The Benefits of Bright Red Bus-Only Lanes, Explained

Richmond, Virginia is adding red paint to 2.5 miles of bus-only lanes. An article in the local newspaper explains why the change is more than an aesthetic consideration.

1 minute read

June 30, 2022, 6:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Bus Lane

Goran Bogicevic / Shutterstock

An article by Lyndon German for the Richmond Times-Dispatch explains the reasoning behind the coat of bright red paint being applied to 2.5 miles of Broad Street in Richmond, Virginia.

“The coating isn’t just an aesthetic choice, but a proven public safety strategy for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians,” writes Lyndon.

The Federal Highway Administration approved guidelines in 2020 that called for installing red-colored pavement in transit-only lanes after studying examples in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco explains Lyndon.

“Red-painted transit lanes resulted in fewer transit delays, a 25% improvement in transit reliability, a 16% decrease in collisions, and a 24% drop in injury collisions. Bus lane violations fell by 51%,” explains Lyndon of the effect of red painted bus-only lanes in San Francisco.

Monday, June 27, 2022 in Richmond Times-Dispatch

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