Bus Lanes as Traffic Calming

A new study reveals that dedicated bus lanes have the additional benefit of improving overall road safety, writes Chris McCahill for State Smart Transportation Initiative.

In Albuquerque, a team of researchers found that traffic speeds dropped significantly along corridors with bus rapid transit (BRT) infrastructure, making it an “especially effective” tool to curb speeding. “The effects were largest at intersections along the BRT route and in places where the number of general-purpose lanes was reduced. Average vehicle speeds dropped by around 15% when there was a lane reduction, versus 10% at other locations, and 85th percentile speeds dropped by 12% to 14%, versus 8% at other locations.” The study notes that speeds did not change much on roads with the fastest posted speed limit (40 mph). 

The authors add that other studies have shown similar effects from bike lanes, trees, and other design cues. The findings are important because major arterial roads are often inappropriate for typical traffic calming interventions. “Converting arterial corridors to more multimodal arrangements can provide road users with mobility options while simultaneously improving safety outcomes.”