Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

8.1 Definition of BRT

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), can be defined as a form of rapid transit which is based
on the uses of buses and supportive infrastructure and management. According
to Washington-based Transportation Research Board, BRT can be defined as a
flexible, rubber-tired rapid transit mode that combines stations, vehicles,
services, running ways, and Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) elements into
an integrated system.

Example of bus use for Malaysias first BRT system in Sunway lane

8.2 BRT running ways

Running ways are simply the lane on which a bus operates in a BRT system. It
may be defined as a dedicated bus way, a bus lane, High Occupancy Vehicle
(HOV) lane or in certain conditions, a regular lane in mixed traffic.
Running way types were varying depends on its degree of grade separation and
lateral segregation from general purpose traffic. Running ways can be classified
into three types which are:
1. Separate (segregated)
2. Freeway
3. Urban street
8.2.1 Separate
A separate or segregated running ways is the most developed form of bus way
use for BRT system. It is consist of a road or guide way dedicated to buses built
on its own alignment. It can include both at-grade and grade separated
intersections with cross streets and free-flow ramps to and from other types of
BRT running ways.
A bus way is defined as a road for the exclusive use by buses. The road is often
built in a separate right-of-way, sometimes grade-separated as can be seen in
Ottawa, but it also may be located in the median of a major road, such as built in
Vancouver (Rendek, 2002) or Curitiba (Cervero, 1997). Another form of bus way
is a fixed guide way for buses. Guide way for BRT system can be define as a
separate running way developed with a guided track using curbing or another
low barrier on the outside of the track in order to help steer vehicles. Figure
below shows the examples of separated running ways; BRT bus way and BRT
guide way that use in BRT running way.

Figure 1 shows a BRT South East Bus way at Brisbane, Australia

Figure 2 shows the elevated BRT guide way at Adelaide O-Bahn Guided
Busway

8.2.2 Freeway
Other type of running ways for BRT system is freeway. A freeway running way is
built according to limits of the cross section of a freeway, either as a part of new
construction or by retrofitting an existing facility. The running way geometry is
depending by the geometry of the freeways general traffic lanes. There are
three forms freeway BRT running ways, which are; median bus way, high
occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, and freeway shoulder.
Freeway median bus way is a lanes dedicated for bus in a median area, usually
separated physically from other forms of traffic. While for high occupancy vehicle
(HOV) lanes, it is a
running way shared with high-occupancy vehicles on either the median side or
the outer lanes of the freeway and not necessarily separated physically from the
general traffic lanes. The difference between bus lanes and HOV lanes is bus lane
are for the exclusive use of buses while HOV lanes may be used by other vehicles
with multiple passengers and taxis. Cyclists often are also permitted to use HOV
lanes. For freeway shoulder, it is a type of freeway that permitted use of the
outside shoulder of general lanes for BRT vehicles.

8.2.3 Urban Street

An urban street BRT running way is developed according to the limits of the
roadway cross-section, either as part of new construction or by retrofitting an
existing facility. The running way geometry is controlled by the geometry of the
roadway. The running way can have one of three forms: Median bus way, bus
lanes and mixed-use lane.

A median bus way is a dedicated bus facility in the median area sometimes
shared with other high occupancy vehicles and sometimes physically separated
from other forms of traffic with some form of transit priority at locations where it
intersects with other traffic.

A bus lane is similar to a median bus way, but typically located on the outside of
the arterial roadway and sometimes shared with other high-occupancy vehicles.
Typically, the bus lane is not physically separated from the general traffic lanes.
Variations of this form include shared use of the lane for business access and
right turns; it is commonly known as a business access and transit (BAT) lane.

In some conditions, buses in a BRT system may need to operate in mixed traffic
as long as the traffic is free-flowing enough not to cause delays. A mixed traffic
lane is a use of a lane by both transit and general traffic. Intersection treatments
such as roadway widening and added auxiliary lanes at intersections provide
buses with the ability to jump the queue at such locations and provide some
level of improved service times and reliability.

Figure below shows the example of bus way for the implementation of BRT
system.
1. Example of two-way median aligned bus way that is in the central verge of
a two-way road.

2. Example of bus way that runs two-way on the side of a one-way street.

3. Example of a bus only corridor where there is exclusive right of way

and no parallel mixed traffic.

