Improve Public Transport
Six relatively simple and inexpensive recommendations for making public transport more attractive to customers and more efficient to operate:
1. Speed-up vehicle boarding. How?
- Use off-vehicle fare collection;
- Use level boarding or low floor vehicles;
- Improve vehicle design.
2. Optimize stop design. How?
- Reduce the number of stops;
- Carefully locate stops on the street;
Zurich tram given priority over traffic on Limmatquai.
Source: Andrew Nash, 2002
3. Reduce traffic congestion. How?
- Provide dedicated lanes for public transport;
- Use regulations and traffic engineering to control traffic;
- Use innovative ideas to reduce traffic impacts on public transport;
4. Give public transport priority at traffic signals.
- Reducing time spent at traffic signals makes customers happy and reduces costs.
Ljubljana-Bus-Lane-2011
Bus lane in Ljubljana (Source: Andy Nash, 2011)
5. Use real time data to:
- Control public transport operations;
- Improve public transport planning;
- Provide accurate information to customers.
6. Support complementary measures:
Complimentary transport and urban planning measures include:
- Traffic calming and livable streets;
- Bicycle paths and public bicycle systems;
- Parking management;
- Pricing strategies.
Vienna Ringstrasse Bike Lane
Vienna Ringstrasse bike lane (Source: Andrew Nash, 2002)
More Ideas for Improving Public Transport
Curitiba BRT: bus and station.
Source: Carlos Restrepo
About the Project
Bus Meister uses an on-line game, social networking and a best practices database (+wiki) to teach people about public transport. By educating residents and providing them with a way to get involved in improving public transport we hope to stimulate creative thinking and generate the political support needed to implement good ideas. Bus Meister has been assisted with funds provided by the Vienna Business Agency (formerly ZIT).