BHLS_englishVersion_..

More documents

Recommendations

Info

type than one of the organisation and designing of a transportation system, following the example of a tram, with the different sub-sets forming a homogeneous whole. The approach in terms of the arrangements to provide accessibility, safety of reserved lanes, efficiency of exchange poles, passenger information, and the validity of intermodal tickets, must be identical, whether for trams, buses or other new types of equipment, and should enhance the efficiency and coherence of the transportation system. In a context of financing difficulties, what is needed are public transportation solutions that offer flexibility - in terms of time and in the event of incidents - and performance. The fight against the greenhouse effect and the concerns about sustainable development require that we seek innovative solutions adapted to the diversity of the contexts involved: the BHLS is one of these and it will certainly see many developments. Chantal DUCHENE General Director of GART 6 Certu - October 2005
The bus is a strong symbol of cities and the emblematic vehicle of public transportation. Since the time of its appearance and then its development in the 1950’s, it has evolved considerably, adapting to the changes in cities and in mobility practices. In order to better meet the various needs, it has been diversified. It has made substantial progress in terms of accessibility, especially for people with reduced mobility, and more generally in terms of comfort and passenger information. There has also been progress for the environmental quality of vehicles. Despite these changes, buses have lost their attractiveness. They are the victims of worsening driving conditions in city centres and a bad image. In the 1990’s, in an attempt to improve the performances and the image of buses, substantial work on diversification of services and their hierarchy was carried out in many networks. Main lines appeared, associated with secondary lines, and also city centre shuttles and express lines for "periphery – city centre" links with, in some cases, the use of special bus lanes and reserved areas. Today, with the "hyper-capacity" lines developed in Latin America in cities such as Curitiba and Bogotá and with those developed in North America for the "Bus Rapid Transit" (BRT) concept, new possibilities for buses are opening up. The quality of the infrastructure (reserved lanes, priority at traffic lights, stations, etc.) allows for a significant improvement of the performance level of the bus service (accessibility, speed, capacity, flow, etc.). In Europe, public transportation operators are also very interested in these new style bus lines. Such projects are underway or in planning in several urban areas in France (Rouen, Lyon, Nantes, etc.). As the results of a recent UTP study indicate, the development potential is high: 22 urban areas offer services that could evolve towards "high service level" lines. These first experiences should help guide the thinking that is going on today. The return of buses to the forefront of urban transportation modes will require consideration of the system as a whole. It is therefore important to go beyond the habitual distinctions in terms of infrastructure, rolling stock, information systems, marketing, and accessibility, etc. The work done by Certu and its partners (Organising Authorities, urban transportation operators and government services) is very encouraging in this regard. It promotes a French "BHLS" concept inspired by BRT but taking into account the specificities of European urban areas. It highlights the fundamental points of "BHLS", which have a significant effect on the quality and the level of service offered to public transportation customers (reserved lanes, traffic priority at crossings, station spacing, etc.). The thinking carried out benefited substantially from the experience of urban insertion and the renewal of the image of public transportation inherited from the return of the tram to France in the 1990’s. The diversity of French urban areas and their needs in terms of mass transportation calls for very different approaches. That is why, beyond the general concept of Certu - October 2005 7
Page 1 and 2: Certu BUS WITH A HIGH LEVEL OF SERV
Page 3 and 4: Foreword More than thirty years ago
Page 5: GART has been working on the High L
Page 9 and 10: High Level Bus Service - Concept an
Page 17 and 18: For BHLS with guidance integration
Page 57 and 58:
High Level Bus Service - Concept an
Page 59 and 60:
Page 61 and 62:
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Page 71 and 72:
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76:
Page 77 and 78:
Page 79 and 80:
Page 81 and 82:
Page 83 and 84:
Page 85 and 86:
Page 87 and 88:
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98:
Page 99 and 100:
Page 101 and 102:
Page 103 and 104:
Page 105:
show all

BHLS_englishVersion_..

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?