Bus Station: Location
Locating bus stations near junctions
Spacing between bus stations
Near junctions
Spacing
Bus stations located near road junctions offer easy access to commuters approaching them from crossroads. However, they should not be too close to the junctions, which would create queuing of buses when, after off-loading and taking on new passengers, they are held up by a red signal at the junction, blocking access to the station for buses that are immediately following. Some distance between the station and the junction will allow buses that have completed their halt to move ahead and wait at the junction.
The spacing between two bus stations is critical. It determines how much commuters would have to travel/ walk to reach the nearest station. A 500 m distance between two bus stations is considered ideal in an urban area. It may be 300-350 m in the Central Business District (CBD) and 600-800 m in suburban areas. This is considered the optimal distance in which a bus may reach cruising speed before decelerating for the next halt. For a commuter, walking time to the station is a major part of the total trip time. With increase in distance between stations, walking time and overall journey time also increase. Therefore, an optimum distance of 500 m is recommended.
Janmarg keeps a distance of 24-36 m (two standard buses or one articulated bus) between the station and the stop line. If a bus station cannot be provided near a junction, it is located at mid-block.
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Janmarg has adopted an average spacing of 500 m between bus stations.
