BRTuk Handbook 2016/17

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Handbook A review of the key developments 2016/17

Introduction

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Foreword from the Chair, BRTuk Year-on-year it is often difficult to register tangible progress in terms of the development and delivery of Bus Rapid Transit projects. The evolution of schemes is a lengthy and often tangled and complicated process, particularly here in the UK. However if I look back over the life of BRTuk then it is quite obvious that the take up of quality BRT schemes has been high Examples of successful projects are Cambridge, Leigh-Salford-Manchester and the Luton-Dunstable guideway schemes. Of course there are numerous others, where the overall priority to buses may be lower, but their status as BRT-badged schemes is not in dispute. But it remains the case that it is these dedicated-busway schemes that stick in people’s minds when they seek out exemplar projects. I was most struck by this in October of this year when I took part in the BRTuk site visit to the Leigh-SalfordManchester scheme that opened back in the Spring.

I have tracked the progress of this scheme for the last 10 years, and last visited Leigh a couple of years ago when I was driven down some particularly muddy terrain along the construction site that was to become the busway. At the time there were many local ‘battles’ going on relating to concerns about the noise of the buses heading past people’s houses, visual intrusion (that people on upper decks would be able to see into bedrooms), general construction impacts and an undercurrent of scepticism that it would be one of those legendary ‘white elephants’ that we hear about during the planning phases, but which never seem to materialise once the diggers have moved on.

I was very pleased therefore to experience the smooth ride along the guideway, which clearly vindicated the approach to using a ‘slip-form’ produced surface. I was also pleased that I was experiencing the journey on First’s fairly luxurious double deck buses, equipped with comfortable seats (including some with tables) plus onboard (free) wi-fi. Even better was when I alighted at various stops en route to experience what can only be described as the tram-like quality of the

stops. Once you erased the mental image of tram tracks, it was nigh on impossible to discern any difference from what you would see elsewhere on the Metrolink system.

Since starting in April, the service has carried more than 1 million people in total, with 20% of passengers being former car users, even though more than half had access to a car for the journey. This already equates to around ½ million fewer car journeys being made. The proof therefore appeared to be in the pudding. With this high-level of take up, local MPs and Councillors now appear to be asking questions around when there will be more buses available so that frequencies can be improved. Local grumbles appear to have largely fallen away, and beyond the direct evidence, there is much by way of anecdotes around word-of-mouth referrals to encourage usage.

Progress is not only evident with this scheme. Great strides have taken place in Cambridge with development underway of a new busway serving Cambourne. In Birmingham, the

‘Sprint’ package of BRT projects is moving forward apace, with a clear focus around serving the new HS2 station at Curzon Street. There is the Oxford Road scheme in Manchester which is now nearing completion and is already starting to transform this heavily bussed corridor. Let us also not forget progress being made in Belfast, Bristol, Kent Thameside, plus work going on in London.

Dave Haskins (Chair of BRTuk) Dave works for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority as an Assistant Director. Over his 25+ year career he has spent time in both the public (PTE/Combined Authority) and private (transport consultancy) sector, with a primary focus around the development of public transport projects – in particular around BRT schemes. He has played a key role on a number of successful funding bids from DfT and has worked on a number of major transport projects in West Yorkshire that have been seen through to delivery.

Handbook BRTuk: the next steps Turning to BRTuk matters, I recall the point 10 years ago when the organisation was established by Colin Eastman, and I am proud to have been involved in Board activities over this period including attending many of the 11 conferences that we have held since then. I am pleased to report that the initial enthusiasm that existed for promoting and delivering high quality BRT schemes in the UK is still there – and the proof of this lies in some of the examples of BRT delivery that I have set out above. What is clear though is that in order to survive and thrive, BRTuk requires a renewed boost to its membership, coupled with a greater level of input from its constituent members.

I have spent some time this year in revamping the Board (and roles on the Board), which is drawn from a healthy mix of operators, manufacturers, consultants and public sector. This shake up of the Board has come mainly out of necessity as a result of the standing down of the previous Chair (Bob Tebb), the retirement of our Treasurer (Alex Macaulay) and the moving on of some other members.

Sometimes however, necessity can be the mother of invention, and in their place we have recruited a number of willing volunteers including; Tom Hacker (Secretary – WSP|PB), Zoe Vidion (TfL) and Gwyn Ephraim (Arup). As Board members we all offer different things to the party and I am pleased to see their willingness to contribute to the organisation.

My personal view on the issue of participation is that all members of BRTuk join up and pay their membership fees for a reason, which if my own perspective is anything to go by, relates to the desire to see BRT schemes be allocated a bigger slice of transport funding and for more high quality projects to be delivered. Within BRTuk, we have a number of large multi-disciplinary consultants and the leading UK bus operators, and within these organisations there no doubt exists a number of individuals who have an interest in BRT matters, but who we have not yet ‘captured’ into the BRTuk fold.

Looking forward towards the next 12 months, the challenges that I am putting out to all Board Members, and more widely to BRTuk members are to find a way to get these individuals to step forward and identify themselves, and to then capture their input within the group.

The further challenge is to expand our membership. Over the years we have tended to lose rather than gain members. This has primarily come about through key points of contact within member organisations moving on, with no clear succession management plan in place. So I am laying down the gauntlet to existing Board members to both ensure that we retain existing organisations, whilst also increasing our membership by at least 10 further organisations by Spring 2017. The membership fee is very modest, and the benefits of being a BRTuk Member would appear to me to clearly outweigh this. If we, as a collective, wish to see more high quality Dave Haskins, BRTuk Chair

BRT: looking to the future Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) ticks many current political boxes for the UK: by potentially constraining the use of private cars, it can help to deliver better air quality, free up more space for active travel, cut congestion, and serve new residential and commercial developments in a flexible and cost-effective manner Bus Rapid Transit ticks many current political boxes for the UK in 2016 and beyond: by potentially constraining the use of private cars, it can help to deliver better air quality, free up more space for active travel, cut congestion, and serve new residential and commercial developments in a flexible and cost-effective manner.

But although new and improved BRT schemes are coming on-stream more regularly in the UK than at any time in the past, BRT lacks the glossy profile of its tram, train-train and light rail cousins. So, with potentially so much to offer, what key issues does BRT need to overcome to raise its profile and popularity?

'BRT systems do deliver very well against a list of key political objectives,' agrees Dave Haskins, Chair of BRTuk. 'But I wonder whether politicians really get it. We need politicians to sit up and realise what an opportunity BRT offers.

There's a lot of evidence out there now, so we can start to convince them, and that's evidence that goes beyond significantly lower costs when compared to trams and trains.'

BRT systems have gained popularity worldwide as a cost-effective alternative to much pricier urban rail investments.

They come in many shapes and forms, from full BRT to advanced bus priority schemes; however they all aim, to varying degrees, to mimic the highcapacity, high-performance characteristics of urban rail at a much

lower price. One 2007 study suggests that cost savings are as much as 4 to 20 times less than light rail transit (LRT) and 10 to 100 times less than metrorail systems, notes Robert Cervero, a Professor of City and Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley.

Cervero also agrees that a change in political vision is needed. 'A fairly fundamental change in thinking about the role of large-scale infrastructure investments like BRT is needed,' he says, particularly among public officials and city leaders in the developing world.

'Notably, BRT should be conceived as more than a mobility investment. It also presents an unprecedented opportunity to restructure urban and regional growth in ways that promote the many dimensions of sustainable

urban growth. BRT can also be a cityshaping investment, providing a backbone for guiding growth in a more compact, mixed-use urban form – one that not only promotes transit riding and less driving, but also curbs costly suburban sprawl and preserving precious farmland and open space.'

There is a key role for BRTuk to play in raising the profile of BRT's significant benefits, which would help in our drive to get politicians enthused and involved as advocates, says Haskins. 'We haven't really cracked this yet, but it works. The Leigh-Salford-Manchester Bus Rapid Transit, for example, had strong support from Andy Burnham, MP,' says Haskins. 'It's on his home patch, and he was a good advocate for, and vocally supportive of, the scheme, which really helped with delivery.' In other parts of the country, he notes, there are regional politicians who have yet to be convinced of, or properly informed about, mass transit schemes such as BRT, which is where BRTuk comes in. The Issue may be the initial pain caused by construction or the fear of resistance from other road users, but we need to help them focus on the end results, with which passengers invariably seem pleased.

Another issue is perception, says Haskins. 'It's been difficult to get quality into the bus offer, and to make BRT as attractive as it should be.' Despite being the irreplaceable workhorses of most UK cities, often carrying 10 times the amount of passengers that local train services do, buses have for too long been regarded as the 'lowest' form of transport network. But BRT can offer attractive and affordable mass transit options at a quality and capacity that doesn't really exist on a major scale at the moment. 'BRT is the obvious contender, poised to step into the UK's mass transit gap,' says Haskins.

