Bus Rapid Transit and the future of mass-transportation

Ahmedabad (population 5.2 million) is one of the largest, fastest-growing and most prosperous cities in India. Its current condition is familiar throughout the Global South. For centuries, its streets have bustled with a wide variety of users — including pedestrians, bicycles, rickshaws, and various animals. Today, those users must compete for roadspace with an exponentially-increasing number of cars. The congestion has become unbearable, for drivers and non-drivers alike. The system is broken. As city after city has discovered, no amount of expensive road building can put it back together again. Something else must be done.

Enter Janmarg, Ahmedabad's new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system

Bus Rapid Transit is an umbrella term used to describe almost any improvements to traditional bus systems. In its best form, however, it is an attempt to replicates the speed, frequency, reliability and comfort of rail systems, at a significantly reduced cost. The earliest well-known system was created in Curitiba, Brazil; since then, cities such as Bogota, Columbia and Istanbul, Turkey have followed.

Ahmedabad’s BRT system, Janmarg, is the first fully-featured system in India. Janmarg is still in its infancy, with 26 bus stations over 12 miles and 38,000 daily riders. But it’s a start, and plans are in place to extend it to 96 miles. If it works, it may prove a model for the rest of India, and a solution to a seemingly-unsolvable transportation problem.

To be sure, fixed-rail systems are ideal for areas with the population density and financial resources to support them. For one, developers are more likely to invest near rail stations, since rail lines (unlike bus lines) cannot be moved at the city’s whim. And rail systems with dedicated rights-of-way can certainly move traffic faster than any bus line. However, the construction costs of even the best BRT systems appear to be far smaller than that of rail systems. Rail can affordably reach the most highly-populated areas. Perhaps the moderately-populated places (or those in less wealthy nations) can be reached by first-class bus systems.

While some places within the highly-industrialized world have created innovative bus systems, none has taken it to the same level as Curitiba. In the U.S., the common wisdom is that choice riders (i.e. those who can afford to own and operate a private car) may ride trains, but not buses. This is demonstrably true for typical city buses. But what if a U.S city created a BRT system which could compete with that of Bogota or Curitiba? If we built it, I suspect the riders would come.

So how would a U.S. city create the best bus system in the world? Taking some tips from other countries, it could:
• Dedicate lanes specifically to BRT. Preferably, these lanes should be grade-separated (perhaps on a highway right-of-way).
• Brand/design the BRT buses differently from the city buses.
• If the buses operate on the regular street system, consider giving them signal prioritization for stoplights (helping to make them faster than private cars).
• Space bus stops at significant distances (e.g. at least 1/2-1 mile apart).
• Construct stations with significant amenities. This will encourage choice riders while creating a permanence which will help attract development.
• Accept payment at the station (instead of the bus), which permits faster boarding.
• Use the highest-quality, most modern buses available.
• Board at elevated platforms to permit same-level boarding (increasing speed and accessibility).

By the way, there are plenty of less optimistic assessments of BRT’s capabilities, and many even question the cost savings attributed to BRT. I’ll keep reading both sides of the debate and keep an open mind. But it is important to distinguish merely improved bus service from world-class bus service which can compete with rail.