Simulating advanced bus priority strategies at traffic signals

Shrestha, B.P., Hounsell, N.B. and McLeod, F.N. (2004) Simulating advanced bus priority strategies at traffic signals. 10th World Congress for Transport Research, Istanbul, Turkey. 03 - 07 Jul 2004.

Abstract

Giving priority to buses at traffic signals is a common form of priority in a busy urban area where opportunities for segregated systems are not available and/or where numerous traffic signals exist. A bus priority system may benefit buses by reducing their journey time and improving their punctuality/regularity. This will result in reductions in passenger waiting time at bus stops and in passenger travel times. With the aid of new technologies and strategies, there are now various priority options which can be used to optimise the benefits possible from this form of priority. In their advanced form, these priority options use an Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) system to locate buses in the system to give priority based on a combination of the lateness of buses and the permitted level of priority at junctions. The main focus of this paper is to explore these different advanced priority options that are available at traffic signals and to estimate the resulting benefits. Furthermore, the paper also explores the possibility of detecting buses upstream of bus stops to give priority at traffic signals. The work in this paper is based on the combination of PhD research and research being undertaken at the University of Southampton for Transport for London (TfL).

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Contributors

Author: F.N. McLeod

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