This project wiki details the concept of Bus Priority System (BPS) with G1 route as concrete example. Contents of this wiki will be used to publish a concept paper on BPS. the concept paper will be mailed to key stakeholders for the BPS proposals, like BMTC, BBMP, and Bangalore Traffic Police.
Goal of Bus Priority System (BPS) is to provide priority to Buses over private transportation. BPS would provide priority to buses by speeding them up at top choke points on identified trunk routes or corridors. Choke points could be signals, or narrow or crowded sections of the target roads.
Common answers to questions regarding BPS with respect to BRTS. Move to a child page here.
Method to Identify choke points: top-5 signals and top-2 crowded sections (spanning multiple short distance signals).
This scenario would throw up
Road underpasses are planned at Suranjan Das road signal, Windtunnel and Manipal Signals, and Kundalahalli Gate signal. If these do come up, the top-5 and top-2 would change.
Definitions
Windtunnel, Start of Victoria Road, Suranjan Das Road
Kundalahalli Gate
Lower Agram/Victoria Road - towards lifestyle
Lower Agram/Victoria Road - towards Domlur
A 3+ lane wide one way road that could provide opportunity for a dedicated bus lane in the opposite direction.
Solution for crowded mixed traffic sections. Ex: Brookfields Main Road, after Kundalahalli signal, towards ITPL/Hoody.
Bus Stop improvements for quick onboarding and offboarding
Only special services (say G1, and 335E), possibly with a small BPS premium, allowed to make use of BPS. How many schedules can be taken up depends on practical calculation of bus throughput of BPS amenities.
Further, BPS could be operational only during morning and evening commute hours.
Common answers to questions regarding BPS concept with respect to BRTS.
Key tenets remain the same. BRTS also provides priority to the buses, but textbook implementations suggest long dedicated bus lanes, with hard separations. BPS avoides requiring long dedicated lanes, and tries to work via a combination of soft and hard measures for separation.
Absolutely yes. BRTS would give much better throughputs. But many radial corridors inside the city lack consistent width, and have sizable narrow sections. Following the 2+1 lane approach of BRTS would require significant acquisition of land along those roads.
No! BPS is only a journey towards BRTS. Where ever the road conditions are practically suitable for BRTS, the city is free to pick the best solution. Whereever BRTS is practically not possible, the start could be made via BPS.