Strategies for Speeding Up Bus Service

“SPUR, the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association, is preparing a report on strategies to accelerate transit and transit projects, both literally on the ground and in policy and planning,” reports Melanie Curry for Streetsblog California.

“While the report focuses on Bay Area transit agencies, the strategies they are developing are universally applicable and adaptable to transit in any city,” Curry explains. Suggested strategies include “adding bus lanes, queue jump lanes, bus boarding bulbs, transit signal priority, and traffic control prioritizing buses.” These changes, some of which are challenging while others are low-hanging fruit, can have a powerful impact on the effectiveness of transit service and riders’ experience. 

Improving and speeding up bus service can make transit more reliable and thus a better alternative to driving for more people. “It can also decrease costs for transit agencies, helping them run efficiently and offer superior service. Increased reliability can also make a bus network more viable and easier to coordinate, making buses even more useful for riders.”