Political advocacy

One area where BRT is proving its worth is in early integration with the urban planning of new developments. The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway was designed to serve the new community of Northstowe, among other places, which is only now coming on stream in terms of mass housing. The Cambridge scheme has been very successful in bringing people from the suburbs and outside the urban

Contents

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Foreword from the Chair, BRTuk

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It is quite obvious from the year’s successes that the take up of quality BRT schemes has been high

ANALYSIS UK Bus Rapid Transit Systems – A Common Standard

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At last year’s conference Alan Bailes (Director at TTC, The Transportation Consultancy and Vice Chair of BRT UK) delivered an update on the work being undertaken by BRTuk to establish a Common Standard for BRT in the UK

The Bus Services Bill and opportunities for BRT

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Gwyn Ephraim, Associate Transport Planner at consultant Arup, investigates the possibilities

NEW INFRASTRUCTURE Early success for the North West’s first guided busway

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Earlier this year, the North West saw its first ever guided busway open to passengers – making the culmination of nearly three years of construction and representing a significant step change in bus travel across Greater Manchester

SCHEME PLANS AND PROGRESS How bus rapid transport is supporting growth in London

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Transport for London explains how BRT is a vital part of the transport ‘mix’ in the capital

Bus Rapid Transit in the UK: Progress and Plans

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The position in November 2016

Setting standards

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Tom Skidmore, Interim Head, Sprint

MetroBus – one year on… and one year to go!

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Rob Ash from the West of England Office provides an overview of the key parts of the MetroBus network and explains how construction has progressed in the past 12 months

INTERNATIONAL CASE STUDY - BRAZIL The Brazil Olympics and BRT

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Dr Yanying Li of ERTICO – ITS Europe and Dr Michele Tozzi of UITP give their perspective on how BRT has functioned to make major sporting events in Brazil function more smoothly

SCHEME UPDATES Fastrack gets back on track

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Around for more than a decade now, the Fastrack BRT system in Kent has recently experienced something of a resurgence

A high five from the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway

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BRT is at the heart of the Greater Cambridge City Deal transport strategy and this is based on the success of the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway, which reached its fifth birthday in August. Bob Menzies updates the situation

Integrated planning

Editorial Offices Landor LINKS Apollo House, 359 Kennington Lane, London SE11 5QY BRTuk Secretary Tom Hacker WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff 67 Chancery Lane London WCA 1AF Cover image: Metrobus visualisation, Bristol City Centre. Read more p20-21

Advertising & Publishing Rod Fletcher E: rodney.fletcher@landor.co.uk T: 0191 280 1410 Print Solopress 9 Stock Road Southend-on-Sea SS2 5QF © Landor LINKS Ltd & BRTuk Ltd 2016

Handbook

(above and below) The speed, reliability and comfort of the new BRT services will provide an attractive alternative to private car use, say the Belfast Rapid Transit team

and local autonomy, to deliver schemes more quickly, he adds. Planning due process, along with robust consultation, is of course a necessary element of any scheme. 'Here in Leeds, we've been having a 'transport conversation' with the city, asking questions around preferences on road space reallocation and tackling poor air quality. It is clear that there are high levels of support for these kinds of proposals. But in England, we may be dealing with a general election, as well as several cycles of local elections, in the life of one project, and this makes setting out and delivering transport visions that bit more difficult.'

Technology is advancing rapidly, and it can only improve the appeal and operation of BRT systems.

Highly comfortable and low emission BRT vehicles are coming into service, and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) will enable users to be better informed and make safer, more coordinated, and ‘smarter’ use of public transport networks. New BRT systems, such as the Belfast Rapid Transit (BRT), also offer real time information systems for easier journey planning and off-vehicle ticketing to speed up the boarding process.

Delivering mass transit schemes such as BRT remains challenging, but it can and is being done, with high-quality schemes starting up across the country (see map on pages 16 and 17). New regulation looks set to offer the opportunity to better integrate services across a region, including BRT feeder services, and to avoid duplicating or repeating services in well-served corridors, says Haskins. And a bank of valuable experience is being built up so that new schemes can be better informed. 'We don't need to re-invent any wheels,' says Haskins. 'For example, through BRTuk we can offer support to promoters of other schemes and projects. Our members have vast shared experience and could be the first port of call for authorities wanting to take schemes forward, from bus priority projects to more comprehensive BRT networks. Whatever kind of BRT scheme, project or initiatives; we can advise on them all.'

David Haskins talked with Landor LINKS

BRT: a rosy future?

zones into the city centre, notes Haskins. While integrated land use and transport planning has long been a professional Holy Grail, schemes like this show that 'planning in' BRT in a scheme's early stages can help attract residents to new communities. 'When the right levels of bus priority are in place, it's been shown that people are happy to use BRT and that it can impact on lifestyle choices; i.e. getting people to leave their cars at home or in the Park and Ride,' says Haskins. 'BRT can be just as attractive to passengers as tram and rail, if the right systems are in place.'

A high quality experience is also being delivered on the Leigh to Salford BRT; says Haskins. 'We've yet to see how this will work out, but all the signs are very positive, especially in terms of how local authorities are looking at local and regional housing allocations in this area.' Housing should be delivered in proximity to good public transport corridors and, although there are many

of these in England, it's unlikely that heavy rail can cope with an extra demand, especially considering the forecast growth in population. 'It is quite clear to me that BRT can deliver that capacity, as when priority is in place it can deliver reliability and at the right frequencies. We need to plan now to avoid a future gridlock scenario, and BRT is one option that has a great deal to offer, especially when connecting areas of new housing with education, employment, health and other amenities.'

However, notes Haskins, it is never easy to deliver schemes, especially in the UK. 'It can be much faster to deliver high quality public transport elsewhere, and one example that comes to mind is Lyon, France.' There it's possible for a mayor to deliver a scheme within a fiveyear political cycle, which is partly to do with specific favourable planning regulations and hypothecated local transport taxes. We need to ensure devolution and New Growth Deals provide the right levels of fund-raising

Analysis

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UK Bus Rapid Transit Systems – A Common Standard At last year’s conference Alan Bailes (Director at The Transportation Consultancy and Vice Chair of BRT UK) delivered an update on the work being undertaken by BRTuk to establish a common standard for BRT in the UK

The ITDP Standard rewards systems which have overtaking lanes, high quality ‘station’-style stops and high capacity vehicles; none of which are felt appropriate for most BRT systems in the UK

The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) has developed its own BRT Standard. The first version was issued in 2012, with the latest update coming in 2014.

This document is the centrepiece of a global effort by leaders in bus transportation design to establish a common definition of BRT, and to ensure that BRT systems deliver uniform benefits.

What makes a bus system a BRT system? Can a few short bus lanes and a few metres of bus priority constitute BRT? If not,then how many bus lanes, of what length and how much priority does constitute BRT? If BRT is a brand, which we think it is, standards are essential to defending and protecting that brand. Not only is it beneficial to establish what constitutes BRT; it is also useful to compare systems.

What is it all about?

This is exactly what the ITDP BRT Standard does. Points are awarded for those elements of BRT which improve operational performance and quality of service. Earning 18 points means a system can be classified as ‘Basic’. A total

System comparison

of 100 points are on offer in total. Earn more than 55 and the scheme is classified as Bronze, more than 70 and it is classified as Silver, more than 85 and it is classified as Gold. Systems all over the world can be compared using this common standard.

So what is wrong with the ITDP BRT Standard?

Well. . . . nothing. The ITDP is a sensible and successful attempt at establishing a global standard. The problem is that comparing BRT systems in Medellin, Colombia, with a BRT system in the UK is a challenge.

Many Latin American BRT systems carry over 500,000 passengers a day. It’s hard to imagine a BRT systems in the UK ever carrying more than 10% of that.

The Latin American cities have huge populations. Lima, Bogota and Rio De Janeiro are home to over 8m people each.

Leeds, the UK’s third largest city is home to less than 750,000 inhabitants.

Take a look at the population density and the story is much the same. The situation in developing countries is very different to the UK. The more people live in a city, the higher the demand for high quality public transport such as BRT. The

higher the population density, the higher the demand for urban rapid transit systems, which transport people quickly over short/medium distances.

The ITDP Standard rewards systems which have overtaking lanes, high quality ‘station’-style stops and high capacity vehicles; none of which are felt appropriate for most BRT systems in the UK. When scored against the ITDP Standards few, if any, UK systems would achieve a score greater than bronze.

