Contenido

Los sistemas de transporte rápido en autobuses normalmente incluyen la mayoría de las siguientes características:.

Exclusive lanes

Bus lanes allow for faster travel and ensure that buses are not delayed by traffic congestion. A center-of-the-road bus flow keeps vehicles away from curb conflicts where other vehicles stop, park, and make turns. Completely separate or elevated rights-of-way may also be used.

Priority at intersections and turn restrictions

Exclusive lanes have priority at intersections to avoid or reduce waiting time. Prohibiting traffic turns through the bus lane significantly reduces delays for these vehicles. Buses are often given priority at signalized junctions to reduce delays, by extending the green phase or reducing the red phase compared to the normal sequence, or by activating the green light when a bus is detected. Prohibiting turns may be one of the most important measures to facilitate the passage of buses through intersections.

elevated platforms

Station platforms for express bus systems must be at the same level as the floor of the bus for ease and speed of access, so that they are fully accessible to wheelchairs, disabled passengers and strollers, with minimal delays.

Elevated stations for high-floor buses make it difficult for conventional buses to make stops outside of specific platforms, or for conventional buses to stop on elevated platforms, so these stops are different from conventional street-level bus stops, and as with train carriages, there is a risk of a dangerous gap between the bus and the platform, which is even greater due to the nature of bus operations. A popular intermediate solution is low-floor buses with a low door step, allowing easy access at low-platform stops compatible with other buses. This intermediate design can be used with some low or medium capacity systems.

Fare collection and trip validation outside the bus

Prepaying fares at the station, rather than on board the bus, eliminates the delay caused by passengers paying inside the vehicle. Stations often implement electronic payment methods, such as smart cards, instead of cash, which speeds up access to the platforms. Prepayment also allows passengers to board at all gates, further streamlining boarding.

High capacity vehicles

High-capacity vehicles can be used, such as articulated or even bi-articulated buses, usually with several doors to speed up the entry and exit of passengers. You can also use double-decker buses, guided buses or special buses that have doors at platform level on the left side and doors at street level on the right side.

quality stations

The busiest express bus stations usually have areas for simultaneous loading and unloading of passengers through multiple doors, coordinated by screens and speakers.

Prominent brand or identity

A unique and distinctive identity can contribute to the attraction of bus rapid transit as an alternative to car driving. A map showing all the bus lines can be incomprehensible and cause people to wait for low-frequency buses that may not even be running when they are needed. By identifying the main bus lines with high-frequency service, with special marking and separate maps, it is easier to understand the entire network.

Overtaking lanes at stations

Overtaking lanes at stations allow units making a complete stop to be passed by vehicles with limited or express service. These lanes consist of an additional or widened track in the station section that allows units that make complete stops to be overtaken by others that make shorter stops or continue without stopping. This prevents one bus from being stopped behind another while passengers board.

Disadvantages

BTR systems, despite having exclusive segregated lanes, can interfere with traffic at intersections. This causes events (such as traffic accidents, strikes) to occur that can lead to the system stopping completely.

BTRs are much less expensive than meters because they do not require excavation, but BTRs take up surface space. In city centers, where there are many intersections and little available space, BTRs have a strong impact and will only be able to operate at low speeds. It must be taken into account that a BTR, being a service operated visually by drivers in vehicles with combustion engines, makes its complete implementation in underground corridors difficult.

Furthermore, the buses and tracks of the BTR systems have a shorter useful life than the trains and tracks of the metro systems.

Critics of the BTR consider that it is a medium capacity system and that it is not comparable with metro systems.

An example used to show the disadvantage is what happened in the city of Paraná "Paraná (Argentina)"), Argentina, where they provided service for a year on lines 6 "Line 6 (Paraná)") and 22 "Line 22 (Paraná)") but finally they had to remove the BTR from the streets, since they considered them "unviable" due to several inconveniences they had while providing services.[5]​.

Likewise, it is necessary to highlight the case of METROLINEA in Bucaramanga, since the BRT system was not compatible with the citizens, was not well received by them, and increased mobility inconveniences. The Metrolínea company will be liquidated soon, while it enters a transition period, where the Mayor's Office will avoid collapsing the city's public transportation. It has been repeatedly recommended to implement metro systems in Colombian cities, but it has not been implemented because it champions the BRT system.

Los sistemas BTR han sido ampliamente promovidos por Organizaciones no gubernamentales como la Fundación Rockefeller o su más grande promotor el ITDP (Instituto para el Desarrollo de Políticas para el Transporte), el cual tiene como consultor al dos veces alcalde de Bogotá Enrique Peñalosa, quien a su vez ha sido presidente de dicho organismo.

Financiado por compañías productoras de Buses como Volvo,[6]​ el ITDP no solo creó un estándar para la implementación de sistemas BTR, sino que ha realizado intensas campañas de Lobby alrededor del mundo para convencer a los mandatarios locales de escoger sistemas BTR en vez de sistemas basados en trenes.[7]​.

