3,000,000 Business as usual
• Personal motor vehicle use
2,500,000 grows (@ 7% per annum)
• Negligible investment in
2,000,000 Car public transport, walk and
2W cycling
1,500,000 Paratransit
• Declining walk, cycle and
Bus public transport shares
1,000,000 Cycle
Walk
The consequence
500,000
Doubling of personal
0 motor vehicle use in
2014 2024
the next 10 years
New road infrastructure will always
be insufficient if the goal is to
accommodate growing number of
private motor vehicles
FREE FLOW IS NOT FOREVER !!!
The Smart City alternative
3,000,000

2,500,000

2,000,000
Car
1,500,000
2W

Paratransit
1,000,000
Bus

500,000 Cycle

Walk
0
2014 2024: Status quo 2024: Smart city
The only solution is public transport, not just for
those with lower incomes, but for everybody.
GROWTH WITHOUT TRAFFIC
(London 2001-2011)
The Smart City alternative
3,000,000
For every million
2,500,000 urban residents

2,000,000
• 250 city buses
Car
2W • 40 km of rapid
1,500,000 Paratransit transit
Bus
1,000,000 Cycle • 200 km walking
Walk
& cycling
500,000
infrastructure
0
2014 2024: Smart
city
Transport investment
100 Smart Cities
(250 million inhabitants)

10,000 km
rapid transit
65,000
city buses
Buses are more popular across the world
London Mexico City Chennai

Rail Rail
Rail 14% 21%
38%

Bus
62% Bus Bus
86% 79%

Sao Paulo Hong Kong Singapore

Rail Rail Rail

37% 43% 39%

Bus Bus Bus

63% 57% 61%
How did we do over the last decade?

300 km 15,000
Rapid transit City buses

(For 63 JNNURM cities)

At this rate, when will we be ready with
10,000 km of rapid transit?

2350 AD!!!
The BRT Standard
What is BRT ?

Enclosed and
secure stations

Dedicated
bus lanes
Rapid
boarding

Pre-board
payment with Pedestrian and
smart cards cycle access

New, clean, high-

capacity buses
 BUS RAPID TRANSIT
=
HIGH-QUALITY
HIGH-CAPACITY
HIGH-SPEED
CUSTOMER-ORIENTED
PUBLIC TRANSPORT

...not an old bus running in a bus-lane!

BUS RAPID TRANSIT
Support high quality public transport
“Build Metro
with buses!”

Bus Rapid Transit can provide

the same quality of service as
a Metro to a large number of
citizens across the city at
relatively low cost.
Ensuring quality: The BRT Standard
BRT Standard

1 BRT Basics 38

2 Service planning 19

3 Infrastructure 14

4 Stations 10

5 Communications 5

6 Access and Integration 14

7 Point deductions - 45
BRT Standard

1 BRT Basics 38

A Dedicated right-of-way 8

B Busway alignment 8

C Off-board fare collection 8

D Intersection treatments 7

E Platform-level boarding 7
Dedicated right-of-way

Dedicated BRT lanes are critical to system speed & capacity

FREE FLOW IS NOT FOREVER !!!
There is no such thing as “Mixed BRT.”
B. Busway alignment

Median lanes
> Reduce conflict with property entrances,
parking, turning vehicles
> Reduce conflict with pedestrians, cyclists
> Increase driver stress and productivity
Why curb-side alignment doesn’t work

> Parked vehicles

block the bus lane
Why curb-side alignment doesn’t work (cont.)

> Turning movements

reuce bus speeds
Off-board
fare collection
• Convenience for
passengers
• Reduced revenue
leakage
• Automated ridership
data for service
optimisation
Intersection treatments

Two-phase squareabouts
reduce intersection delay by
combining straight and
turning movements
Preventing right turns across the busway

Three left turns Left turn + Left turn +

U-turn two right turns
Platform-level boarding at stations

Janmarg, Ahmedabad
Buses should not
have inside steps.
> Kerb extends beyond
platform, creating a
large gap
BRT Standard

2 Service planning 19

A Multiple routes 4

B Express services 3

C Control center 3

D Located in top 10 corridors 2

E Demand profile 3

F Hours of operation 2

G Multi-corridor network 2
Multiple routes

One service per corridor Multiple services per corridor

 Express services
Local
service
Stops at
all stations

Express
service
Limited
stops

> Passing lanes are required for express services

Control centre
 Located in top ten corridors

Public transport demand pattern BRT corridors

Multi-corridor network

> Is the corridor part of a phased expansion plan?