BRT UK are seeking to establish a brand defined by our very own standards. We don’t mean to diminish the great work the ITDP have done, we want to build upon it and create something more useful and appropriate to our own context.

A working copy of the BRTuk Standards report can be downloaded from the website. We would welcome any thoughts from our members on this document, and how it can be improved.

In the light of the report, BRTuk are currently setting up a “BRTuk Technical Group” to oversee the development of the BRTuk Standard and serve as a consistent source of technical advice.

A new standard for BRT in the UK

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The Bus Services Bill and opportunities for BRT Gwyn Ephraim, Associate Transport Planner at consultant Arup, investigates the possibilities The Government is planning to pass the Bus Services Bill in 2017. The Bill aims to create conditions to: l l l l l

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Grow bus passenger numbers Tackle air quality hot spots Improve bus services for passengers Enable a thriving and innovative commercial bus sector Help cities and regions unlock opportunity and grow their economy

The Bill aims to achieve this by: l

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Strengthening arrangements for partnership working in the sector, by introducing ‘Enhanced Partnerships’ Introducing new franchising powers with decisions at a local level Providing for a step change in the information available to bus passengers

The Bill does not affect bus services operating in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or London.

Experience of the development and implementation of BRT services in the UK has been that it represents a determined intervention by local authorities seeking to put in place a premium bus service to achieve certain local objectives – normally related to city growth and a need to attract passengers from car travel.

Hence, whatever the pros and cons of the Bus Services Bill and its impact on the bus operator market, the aims of the Bill appear to be aligned well with the role of BRT ‘schemes’ – to grow bus passenger numbers and help economic growth through provision of a specifically-planned bus service.

The two main ‘levels’ of bus operating arrangements set out in the Bill are:

What does this mean for BRT?

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Partnership: An enhancement on current voluntary partnerships removing the requirement that specific bus infrastructure facilities needed to be provided in parallel to the operator partnership. Enhanced partnerships will set out clear agreements on bus vehicle type and specification, frequency and timing of services, maximum fares, and how passengers can pay. The partnership agreement can also exclude non-compliant services from the relevant partnership area – which will allow scope for ‘protection’ of BRT services from parallel competing services – which, it could be argued, can presently undermine BRT services and the associated investment in infrastructure.

Franchising: The franchising element of the Bill will replace the existing Quality Contract Scheme powers, which no authority has ever put into place. This new power will allow local authorities to effectively control their local bus services, much in the same way as is done in London by the Mayor of London/Transport for London.

Operators would then bid for the right to operate the franchised services or apply for a permit to operate a service in addition to those specified for franchising. This will create greater opportunities for ‘full’ BRT systems to be put in place by allowing authorities to better align infrastructure investment with service routes – and again with an ability to address potential abstraction of passenger demand by other competing services.

BRT schemes in the UK are generally planned and operated as single line services. The franchising

BRT Networks

arrangement may result in a stepchange in BRT opportunities by providing greater scope for planning and implementing networks of BRT services, thereby bringing the possibility of cities being served by a well-defined ‘overground’ BRT network with a network brand. A co-ordinated BRT network (perhaps made up of two or three cross-city lines, with specifically planned interchange arrangements) could significantly increase bus-based journey-making possibilities within cities.

Authorities able to consider franchising are presently focused primarily on Mayoral Combined Authorities. Authorities wishing to take forward franchising will need to set out a strong overall business case, considering:

Building the case

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how it would support their wider policies any effect on other local authorities whether it is affordable and achievable whether it offers value for money how and whether services will be procured and managed effectively

BRT schemes are already subject to business case approval processes, and hence the franchising (or partnership) arrangements represent continuation of an already established approach to BRT design and implementation – but with a greater emphasis on how the system will be operated (which up to now has been largely determined by operators).

Franchise (or partnership) areas can cover whole authority areas, or be applicable only to smaller sub-areas (or corridors). Consultation with affected bus operators, representatives of bus users, neighbouring authorities, and other interested parties is a key aspect

Analysis

of preparation and confirming the form and justification for the scheme. Crossticketing and improved dissemination of information on services are also key aspects gaining approval for partnership and franchising arrangements.

The future development of the bus partnership/franchising process could be an opportunity for the ‘BRT’ idea to flourish in the UK, bringing together the excellence of operators and the aspiration of city leaders for better journeys and better places – with Bus Rapid Transit playing a key role in enabling the economic growth of cities – connecting communities to the workplace, healthcare and education.

Gwyn Ephraim Gwyn has worked for Arup for over 20 years in urban transport planning, mainly involving street-based transport (pedestrian, bus, bus rapid transit, tram, cars/road vehicles). He has worked on a permanent basis in the UK, Germany, USA, UAE and Ireland on a variety of transport projects from planning through to implementation. These projects range from strategy level to local schemes, including appraisal and business case work. Gwyn has particular experience on bus-based public transport projects, including major international and UK-based BRT projects (e.g.

Kampala BRT, Swansea Metro BRT).

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The key aims of the Bill appear to be aligned well with the role of BRT schemes

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Early success for the North West’s first guided busway Earlier this year, the North West saw its first ever guided busway open to passengers – marking the culmination of nearly three years of construction and representing a significant step change in bus travel across Greater Manchester The Leigh to Ellenbrook guided busway is, alongside key changes within Manchester city centre and along Oxford Road, a flagship element of Transport for Greater Manchester’s ‘bus priority package’.

The £122m scheme is the largest single investment in Greater Manchester’s bus network in decades, and sees more than 25 miles of routes either created from scratch or vastly improved. A combination of brand new infrastructure and an overhaul of existing bus measures ensures that these routes are future-proofed to cope with the increased demand expected in the years ahead.

Doors opened on 3 April 2016 and, since then, the bespoke ‘Vantage’ service has seen more than 900,000 passenger journeys made along the route during the first six months of operation. The Vantage brand of buses, operated by First, represents a premium passenger experience at regular network prices.

Able to provide customers with a travel experience seldom seen outside of firstclass rail travel, coupled with new and dedicated bus infrastructure, the city is already well on its way to seeing the busway become a staple in people’s everyday lives.

The grand opening: TfGMC’s Cllr Andrew Fender with Andy Burnham MP and Cllr Mark Aldred

The Vantage fleet boasts 20 state-ofthe-art, environmentally-friendly hybrid buses that provide passengers with free wi-fi, high quality seating complete with

Busway services provide passengers with a quality travel experience

top deck table areas, real time audio and visual onboard information displays as well as USB charge points. Such has been the demand, particularly during the morning peak, additional Vantage buses are being added to the fleet to provide an even better and more robust service in the coming months.

Comprising significant infrastructure improvements in the towns of Leigh, Atherton and Tyldesley, the 4.5 mile guided busway starts just a stone’s throw away from Leigh Bus Station and takes a route through the heart of neighbouring Tyldesley, finishing just before one of the region’s busiest commuter corridors, the A580 East Lancs Road in Salford. To ensure that services leaving the guided busway were able to continue to enjoy a traffic-free journey along this busy stretch of road, bus priority measures were put in place, thus providing thousands of passengers with a stressfree, regular and reliable service through to Salford and Manchester city centre each and every day.

In addition, the scheme also provides a 4.5m wide multi-user path for pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians that runs alongside the full length of the busway. Since opening, the path has

proved to be an important community amenity, being used as a recreational route, as well as facilitating access for passengers by foot and bicycle to each of the stops along the busway from the surrounding area.

The multi-user path is already proving a hit with walkers, cyclists and horse riders

Three months into service, TfGM conducted a passenger survey to gauge how people felt about the busway, and to better understand how it has benefitted their daily routines. The ‘guided busway passenger survey’ received almost 4,000 responses from customers – an exceptional number for a survey of its kind.

From the outset, a key objective of the busway was to offer up an attractive alternative to the private motor vehicle in a bid to reduce traffic congestion in areas

New infrastructure

Vantage: A premium service at everyday fares

where it has previously been an issue.

Encouragingly, the survey shows that around 20% of respondents who now use the busway service indicated that they previously completed their journey by car.

In addition, 36% commented that they could have made their daily commute by car but instead chose to travel by bus, helped by a combination of dedicated traffic-free infrastructure and a premium bus service. While 73% of those who responded live within one kilometre of the guided busway, over a quarter are now travelling more than that distance to use it, owing largely to the ease at which they can park, for free, at one of the three dedicated park and ride sites located at key points along the route.

Overall, 98% of passengers stated that they were satisfied with their bus journey that day.