4. Example of bus way that is one-way and centrally aligned in the roadway.

5. Example of bus way that is one-way and aligned to the curb.

8.3 BRT Station

One of the features of a BRT system is the stations. It distinguishes BRT system
from a regular, mixed traffic bus system. BRT stations serve almost same
function as rail station where there are nodes in the BRT system between
surrounding land uses and feeder services that offer a reasonably comfortable
and secure location to access the BRT services and interchange with the feeder
service.
Stations may also provide a number of other functions which is similar with
railway stations, such as bicycle, park and rides, drop-off points, information
boards and ticket machines (McCormick Rankin, 2004). In addition, BRT station
need to ensure bus-station platform is level with the bus floor. This feature is one
of the most important ways of reducing boarding and alighting times per
passenger. Passengers climbing even relatively minor steps can mean significant
delay, particularly for the elderly, disabled, or people with suitcases or strollers.
The reduction or elimination of vehicle-to-platform gap is also to ensure safety
and comfort of passenger. Installations of sliding doors in BRT stations where the
passengers get on and off the buses inside the stations is needed as it improve

the quality of the station environment, reduce the risk of accidents, project
passengers from the weather, and as well as to prevent pedestrians from
entering the station in unauthorized locations.

Figure 1: Platform-level boarding speeds boarding and alighting in

Ahmedabad, India

Figure 2: Sliding doors in BRT stations at Lima, Peru

As with light rail stations, BRT station are typically placed further apart than
regular bus stops. Distances between stations generally vary between 600m and
2000m. Similarly to light rail, integration with adjacent land uses is feasible.

8.4

Advantages and disadvantages of BRT

8.4.1 Advantages of BRT

Compared to regular bus system, bus rapid transit offers a number of
advantages. BRT is faster, more reliable and operating cost is lower. In addition,
advantages of BRT are its flexibility, which has a number of aspects, including
vehicle selection and system construction.
A BRT system generally does not required specialized vehicles, BRT can employ
existing buses initially and acquire more specialized vehicles as time goes on and
finances and ridership permit. This keeps down vehicle acquisition and operator
training cost.
The implementation of a BRT system can give advantage especially in
developing new growth. Expansions of the bus way in new directions to exploit
new destination opportunities may be possible and new routes or modifications
to existing routes are almost always possible.
BRT system does not need to be built out in full, thus it can save on the costs of
construction compared to a light rail system serving the same corridor. In other
words, for the same amount of funding, a more extensive transit system can be
established.

BRT also has lower implementation costs than light rail systems because it does
not require electrical power infrastructure such as overhead wires or third rails,
substations, and etc. BRT can use regular roadway building techniques and new,
specialized storage and maintenance facilities are not required. Some BRT
systems do make use of distributed power systems and electrically-powered
buses (trolley buses) but these need not be installed initially.

8.4.2 Disadvantages of BRT

If compared to light rail transit system, BRT may not attract as many choice
riders rather than light rail. Choice riders for this context means the transit riders
who choose to take transit rather than the personal automobile. Choice riders
may choose to commute by transit to avoid being caught in traffic congestion or
because transit use allows for a more productive use of their time for reading or
work.
Pollution, especially localized air pollution, is much more of a concern with BRT
based on the use of existing diesel-powered buses than is the case with monorail
because most implementations of monorail use electricity for power. Even
compared to diesel-powered light rail systems, current buses tend to pollute
more

on

per

passenger

basis.

Lastly, transit-supportive land use changes along BRT may be slower in coming
than along an monorail line as the sense of permanence required for developers
to invest may not be present except with the more extensive (and therefore
more costly) bus way-based BRT systems. Moreover, stations may be constructed
as an afterthought or long after the construction of the destination and suffer
from poor integration with destinations.

8.4.3 Benefits of implementation of BRT system in Sabah

In peninsular Malaysia, the implementation of Malaysias first Bus Rapid Transit
(BRT) system is expected to be operational by June 9. The first BRT system along
5.4 km Sunway line is being built Prasarana Malaysia Berhad in collaboration with
Sunway Group.
For Sabah, the implementations of BRT system were still under recommendations
as mentioned in Kota Kinabalu Briefing on Planning 2013. The concept of BRT
system in Sabah is to build designated bus way integrated into current road
system acting like LRT. It also includes the construction of bus stops along the
designated bus lane. Old buses which include mini and stage bus also need to be
replaced with shuttle buses.
The benefits of BRT system in Sabah especially in Kota Kinabalu area were listed
below:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Increase public transport delivery and efficiency in Kota Kinabalu area

Decrease the waiting period for public transport user
Increase the public bus capacity
Decrease the oversupply of mini bus/van
Promote integrated public bus system

Reference
1. Federal Transit Administration, Characteristics of Bus Rapid Transit for
Decision

Making,

August

2004.

http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/CBRT.pdf
2. American Public Transportation Association, Designing Bus Rapid Transit
Running Ways. October 2010.
3. Kota Kinabalu Briefing on Technical Planning, November 2013.