BRT Standard

3 Infrastructure
A Passing lanes at stations 4

B Minimizing bus emissions 3

C Stations set back from intersections 3

D Center stations 2

E Pavement quality 2
Passing lanes

• Passing lanes can

increase system
capacity to 45,000
pphpd
Minimizing bus emissions

> Euro 4 or better emissions technology

Stations set back from intersection

≥ 26 m

A setback from the

junction increases
the number of buses
that can dock at the
station during each
signal cycle
 BUS STATION LOCATION

Station setback from Intersection

Station at Intersection
Centre stations

Central stations: Side platforms

> Reduced construction and
operational costs
> Better convenience for
passengers
 Pavement Quality

Concrete at stations Concrete along

Asphalt/bitumen
entire corridor
pavement
BRT Standard

4 Stations
A Distances between stations 2

B Safe and comfortable stations 3

C Number of doors on bus 3

D Docking bays and sub-stops 1

E Sliding doors in stations 1

Distance between stations

< 300 m

300 – 800 m

> 800 m
Safe and comfortable stations
Number of doors

Single narrow Double doors

door
Double doors
Docking bays and sub-stops
Station with two docking bays

Docking bay 1 Docking bay 2

Station with two sub-stops

Sub-stop 2

Sub-stop 1
Expanding capacity without passing lanes
Sliding doors in stations
BRT Standard

5 Communications
A Branding 3

B Passenger information 2
A. Branding
 Strengthening the
system identity

Coordinated
signage &
passenger
information
Original
name & logo

Unique
station
design
Passenger information

Dynamic information: Static information:

• Visual displays • Network maps
• Audio announcements • Schedules
• Fare charts
BRT Standard

6 Access and integration

A Universal access 3

B Integration with other public transport 3

C Pedestrian access 3

D Secure bicycle parking 2

E Bicycle lanes 2

F Bicycle-sharing integration 1
Universal access

Access ramps
(1:12 gradient)

Accessible fare
collection area
Ensure that station access points are accessible
> Minimum bollard spacing
at least 800 mm
> No level differences
At-grade station access is preferred

Foot overbridges:
> Increased walking
distance/time
> Unsafe
> Inaccessible
Integration with other public transport

METRO

BRT

Link
Bridge
Pedestrian access

Furniture
zone

Frontage
Pedestrian zone
zone
Minimum zone widths (IRC 103:2012)

Minimum
3.3 m
Secure bicycle parking

Cycle parking in
paid area of BRT
station
Bicycle lanes

Clear width ≥ 2 m
Poor design discourages use
Bicycle-sharing integration

BRT station

Cycle sharing station

Public Cycle Sharing System

•A high quality public transport system based on

cycles available in a closely spaced network of
stations.
BRT Standard
7 Point deductions

A Commercial speeds -10

B Minimum pphpd below 1,000 -5

C Lack of enforcement -5

D Gap between station and bus -5

E Overcrowding -5

F Poorly maintained stations and buses -10

G Low peak frequency -3

H Low off-peak frequency -2

A. Low commercial speeds
C. Lack of enforcement
D. Significant gap between station and bus
E. Overcrowding
BRT Standard

1 BRT Basics 38

2 Service planning 19

3 Infrastructure 14

4 Stations 10

5 Communications 5

6 Access and Integration 14

7 Point deductions - 45
Transport Policy – Smart Cities

GIVE & TAKE

(to people) (from cars)
 Walking Road Space!
 Cycling Parking!
 Transit Money!
Initiating a BRT project is a big step

Let’s not fail it with poor design and

cutting corners in implementation.

MAKE IT A GOLD !!!

More information
www.brtstandard.org

www.itdp.org
@itdpindia