As many will know, Greater Manchester is one of the fastest growing economies outside of London and with that growth comes demand on the region’s transport system, not least on the road network. Traffic congestion is a problem that affects every major city region across the country and at its worst it can detrimentally impact on the

Since opening in April, the busway has recorded over 900,000 passenger journeys

economy – not just the city but also the outlying communities.

Getting people to key employment, education, healthcare, leisure and retail destinations in a timely manner is vital if we’re able to truly realise our ambition of becoming a global player.

The city is delighted at the early success of the busway but is not going to rest on it’s laurels. It will continue to work with the operator, First, and the communities that neighbour the busway to ensure it provides the very best transport system for customers.

The city will now turn its attention to completing the final piece in the jigsaw – the transformation of one of Europe’s busiest bus corridors – Oxford Road.

This key route into and out of Manchester city centre will not only see

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new bus priority measures introduced, enabling true cross-city bus services to operate, but also dedicated ‘Dutch-style’ cycle lanes along the whole length as well as huge improvements to the public realm. Once complete in early 2017, Oxford Road will be a more pleasant boulevard for the thousands who work, study and visit there while also providing people with even better transport options.

Schemes like the bus priority package are a step in the right direction and, coupled with the largest light rail system in the UK, Metrolink, the city is on track to provide the means necessary to provide the people of Greater Manchester with the transport network they deserve – one that will benefit them for decades, if not generations.

The transformation of Oxford Road is the final piece in the bus priority package jigsaw

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How bus rapid transport is supporting growth in London Transport for London explains how BRT is a vital part of the transport ‘mix’ in the capital

The London bus network incorporates many Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) attributes; such as ‘turn up and go’ services, off-board ticketing, real-time information, accessible and highquality vehicles and stops, distinct branding and some bus priority. For example, one-third of traffic signals in London give priority to buses over other traffic and, at certain locations, buses benefit from segregation from other traffic.

However, providing bus priority in London can be a challenge given the physical constraints of the road network.

We can’t just put in bus lanes on every bus route – although of course this has been very successful where it is possible.

Instead, we must use a wide range of measures at our disposal. For example, the East London Transit (ELT) scheme includes some innovative solutions, such as passing through Barking town centre on a bus-only road that was previously pedestrianised; insetting loading and parking bays and widening a bridge to Barking Riverside (where the building of 10,800 homes is underway).

All of these measures significantly improve bus access and journey times. In the past two years reliability has been 0.7 minutes (Excess Wait Time – the lower the better) compared to 1.2 minutes in the borough as a whole, reflecting the benefit of bus priority. Bus patronage on the transit has also grown 33 per cent since its

introduction in 2010. The ELT continues to expand in response to growth in population and as it extends into the Barking Riverside development. In March 2016, we increased the frequency of the EL2 by 45 per cent and extended the route to Becontree Heath. We have consulted on extending route EL1 and converting the 387 into the EL3 (see map above). Both these changes are to serve new housing in Barking Riverside, and we hope to introduce them later in 2017.

This is particularly exciting as it promises more segregation, including bus-only roads, and will be more typical of a full BRT scheme. We are also working hard to bring parts of the new route (on the existing road network) up to transit

Scheme plans and progress

standard, for example we have completed a bus priority study on the Longbridge Road and are working with the borough to see how we can best deliver it.

However, we also face significant growth in London as a whole. Over the next 20 years London is set to grow by the equivalent of the cities of Birmingham and Glasgow combined (by 2030, London’s population will grow from 8.6 to 10m). This will mean not only more demand for our bus services but also more congestion on the roads. There will also be more demand for the same road space from other modes such as cycling.

This is why we are investing substantial sums in bus priority through our Bus Priority Programme. A key part of this is about unlocking Opportunity Areas identified in the London Plan (such as Barking Riverside), supporting growth and increasing bus mode share in these areas. This is especially important as up to 50 per cent of London’s population increase will be in these Opportunity Areas. High quality bus priority corridors are going to be crucial to make these areas sustainable.

We have learnt the importance of the

need to embed sustainable mode shift in new developments. It is crucial that this is provided from the first day that residents move in, if we are to maintain the health of London’s suburbs and convince people not to drive. The bus is particularly suited to these growth areas as it is a flexible mode that can expand gradually with demand. This again has been invaluable in Barking Riverside, particularly when the recession hit and delayed the building programme.

So, where are we hoping to replicate the success of the ELT? Other Opportunity Areas where a high quality bus priority corridor will be vital include Brent Cross, Cricklewood, Old Oak Common, Vauxhall Nine Elms and other sites within the Thames Gateway such as Bexley Riverside and Greenwich peninsula. We have a number of bus priority studies underway in these areas (see map on p13).

We hope to take this all forward under the leadership of our new Mayor, who has made it clear that his priorities are air quality and the environment. One of the key initiatives he is introducing is Low Emission Bus (LEB) Zones. These zones will reduce emissions of buses in the

15

worst air quality areas, by replacing or retrofitting fleet. These areas will also be supported with bus priority measures, especially where air pollution and patronage are high. The first two zones have been announced as Putney High Street and Brixton to Streatham.

To conclude, London is expecting a huge growth in population and employment. Much of this will be accommodated in our Opportunity Areas, many of which are brownfield sites. This is where our focus will be to deliver more BRT schemes; where we can provide a high level of segregation together with our world-class bus services. Indeed for me, BRT is the solution to accommodating this growth in a sustainable way.

John Barry John leads the development of London’s bus network for TfL. This includes strategic and business planning, financial and economic appraisal, and multi-modal integration. He also acts as client for bus priority and infrastructure schemes.

Handbook

Bus Rapid Transit in the The position in

DEVELOPMENTS SEStran, the South East Scotland Transport Partnership is working up proposals for an orbital BRT network to the south of EDINBURGH. The scheme will link park-and-ride sites around the south of the city and contribute to congestion reduction on the city bypass.

The Department for Regional Development (DRD) has announced the opening of new bus lanes on the Falls Road as part of the BELFAST RAPID TRANSIT (BRT) scheme. The new bus lanes, located between Grosvenor Road and Whiterock Road, were introduced on 2 November.

Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) are developing an extensive SPRINT network for the West Midlands and are carrying out feasibility studies on 15 potential routes. The first two Sprint schemes to be delivered are Quinton to Birmingham and Birmingham to the Airport and Solihull, covering approximately 30km of existing roads.

Significant progress has been made on the WEST OF ENGLAND’S METROBUS network. This year a bus-only bridge was installed over the M32 motorway and work was completed on a bridge that will take services underneath the Great Western railway line. The 50km network builds on recent improvements to major bus corridors made by the Greater Bristol Bus Network scheme. Services are due to start operating in Autumn 2017.

Residents and businesses in Slough are currently being asked for their views on plans for a ‘rapid’ bus service along a busy commuter road in Berkshire. The £8m scheme, known as SMART (SLOUGH MASS RAPID TRANSIT), was approved by the borough council on 15 September. The proposals will involve widening the A4 and upgrades to several junctions. The council said the aim of the scheme was to provide quicker, more frequent and reliable bus services. Another major part of the plans involves turning service roads parallel to the A4 through Slough Trading Estate into bus lanes. The council said the improved service would benefit residents, encourage greater use of public transport and support economic growth in the borough.

The GREATER CAMBRIDGE CITY DEAL is planning more BRT, building on the success of the Busway. The first of these projects will link Cambourne, an expanding new settlement eight miles west of Cambridge with the City. In October 2016 the City Deal Board supported the proposal for a new Busway. Route options will now be worked up for selection of a preferred route, with construction scheduled to start in 2020, statutory procedures permitting. The City Deal also includes bus lanes on key radial routes and demand management in the City Centre to improve bus reliability through the City and studies are being carried out of other corridors into the Cambridge where BRT may be an option.

GREATER LONDON In March 2016, the frequency of the EL2 increased by 45 per cent and the route was extended to Becontree Heath. Consultation has taken place on extending route EL1 and converting the 387 into EL3. Both these changes are to serve new housing in Barking Riverside, which is hoped to be introduced later in 2017. Other Opportunity Areas where a high quality bus priority corridor will be vital include Brent Cross Cricklewood, Old Oak Common, Vauxhall Nine Elms and other sites within the Thames Gateway such as Bexley Riverside and Greenwich peninsula. There are currently a number of bus priority studies underway in these areas.

KEY: Developments Operating systems

Information as available November 2016. BRTuk and Landor LINKS Ltd have complied this list in good faith from published sources and are not li

e UK: Progress and Plans

17

November 2016 OPERATING SCHEMES TYNE & WEAR features two smaller BRT schemes. Go North East operates the Centrelink service between Gateshead town centre and the Metrocentre shopping complex via a busway on the banks of the River Tyne.