Overcrowding and low quality of service

Many BTR systems are suffering from overcrowding in buses and stations, as well as long waiting times. In Santiago de Chile, the system average is 6 passengers per square meter. Users have reported days when the buses take too long to arrive, and when they do, they are so full that the majority cannot get on the bus.[8]​ The system has 15% approval from users and has lost 27% of its passengers, the majority of whom have chosen to travel by car.[9]​.

In Bogotá, overcrowding is even worse, the average is 8 passengers per square meter,[10]​ the acceptance of the system is very low, only 29% feel satisfied with TransMilenio, in addition, only 23% of citizens agree with building more trunk lines, while 42% believe that a metro system "Metro (transport system)" should be built.[11]​ Several cases of sexual harassment have been reported by users, According to figures from a 2012 survey carried out by the Women's Secretariat of 17,399 women surveyed, 64% say they have been victims of sexual assault on public transport,[12]​ the situation is so serious that the system has even been described as the most dangerous in the world for women.[13]​.

The poor quality of service has caused an increase in the number of cars and motorcycles in the city; Citizens prefer these means of transportation to using the TransMilenio. According to official data, the number of cars increased from 666,000 in 2005 to 1,586,700 in 2016; The number of motorcycles is also growing: 660,000 were sold in Bogotá in 2013, twice the number of cars.[14]​.

In Jakarta there have also been reports of overcrowding in buses and stations, low frequency on the routes, and several reports of sexual harassment.[15] There have also been cases of buses burning on their own. The service is so bad that in 2015 the governor of Jakarta apologized for its poor quality.[16]​.

Failures

One of the main criticisms of BTR systems is that they do not deliver on the promise of fast and efficient passenger flow. The great New Delhi BTR fiasco[17]​ and the growing protests and riots in Bogotá[18]​ raise doubts about the ability of BTR systems to deal with problems such as congestion induced by exclusive lanes. Full stations and buses may fall short with increasing demand and may need to be replaced with high-capacity rail systems.

The lack of permanence of BTR systems has also been criticized, with some arguing that BTR systems can be used as an excuse to build roads and later try to convert them for use by non-BTR vehicles. For example in New Delhi, where they removed the BTR[19]​ or in Aspen in Colorado, where drivers are pressuring the government to allow them to use the exclusive lane.[20]​.

Contenido

Los sistemas de transporte rápido en autobuses normalmente incluyen la mayoría de las siguientes características:.

Exclusive lanes

Bus lanes allow for faster travel and ensure that buses are not delayed by traffic congestion. A center-of-the-road bus flow keeps vehicles away from curb conflicts where other vehicles stop, park, and make turns. Completely separate or elevated rights-of-way may also be used.

Priority at intersections and turn restrictions

Exclusive lanes have priority at intersections to avoid or reduce waiting time. Prohibiting traffic turns through the bus lane significantly reduces delays for these vehicles. Buses are often given priority at signalized junctions to reduce delays, by extending the green phase or reducing the red phase compared to the normal sequence, or by activating the green light when a bus is detected. Prohibiting turns may be one of the most important measures to facilitate the passage of buses through intersections.

elevated platforms

Station platforms for express bus systems must be at the same level as the floor of the bus for ease and speed of access, so that they are fully accessible to wheelchairs, disabled passengers and strollers, with minimal delays.

Elevated stations for high-floor buses make it difficult for conventional buses to make stops outside of specific platforms, or for conventional buses to stop on elevated platforms, so these stops are different from conventional street-level bus stops, and as with train carriages, there is a risk of a dangerous gap between the bus and the platform, which is even greater due to the nature of bus operations. A popular intermediate solution is low-floor buses with a low door step, allowing easy access at low-platform stops compatible with other buses. This intermediate design can be used with some low or medium capacity systems.

Fare collection and trip validation outside the bus

Prepaying fares at the station, rather than on board the bus, eliminates the delay caused by passengers paying inside the vehicle. Stations often implement electronic payment methods, such as smart cards, instead of cash, which speeds up access to the platforms. Prepayment also allows passengers to board at all gates, further streamlining boarding.

High capacity vehicles

High-capacity vehicles can be used, such as articulated or even bi-articulated buses, usually with several doors to speed up the entry and exit of passengers. You can also use double-decker buses, guided buses or special buses that have doors at platform level on the left side and doors at street level on the right side.

quality stations

The busiest express bus stations usually have areas for simultaneous loading and unloading of passengers through multiple doors, coordinated by screens and speakers.

Prominent brand or identity

A unique and distinctive identity can contribute to the attraction of bus rapid transit as an alternative to car driving. A map showing all the bus lines can be incomprehensible and cause people to wait for low-frequency buses that may not even be running when they are needed. By identifying the main bus lines with high-frequency service, with special marking and separate maps, it is easier to understand the entire network.

