BRT (Bus rapid transit)

[skylee]

Last April I spent a few days in Jinan and there they have this strange (IMHO) mode of transport. From what I saw it is just two dedicated lanes for two bus routes with big stops at the middle of the road. I find it strange because a) it doesn't have a Chinese name. (OYOY!!!) It is simply called BRT in Jinan. B) While other normal buses must use the other crowded lanes, the BRT which has taken up two dedicated lanes doesn't really seem that rapid (because the buses still have to stop at the traffic lights), although the buses are big and the bus frequency is high. It doesn't seem that efficient.

I've googled and found that there are BRTs in other Chinese and overseas cities. I wonder why a city would choose it as I think it doesn't save space, and it doesn't really save time (although it is obvious that it is relatively cheaper to develop). Why didn't these cities opt for a metro system or an overhead rail/monorail system?

Views?

[gougou]

We have BRT in Beijing as well, although I've never taken them myself (they're mainly designed for commuters). I'm not sure about the not saving time - by what I remember reading about it they sped up things significantly for Beijing residents (and even if that was fabricated by Xinhua, a dedicated lane must have some benefits at rush hour).

The main reason not to build a metro probably would be costs and lack of flexibility.

[skylee]

What is the BRT in BJ called in Chinese?

[gougou]

I think the translation is 快速公交，but BRT is used as well.

[mikevwilliams]

We've got a BRT in Xiamen too. Ours has a dedicated elevated road so it is in fact quicker to take than the regular bus since there are no traffic lights. Unfortunately there are only 3 or 4 routes, so it's not that useful for everyone.

[renzhe]

Here in Hamburg, there are so-called Metro Buses, really long busses driving in 3-minute tact with (partially) dedicated lanes, especially in the city centre.

They replaced the traditional tramway because they are far quieter and apparently can transport more people.

Hamburg has a well-developed metro and light rail system, but the cost of installing new lines today is prohibitive. Some of them are hydrogen-powered, thus reducing pollution.

I think that such bus systems are a solution for cases where there is a big need for transporting large masses of people, but there is no time or money to build a comprehensive underground train network.

[jbradfor]

A couple years ago IEEE Spectrum had an excellent series of articles about transportation, including BRT. From http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/green-tech/mass-transit/how-to-keep-18-million-people-moving/0

a single-lane BRT line is said to transport up to 15 000 passengers per hour in one direction, or nearly seven times as many as a freeway car lane. BRT’s capacity is similar to light rail’s but smaller than that of subway systems, some of which carry more than 50 000 passengers per hour. Although it would be nice if every metropolis had ample subway service, building such infrastructure is often beyond a city’s means. Whereas construction costs for a light-rail line can run anywhere from $15 million to $25 million per kilometer and subway systems from $50 million to $200 million, BRT systems require from less than $1 million to $20 million.

BTW, for those that are interested, the entire article is about São Paulo's bus system, the world's largest, carrying 10.5 million people per day.