Meanwhile, in North Tyneside the operator’s Route19 service through the Cobalt Business Park uses a short stretch of guided busway.

The current status of FASTLINK route infrastructure as of October 2015 is: Arrivals Square to Clyde Arc Bridge - complete & operational , Clyde Arc Bridge to Broomielaw - complete & operational, Glasgow City Centre - completion Spring 2017 The oldest guided busways still in operation in the UK date back to 1995. Three corridors across the county feature short sections of guided busways totalling over 5km in length. The busways were developed in cooperation between the WEST YORKSHIRE COMBINED AUTHORITY (then the Passenger Transport Executive) and bus operators First and Arriva.

RUNCORN’S Busway was opened in 1971 with seven miles of segregated roadway, later extended to 12 miles, forming a figure-of-eight around the developing new town. Housing estates were designed so that no point was more than 500m from a busway stop.

The CAMBRIDGESHIRE GUIDED BUSWAY is now carrying 3.7m trips per annum and continuing to grow patronage at over 3% per year. An extension to the new Cambridge North Station has been completed and will come into use in May 2017 when the new station opens, giving direct interchange to trains to London, Peterborough, Ely, Norwich and Stanstead Airport. Extensive house building is taking place at Trumpington on the southern section of Busway and has at last started at the new town of Northstowe, halfway along the northern section of the Busway.

The LUTON-DUNSTABLE BUSWAY won £89m in funding from the Department for Transport in March 2010.

BAM Nuttall commenced work on the Busway and the adjacent access track in June 2010 and the improvement of about 200 on-street bus stops and other on-street priority measures was carried out by Luton and Central Bedfordshire term maintenance contractors. Real Time Passenger Information at all stops and CCTV/help points on the busway were installed by Vix. Busway services operated by Arriva, Centrebus and Grant Palmer started running on 25 September 2013 and in the first year of operation just over 1.4m passengers used these services.

TRANSPORT FOR GREATER MANCHESTER (TFGM) is close to delivering one of the largest investments in Greater Manchester’s bus network for decades. Nearly 25 miles of the bus network have been created or enhanced as part of the £122m ‘bus priority package’. The scheme has already introduced the North West’s first guided busway while work to transform one of Europe’s busiest bus routes, Oxford Road in Manchester city centre, is currently in the final stages. Once complete in early 2017 this will mark the culmination of the scheme.

Services on the East London Transit scheme between Ilford and Dagenham Dock via BARKING commenced in February 2010. The scheme uses a mixture of part-segregated busways and extensive bus priority measures. A second route via the Barking Riverside development was completed in 2013.

The KENT THAMESIDE Fastrack network is an extensive bus-based rapid transit network centred on Dartford, Gravesend and the vast Bluewater shopping centre.

Fastway links CRAWLEY with Gatwick Airport, Horley and Redhill using a combination of guided busways, extensive bus priority measures and bus lanes.

Hampshire County Council and Transport for South Hampshire are developing an extensive BRT network to link Gosport and Fareham with Portsmouth, Havant, Waterlooville and beyond. The initial phase, which opened in April 2012, connects FAREHAM & GOSPORT via a new, dedicated, high-specification bus route along a disused rail line between the two towns. able for errors or omissions. Further information on new schemes or updating on existing will be welcomed and can be sent to info@brtuk.org

Handbook

Setting standards Tom Skidmore, Interim Head, Sprint, explains how the West Midlands scheme is evolving Sprint is part of Transport for West Midlands’ vision for the future network of world-class public transport in the West Midlands. The overall aim of Sprint is to provide a fast and high-quality service which promotes modal shift from the private car to public transport and supports the Strategic Economic Plan of the West Midlands Combined Authority.

Unprecedented growth is expected in the region in the next decade, and Sprint will ensure the increased demand for transport can be met. It will form a key part of the rapid transit network in the West Midlands, coordinating elements of its delivery and operation with the Midland Metro tram system.

It has been a year of evolution for Sprint, with important decisions taken to define the scheme and its delivery.

The Sprint Standards were established in March 2016, setting a basic service specification which can be applied to the Sprint network. The standards have been an important step in giving assurance to local politicians that Sprint could deliver the transport step-change required.

The standards were structured according to the key components of Sprint, with specific consideration given to: Sprint operation, Sprint vehicles, Sprint shelters and interchanges, fares and fare collection, highways and priority, intelligent transport systems; including real-time information, branding, marketing and customer service, and environmental credentials.

This information was then used to set a minimum and target standard for Sprint routes. For the best Sprint solution, the target standard must be achieved. The minimum standard should only be applied to individual factors when the target level is not practical or economically feasible. It is expected that a Sprint route should achieve the target standard in a majority of factors to provide the step-change required.

The first two Sprint schemes to be delivered are Quinton to Birmingham and Birmingham to the Airport and Solihull. It is now proposed to connect these two routes in the first phase of

Sprint, covering approximately 30km of existing roads. This will provide fast and reliable services connecting the east and west of Birmingham, Solihull and key locations of economic and social activity in the region. It will offer a unique, high-quality, cross-city service providing people with improved access to jobs (including two HS2 stations in 2026), hospitals, shops, schools, international travel (from Birmingham Airport) and entertainment (such as the NEC, Resorts World, NIA and Symphony Hall).

Whilst the proposal to link the first two Sprint routes across Birmingham City Centre has delayed the expected delivery of Sprint until 2021, it makes the Sprint offer on these corridors significantly more attractive to users, with numerous advantages: l Improved connectivity by creating a cross-city route - the Airport to Quinton will be a 60-minute journey in the AM peak compared to the current 90-minute bus journey. l Expected demand for Sprint increases by 78%, with annual patronage of 5m compared to 2.8m for the two separate schemes. l It creates a route with more than 30% of dedicated bus lanes. l It avoids conflict with the Midland Metro Edgbaston Extension construction works on Broad Street

l

l

l

that will commence in 2018 and complete in 2021.

It provides greater critical mass for operator investments, including depot.

It provides the ability to appoint works contractor for both schemes and achieve economies of scale.

It allows for programme level thinking for branding, construction and operation.

The scheme will lead to journey times more than 20% quicker than conventional bus; an increase in patronage; an increase in passenger satisfaction; and improvements in air quality. Unsurprisingly, finding an acceptable balance between Sprint, other public transport and other road users has been the biggest challenge.

In addition to the first scheme, initial feasibility work has been carried out on 15 other routes that were identified as potential Sprint corridors. These routes are predominantly to connect strategic centres to the proposed HS2 stations and have been allocated ÂŁ350m as part of the West Midlands Combined Authority Devolution Deal. The initial feasibility studies will be used to assess the suitability, viability, deliverability, strategic factors and value for money of each scheme in order to prioritise delivery. For some routes that are not

Scheme plans and progress

19

Target standard – required for high standard Sprint.

Provides a high level of attractiveness and efficiency.

Minimum standard – required for a good standard of Sprint. This is an acceptable solution that provides a good level of attractiveness.

TARGET STANDARD

MINIMUM STANDARD

A ‘turn-up and go’ service with 95% reliability Stops every 500-800m

A ‘turn-up and go’ service with 95% reliability Stops 300-500m or more than 800m apart

Easily distinguishable with an appearance closer to tram and multi-door boarding Free Wi-Fi, on board CCTV, on board realtime information, and next stop announcements Access for all

Easily distinguishable with an appearance closer to tram and multi-door boarding Free Wi-Fi, on board CCTV, on board realtime information, and next stop announcements Access for all

Shelters

High quality shelters with realtime information, CCTV, wayfinding and walking passage-ways

Interchanges

Park and ride provided on Sprint route

Cycle facilities

Storage provided at shelters where Sprint routes interface with cycle routes

High quality shelters that clearly signify they are served by Sprint, include wayfinding and promote accessibility Stops in key locations to interface with other forms of transport Wayfinding to cycle facilities provided at stop

FACTOR Sprint Operation Frequency and reliability Stop distance

Vehicles Identity Features Accessibility

Sprint shelters and interchanges

Fares and fare collection Payment systems to encourage cashless payment and fares aligned with local bus services Ticketing facilitated through conductors

Payment systems to encourage cashless payment and fares aligned with local bus services Off board ticketing and on board validation

Carriageway separation

Dedicated bus lanes

Signalling

Full signal priority with no interfering vehicles at junctions Clean approach to allow close docking, easy boarding and marked boarding positions Lay-bys provided for local bus services Comparable to car journey time Priority measures actively enforced with fixed CCTV cameras

Dedicated bus lanes in priority locations with mixed traffic roads elsewhere Active measures for Sprint vehicles, such as priority at traffic signals Clean approach to allow close docking, easy boarding and marked boarding positions Sprint priority over local bus services Approximately 20% quicker than conventional bus Priority measures will be self-enforcing

Fares Ticketing

Highways and priority

Stop approaches Local bus interaction Journey times Enforcement

Intelligent transport systems Systems

Branding, marketing and customer service Brand

Customer service

Environmental credentials Emissions

suitable for Sprint, and do not meet the agreed standards, it may be that a highspecification core bus route upgrade will be more suitable and beneficial.