Overtaking lanes at stations

Overtaking lanes at stations allow units making a complete stop to be passed by vehicles with limited or express service. These lanes consist of an additional or widened track in the station section that allows units that make complete stops to be overtaken by others that make shorter stops or continue without stopping. This prevents one bus from being stopped behind another while passengers board.

Disadvantages

BTR systems, despite having exclusive segregated lanes, can interfere with traffic at intersections. This causes events (such as traffic accidents, strikes) to occur that can lead to the system stopping completely.

BTRs are much less expensive than meters because they do not require excavation, but BTRs take up surface space. In city centers, where there are many intersections and little available space, BTRs have a strong impact and will only be able to operate at low speeds. It must be taken into account that a BTR, being a service operated visually by drivers in vehicles with combustion engines, makes its complete implementation in underground corridors difficult.

Furthermore, the buses and tracks of the BTR systems have a shorter useful life than the trains and tracks of the metro systems.

Critics of the BTR consider that it is a medium capacity system and that it is not comparable with metro systems.

An example used to show the disadvantage is what happened in the city of Paraná "Paraná (Argentina)"), Argentina, where they provided service for a year on lines 6 "Line 6 (Paraná)") and 22 "Line 22 (Paraná)") but finally they had to remove the BTR from the streets, since they considered them "unviable" due to several inconveniences they had while providing services.[5]​.

Likewise, it is necessary to highlight the case of METROLINEA in Bucaramanga, since the BRT system was not compatible with the citizens, was not well received by them, and increased mobility inconveniences. The Metrolínea company will be liquidated soon, while it enters a transition period, where the Mayor's Office will avoid collapsing the city's public transportation. It has been repeatedly recommended to implement metro systems in Colombian cities, but it has not been implemented because it champions the BRT system.

Los sistemas BTR han sido ampliamente promovidos por Organizaciones no gubernamentales como la Fundación Rockefeller o su más grande promotor el ITDP (Instituto para el Desarrollo de Políticas para el Transporte), el cual tiene como consultor al dos veces alcalde de Bogotá Enrique Peñalosa, quien a su vez ha sido presidente de dicho organismo.

Financiado por compañías productoras de Buses como Volvo,[6]​ el ITDP no solo creó un estándar para la implementación de sistemas BTR, sino que ha realizado intensas campañas de Lobby alrededor del mundo para convencer a los mandatarios locales de escoger sistemas BTR en vez de sistemas basados en trenes.[7]​.

Overcrowding and low quality of service

Many BTR systems are suffering from overcrowding in buses and stations, as well as long waiting times. In Santiago de Chile, the system average is 6 passengers per square meter. Users have reported days when the buses take too long to arrive, and when they do, they are so full that the majority cannot get on the bus.[8]​ The system has 15% approval from users and has lost 27% of its passengers, the majority of whom have chosen to travel by car.[9]​.

In Bogotá, overcrowding is even worse, the average is 8 passengers per square meter,[10]​ the acceptance of the system is very low, only 29% feel satisfied with TransMilenio, in addition, only 23% of citizens agree with building more trunk lines, while 42% believe that a metro system "Metro (transport system)" should be built.[11]​ Several cases of sexual harassment have been reported by users, According to figures from a 2012 survey carried out by the Women's Secretariat of 17,399 women surveyed, 64% say they have been victims of sexual assault on public transport,[12]​ the situation is so serious that the system has even been described as the most dangerous in the world for women.[13]​.

The poor quality of service has caused an increase in the number of cars and motorcycles in the city; Citizens prefer these means of transportation to using the TransMilenio. According to official data, the number of cars increased from 666,000 in 2005 to 1,586,700 in 2016; The number of motorcycles is also growing: 660,000 were sold in Bogotá in 2013, twice the number of cars.[14]​.

In Jakarta there have also been reports of overcrowding in buses and stations, low frequency on the routes, and several reports of sexual harassment.[15] There have also been cases of buses burning on their own. The service is so bad that in 2015 the governor of Jakarta apologized for its poor quality.[16]​.

Failures

One of the main criticisms of BTR systems is that they do not deliver on the promise of fast and efficient passenger flow. The great New Delhi BTR fiasco[17]​ and the growing protests and riots in Bogotá[18]​ raise doubts about the ability of BTR systems to deal with problems such as congestion induced by exclusive lanes. Full stations and buses may fall short with increasing demand and may need to be replaced with high-capacity rail systems.

The lack of permanence of BTR systems has also been criticized, with some arguing that BTR systems can be used as an excuse to build roads and later try to convert them for use by non-BTR vehicles. For example in New Delhi, where they removed the BTR[19]​ or in Aspen in Colorado, where drivers are pressuring the government to allow them to use the exclusive lane.[20]​.