The next year is expected to see utility work begin on the first Sprint scheme, the appointment of an operator, further development of new routes and the emergence of a clear network for Sprint.

There are ambitious plans for growth in the West Midlands and Sprint’s capability to provide a high-quality service to connect communities to development is at the forefront of Transport for West Midlands’ plans and realising the region’s potential.

Vehicles with automatic vehicle location for signal controlled junctions, fleet operation and headway management

Realtime passenger information will be provided at all Sprint shelters and through internet and smartphone services

Distinct Sprint brand to be used on vehicles, stops, signage, information and marketing material Regular customer satisfaction surveys, continuous specialised training programmes and an on-board presence

Distinct Sprint brand to be used on vehicles, stops, signage, information and marketing material Regular customer satisfaction surveys, continuous specialised training programmes and an on-board presence

Better than Euro VI technology

Better than Euro VI technology

Handbook

MetroBus – one year on… and one year to go!

Rob Ash from the West of England Office provides an overview of the key parts of the MetroBus network and explains how construction has progressed in the past 12 months

Guided busway

The West of England councils started construction of their 50km MetroBus network in early 2015, and expect rapid transit services to start operating in Autumn 2017.

We successfully installed a new bridge over the M32 motorway over one weekend in June 2016. It was the first weekend closure on the M32 since it opened in 1966. The works were completed on time, with the motorway reopening at 6am on the following Monday.

Bristol City Council, South Gloucestershire Council and their MetroBus teams worked closely with Highways England to minimise disruption so that the bridge was installed as quickly and efficiently as possible. We chose to do the works over a weekend when traffic flows are 20% lower than on an average weekday.

The bridge is sited at a new bus-only junction that, when finished, will allow MetroBus services to avoid a heavilycongested junction on the motorway and provide a direct link to the University of the West of England and the north of the city, where a number of employment hubs are located.

We’re currently extending the bus lane on the M32 motorway into Bristol, which will speed up bus journeys for MetroBus passengers and will also mean quicker journeys for passengers

Bus stops

on other bus services that use the motorway.

The new bridge, bus-only junction and bus lane are part of a co-ordinated package of bus lanes and infrastructure that will ensure MetroBus journeys across Bristol are rapid and reliable.

The new bus priority measures will mean that some bus journeys will be up to 30 minutes quicker than existing bus services.

The South Bristol Link is a new 4.5km road that forms part of the MetroBus network. It is designed to provide south Bristol residents with rapid and reliable bus services to employment hubs in the north of the city.

It will also reduce traffic on unsuitable residential roads by providing motorists and businesses with an alternative route to the A370 and A38 and direct access to industrial estates. Part of the route uses a corridor of land that has been reserved for the South Bristol Link since the 1950s. The new link road will open in early 2017 and MetroBus services will start using it in Autumn 2017.

Over the Christmas 2015 period Network Rail and its contractor Kier built a new bridge under the main Bristol to Taunton railway line. The new bridge will enable the South Bristol Link to pass under the railway between

Traffic reduction

Bristol and Taunton. To make sure the national rail network wasn’t disrupted, Kier and Network Rail did the main work for the bridge out of hours and during the Christmas period when rail services do not operate.

MetroBus is carrying out a £3.2m refurbishment of a 100-year-old former double-deck road and rail bridge in south Bristol. The road deck was removed in 1965 and trains stopped using the bridge in 1985. Before the refurbishment, the Grade 2 listed bridge was on a Listed Building At Risk Register.

The extensive refurbishment works include a separate single signalled lane for the MetroBus, a 3.5m pedestrian and cycle track, replacement deck plates and repairs to the bridge’s trusses to reduce future corrosion.

The bridge’s confined space and the River Avon’s high tides have meant that the refurbishment has been carefully sequenced. We’re working in a very tight space so we’ve had to very carefully plan how the work is sequenced. We’ve done this by partitioning the bridge into three distinct sections so we can progress from section to section without adversely affecting the proceeding activity.

Our contractors started work in summer 2016 on a new bridge in

Scheme plans and progress

21

Bristol city centre

Bathurst Basin that will sit alongside an existing swing bridge over the River Avon. The new bridge will improve traffic flows by carrying outbound traffic.

Where possible, MetroBus is also improving facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. The new bridge on Bathurst Basin will include a new 3.5m shared cycling and walking path that will provide a link between two existing paths. We’re also making the area safer for pedestrians and cyclists by remodelling the road junction and providing new crossings.

Work is progressing on the Stoke Gifford Transport Link, a vital part of the MetroBus network that will improve transport links and reduce congestion on surrounding roads. The new road includes a new bridge over the Great Western railway line, new bus stops, bus lanes for MetroBus and local bus services and a shared pedestrian and cycle path.

Part of the MetroBus scheme will run on a segregated guided busway corridor from the Long Ashton park-and-ride to Bristol’s Harbourside. The guided busway means our MetroBus services will avoid Bristol’s Cumberland Basin, where congestion is forecast to increase in the coming years. A maintenance

Supporting walking and cycling

track alongside the guided busway will also serve as a shared walking and cycling path.

We’re currently building a 200m bridge that will carry services across a freight railway line in south Bristol without taking space from a nearby road. The bridge has been designed to ensure that the railway line can be electrified when it reopens to passenger services at a later date. The bridge will be lifted into place in December 2016.

MetroBus is making major improvements to the city centre of Bristol. These include building a new link road across a historic culvert to improve traffic flows, creating improved public spaces and providing increased priority for public transport and new segregated paths for cyclists.

We’re providing 94 new bus stops across the MetroBus network. Each stop will function as a key interchange between MetroBus, existing bus services and rail.

Each stop will also have an on-street information totem called an iPoint. The iPoints will display information about bus arrival times and onward journeys to make it easier for passengers to choose the best route and onward route for their journey. We’re also installing cycle stands at every MetroBus stop.

Off-bus ticketing will reduce the time MetroBus spends at stops, encourage

speedy boarding and reduce journey times. Passengers will be encouraged to buy their tickets from the MetroBus iPoints and via contactless or mobile ticketing.

The West of England councils are currently in discussions with a number of bus companies which have expressed an interest in operating MetroBus services.

Our aim is for MetroBus services to operate on a commercial basis via a Quality Partnership Scheme that sets minimum standards for frequencies, quality of vehicles and maximum fares.

The Quality Partnership Scheme will be supported by a Voluntary Partnership Agreement.

We expect the first MetroBus services to start operating in autumn 2017.

Rob Ash Rob has worked for MetroBus since 2012. He manages strategic and tactical communications for MetroBus with overall responsibility for the Ashton Vale to Temple Meads and South Bristol Link schemes. One of Rob’s main responsibilities is ensuring the three MetroBus projects follow a consistent network approach. He has managed consultations for MetroBus, helping its projects achieve their necessary planning permissions, and was a member of the MetroBus Procurement Working Group.

Organised by:

23-24 FEBRUARY BRISTOL

BRT CAN HELP TO MAKE MORE ACTIVE AND HEALTHIER PLACES By constraining the use of private cars, BRT can help to deliver more active and healthier places:

improving air quality delivering new space for active travel cutting congestion serving residential and commercial developments offering quality, flexible and cost-effective services that can expand with demand

Sponsored by:

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT + HEALTH 2017

The Conference will bring together all stakeholders working on sustainable transport, active travel and place-related public health projects around the UK to share best practice and knowledge, to learn from one another and to network in an inspirational environment.

Make sure you do not miss this major industry conference and networking event. We would like to hear from you about your projects!

23RD FEBRUARY

24TH FEBRUARY

The first day will take place at The M Shed and include an afternoon of Speed Learning sessions, focused on table-top case studies and projects updates.

• Cycle City Ambition Grant projects • Sustainable Transport Transition Year projects • Go Ultra Low • NHS New Healthy Towns initiative Plus much more

The event continues at City Hall and includes plenary sessions, case studies and workshops on: • New technologies and innovations • Public transport Shared transport Transport & health • Collaborative working with LEPs • Robust monitoring & evaluation • Marketing & behaviour change campaigns • Active workplaces

FIND OUT MORE AT: WWW.TRANSPORTANDHEALTH.CO.UK

23

The Brazil Olympics and BRT Dr Yanying Li of ERTICO – ITS Europe and Dr Michele Tozzi of UITP give their perspective on how BRT has functioned to make major sporting events in Brazil function more smoothly

Large sporting events often require major updates to the transport system of a host city since existing transport infrastructure may not be able to support the considerablyincreased transport demand generated by the event. Meanwhile, a host city often takes such an opportunity to build new transport infrastructure to improve the city’s transport systems. For example, some of the key developments for the London Olympic Games 2012 included a second Docklands Light Railway (DLR) line and a new branch of the East London Line. For the Summer Olympic Games 2008,

meanwhile, Beijing extended its metro network considerably. In recent years, Brazil hosted major sports events, i.e. the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympic Games 2016 (Rio 2016) and Brazil is the birthplace of BRT. Since the first BRT system in Rede integrada de Transporte (‘Integrated Transportation Network’) in Curitiba entered service in 1974, Brazil has been using BRT to provide high quality mass public transport services to customers at considerably lower cost when compared to urban rail. Therefore, it is not surprising that Brazil also

chose BRT as the premier transport solutions for its FIFA 2014 and Olympic Games 2016.

In Brazil, nine of the twelve cities hosting football games during FIFA 2014 introduced or extended their BRT systems and used BRT as the main transport mode for visitors to the football matches. For example, in Belo Horizonte, the BRT system had been in operation since March 2014, covering 23 kilometres (14 miles), including routes to Mineirão stadium, a World Cup venue and Rio 2016’s football venue, with

BRT for FIFA 2014

Handbook

capacity for 61,000 fans. Getting to the stadium from the city centre using the BRT takes approximately only 20 minutes, whereas travelling using the car can take more than an hour.

For hosting the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games, Rio de Janeiro has invested massively in its public transport systems over the past few years. Although this also includes a new metro line (Line 4), supporting the additional demand for the sporting events was mainly delivered through the implementation of exclusive BRT lanes. Two BRT systems, Transoeste and Transcarioca, were in operation before the FIFA World Cup. Transoeste was the first BRT line to be operated in Rio. In the initial stages, it covered 38.6 km,

BRT in Rio de Janeiro

connecting Santa Cruz in the northwestern part of the municipality to Alvorada terminal in the heart of the Barra da Tijuca neighbourhood. It was extended in 2016 to approximately 60km in length. It has 62 BRT stations and four terminals.

Its operation has brought significant benefits to millions of users; the travel time between Santa Cruz and Barra Da Tijuca has been reduced, on average (including express and local services), by 40 minutes per trip, which accounts for a saving of 14 days per year for the average commuter making two trips per day.

The Transcarioca line was the second BRT line to open in Rio de Janeiro.

Work on the line started in March 2011 and the official opening took place on June 1, 2014, just before the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The Transcarioca lines

Making connections

stretch over 39km, connecting Barra da Tijuca with Rio de Janeiro’s Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport (also known as Galeão International Airport).

The Transcarioca line crosses 27 districts of the city with 47 stations and carries 230,000 passengers daily. With the opening of the Transcarioca corridor, journey times between Barra da Tijuca and Antonio Carlos Jobim Airport were reduced by 60%.

A new BRT system, TransOlimpica, was specifically built for Rio 2016. The new BRT system covers a 26km (16 mile) route and connects the TransCarioca and TransOeste BRTs. TransOlimpica connects the main venue locations, for example Barra, that hosted most venues of the Games, and Deodoro, one of the venue locations. The three BRT lines in Rio de Janeiro have been integrated with metros and other transport

Integration

International case study - Brazil

services (e.g. Supervia train) in the city and are expected to leave an important urban mobility legacy after the Olympics.

BRT was invented in Brazil as a cost-effective alternative to the urban railway system. Since the first operation in 1974, many countries have been inspired and implemented their own versions of BRT, for example Colombia, China, Turkey, US, Australia and many European countries. To date, more than 200 cities have implemented some form of BRT system worldwide (from BRT-Lite to fullBRT and BHLS – Bus with High Level of Service), and the growth has been tremendous in recent years with one-third of these schemes being in operation since 2011.

Brazil has also demonstrated the

Lessons learnt

success of using BRT as a premier solution to meet increasing demand for major sporting events. It is estimated that 11.7 million passengers were transported by BRT during the Olympic Games. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that the planned new metro line for Rio 2016 suffered from severe delays due to insufficient budget, and only limited services were provided during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, while all BRT projects have been completed and entered service on time.

The benefits of BRT go clearly beyond transporting people. Successful BRT systems encompass environmental impacts (e.g. lowering local air pollution and noise level, reducing the amount of time passengers are exposed to air pollution at stations), deliver social impacts (e.g. ensuring social inclusion

Environmental benefits

25

and equity), offer safety impacts (e.g. reducing fatalities and crashes) and stimulate economies (e.g. influencing property values and land use). BRT schemes are key players in the efforts to create cities where people and community come first.

The host cities of future major events should certainly consider BRT schemes for cost-effective, popular and quality transport solutions.

Dr Yanying Li Dr Yanying Li is Senior Manager at ERTICO – ITS Europe, Brussels-based membership organisation for development and implementation of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS).

Dr Michele Tozzi Dr Michele Tozzi is Project Manager at UITP – the International Association of Public Transport – where he is currently the director of the European Bus System of the Future_2 Project.

Handbook

Fastrack gets back on track Around for more than a decade now, the Fastrack BRT system in Kent has recently experienced something of a resurgence

One of the first technical visits by BRTuk following its formation in 2005 was to the newly launched Fastrack BRT scheme. Over the next few years Fastrack went on to become a huge success, with critical acclaim and an array of national and international awards. As well as an early example of ‘on the ground’ BRT in the UK, the intrinsic link between Fastrack and the delivery of largescale development provided a further level of interest for public transport and planning professionals. Delivery of up to 30,000 new homes across the Kent Thameside area in North Kent and a commercial district around the Ebbsfleet International Station was at the time planned, with the development largely dependent on Fastrack providing the transport system at the heart of a public transport oriented development strategy. At the BRTuk conference in 2007 a presentation on The Bridge development in Dartford heralded the first practical outworking of this strategy – substantial developerfunded investment in infrastructure

and Fastrack fully up and running through the site before first occupation, with free travel for residents and real-time display screens in every home.

The first two routes, launched in 2006 and 2007, were always seen as just the start, with the main job for Fastrack providing the credible alternative to the car for new residents in Kent Thameside - yet to come. But then came the 2007 financial crash which all but halted house building - and with it any need to further develop the Fastrack BRT system.

Kent County Council (KCC) as Local Transport Authority working with operator Arriva kept faith with Fastrack, and the strength of the well-established partnership was demonstrated by a major investment in 2015 that saw a new vehicle fleet across the two Fastrack routes. Despite this, the BRT features of Fastrack began to be eroded and the overall strategic role of Fastrack in facilitating large-scale development began to slip off the agenda.

However, improved economic conditions and renewed Government

desire to accelerate provision of new homes led to the announcement in 2014 of the Ebbsfleet Garden City, the country’s first new garden city for over 100 years: together with the establishment of the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC) with a remit and resources to deliver ‘at pace’.

The focus and impetus on delivery that EDC brings is a potential game changer, arguably the ingredient that has been previously lacking since the vision for the area first emerged in the early 1990’s.

And with all this the need for the high quality rapid mass transit system necessary for the full development potential of the area to be realised once again comes to the fore. So Fastrack is ‘back on track’ - in a big way.

EDC’s recently published Implementation Framework sets out its huge ambition for the area. The Framework reflects the original Kent Thameside vision proposals for a new city centre and business district around the International Station with its highspeed rail connections to central London in 17 minutes and Paris in two hours; and a new city park and open space.

27

However, the EDC ambition goes much further. There is now potential to establish Ebbsfleet as a Centre of Excellence for medical science, education and learning; and real prospect of an international leisure destination being created on Swanscombe Peninsula.

Already the pace of housing completions is quickening and things are starting to happen.

The approach to delivery of Fastrack infrastructure has been, and remains, complex - primarily delivery by private sector developers as they bring forward their major residential and commercial development sites in accordance with planning consents, supplemented by relatively modest public sector pumppriming investment and development of operational arrangements.

EDC is a new public sector partner in the Fastrack delivery arrangements. EDC has planning powers within the Garden City boundary, but the two district councils (Dartford Borough Council and Gravesham Borough Council) are the planning authority for the parts of Kent Thameside outside of the EGC boundary: the district councils are also the plan making authority for their respective areas, including the Garden City. KCC is the Local Transport Authority (LTA) for the whole area. And then there are the private sector developers of major sites.

All need to be appropriately engaged and committed if Fastrack is going to be successfully delivered. Implicit in this approach to Fastrack delivery is a programme of projects, with individual projects delivered by various different organisations and to varying timetables, and KCC and EDC acting jointly in leading the programme.

Securing a comprehensive Fastrack

public transport system remains a key objective for KCC. Like most LTAs, KCC is actively considering the extent to which any of the operating models proposed within the draft Bus Services Bill might potentially provide benefits for bus users across the county of Kent. That consideration includes future operating arrangements for Fastrack. No decisions have yet been made, but, given the very high level of future Fastrack use that is forecast and the significant infrastructure maintenance costs, there is strong desire to establish appropriate arrangements that provide for a return to the public sector on its investment in Fastrack. This principle has already been established through the levying of access charges for use of Fastrack busways.

Delivery of Fastrack remains challenging. But there is now real

ambition for Fastrack to be right at the heart of the Ebbsfleet Garden City as well as providing important transport links across the Kent Thameside area: and the exciting prospect that Fastrack will once again be an exemplar UK BRT project.

So watch this space!

David George An Associate with consultant Steer Davies Gleave, David is a chartered civil engineer and project manager specialising in leading the development and delivery of complex urban transit projects and integrated transport solutions. He led development of the Fastrack BRT between 1999 and 2012 and then led the MetroBus BRT programme in the West of England. He is currently seconded to the role of Fastrack Development Manager for Kent County Council and Ebbsfleet Development Corporation.

Handbook

A high five from the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway BRT is at the heart of the Greater Cambridge City Deal transport strategy and based on the success of the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway, which celebrated its fifth birthday in August. Bob Menzies updates the situation

Patronage on the busway continues to grow at around 3% per annum, bucking the trend of reducing patronage on conventional bus services. Busway patronage is expected to get a significant boost in 2017 as a result of two factors: Firstly, the new Cambridge North Station is now under construction and will open in May 2017. An extension of the busway to the station is already complete and will give direct traffic-free access from the busway to fast trains to London and other destinations, providing truly integrated transport.

Secondly, house-building has at last started at the new town of Northstowe.

Northstowe is half-way along the busway and was the original trigger for developing the Busway. Phase 1 will provide 1,500 houses around the Longstanton park-and-ride site.

Ultimately, Northstowe will have 10,000 houses with a BRT spine road running through its centre, and every resident will be within easy walking distance of a BRT stop. Phase 2 of Northstowe, which will include the town centre and the BRT spine, secured outline planning permission last summer.

The City Deal is a partnership of Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridge City Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council, the Local Enterprise Partnership and the University of Cambridge, which has, as one of its four main aims, the delivery of sustainable transport infrastructure to support rapid economic growth in the area.

Cambridge is a constrained historic city that has become a focal point for growth in the 21st century, based

around scientific research from the university. The three local authority partners have developed overlapping land use and transport strategies that place much of the new development in a series of new settlements in South Cambridgeshire, beyond the green belt, and thus protecting the historic setting of the city. High quality passenger transport is needed to get people from the new settlements and existing settlements into the city, and to the main employment sites such as the Science Park to the north and the Biomedical Campus to the south.

The City Deal is a fifteen-year programme with money from Government ring-fenced for transport and released in three, five-year tranches (gccitydeal.co.uk). The first five-year programme includes bus priority measures on Histon Road and Milton

Scheme updates Road on the north side of the City, which will improve reliability for local buses, busway buses and, in due course, potential BRT services to another planned new town at Waterbeach, north of Cambridge. However, the two most significant projects in a BRT context are the plans for a Cambourne to Cambridge busway, and proposals to manage congestion and reallocate road space in the city centre.

Cambourne is a new settlement that has been developed to the west of Cambridge in recent years. The Local Plan proposals would see it double in size, but it is not currently well-served by public transport. A number of options for putting this right have been considered, including on-road bus lanes and off-road segregated busways. The current recommendation, but subject to approval, is to build a segregated busway to the south of the existing A1303 Madingley Road. This is the more expensive option as it requires a new bridge over the M11 to bypass a significant bottleneck around J12, but is a solution that would provide a dedicated segregated route that will achieve maximum patronage.

The scheme is controversial for a number of reasons. Unlike the existing busway, there is no derelict railway line to follow so a new route will need to be created that will cross a sensitive area of green belt. However the availability of this green wedge does allow a segregated route to be provided to a point close to the city centre. This would be the UK’s first busway not to use an existing or former transport corridor.

There is an existing park-and-ride site on Madingley Road, situated on the city side of the M11 Junction. At this point, drivers have often already been queuing for around 20 minutes and some are reluctant to abandon their cars, so the scheme includes a new park-and-ride further from Cambridge to intercept traffic at the point where the A1303 leaves the dual carriageway A428 and congestion starts.

The next stage of work will be to identify and evaluate specific route options for further consultation next year. If all goes to plan, then we would seek formal powers in 2018, which will probably lead to a Public Inquiry, with construction following from 2020.

Within the city it has been recognised that restrictions on car-use are essential if space is to be freed up for pedestrians, cyclists and buses. An eight-point plan has been developed to tackle this. Key elements of this plan are: peak-time

congestion control points, a workplace parking levy and expanded residents’ parking controls. These ‘sticks’ will be accompanied by ‘carrots’ in the form of improvements to bus services, more segregated cycle facilities and extensive travel planning work with employers and other traffic generators, such as schools, to encourage more sustainable travel.

The peak-time congestion control points will be a series of bus gates enforced by cameras. These will operate at peak times at six locations that have been selected on two criteria. Firstly, cross-city car movements will be tackled by introducing closure points on the city’s inner ring road and, secondly, bus reliability will be tackled by introducing closure points on the roads where buses suffer the greatest delays; in particular Hills Road, which links the railway station to the city centre. Hills Road is used by the majority of bus services in the city and at times sees buses reduced to walking speed. This scheme will build on the existing Cambridge Core Scheme, which has successfully restricted access to the core of the city centre since 1997.

A key element of the success of this will be the extent to which road users change their habits. There is robust evidence, not least from the Cambridge Core Scheme, that reducing road capacity leads to an overall reduction in traffic, as people change modes and travel habits. The closures are purposely targeted at those trips that can be most readily changed, i.e. relatively short cross city trips, and at positively improving the alternatives through improving bus reliability and delivering

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better conditions for pedestrians and cyclists. While we can be confident that there will be traffic reduction, forecasting exactly how much is far from an exact science. It is therefore planned to introduce these initiatives using Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders for an 18-month trial period.

Following on from the success of the Nottingham scheme, a workplace parking levy is planned to further discourage car commuting and to raise revenue to support transport improvement, in particular to augment the commercial bus network and to fill in the gaps in the network that may never be commercially viable. Proposals being considered are express services from the ring of market towns around Cambridge and orbital services to major employment sites around the city.

More details of the above and other City Deal plans can be found on the Greater Cambridge City Deal website (gccitydeal.co.uk).

Bob Menzies Bob is a Chartered Civil Engineer who has worked for Cambridgeshire County Council since 1988. From 1996 Bob led the group delivering road safety and traffic management measures, including park-andride, bus priorities and the successful implementation of the Cambridge Core Scheme. In 2004 Bob relinquished this role to lead the team delivering the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway, which opened in August 2011 and was an instant success with passenger numbers in the first year 40% above the forecast. Bob is now leading the delivery of a £500m programme of sustainable transport infrastructure projects under the historic Greater Cambridge City Deal designed to ensure that the economic growth of the area can continue while maintaining the quality of life that makes the area so attractive.

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Eleventh Annual Conference

Delivering High Quality Urban Sustainable Transport Corridors 28 – 29 November 2016 Manchester Conference Centre, Manchester The BRT annual conference is the premier event for passenger transport project design, built, management and operation. A new scheme opening provides the focus to share experience, both formally and informally.

An escorted Study Tour, keynotes, UK and international case studies and the acclaimed Progress Forum make the event a ‘masterclass’ on all aspects of scheme delivery and operation.

BRT schemes and high quality bus priority packages are becoming core to whole-place solutions. At its best BRT investment is capable of delivering a step change in urban public transport infrastructure.

Programme Highlights: G

Escorted study tour: Oxford Road and the Manchester Bus Priority Package – Oxford Road

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Bus Priority – a catalyst to creating better places

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London: bus transit supporting growth

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Cambridgeshire Guided Bus – Future development

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The impact of automated vehicles on passenger transport

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Resolving Challenges – BRT Progress Forum

Secure your place and download the programme at: www.TransportXtra.com/events