brt- china by embarq

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Institute for Transportation and Development PolicyChina office, Guangzhou.


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Contents

1. Executive summary..................................................................................................... 32. Background ................................................................................................................. 5

2.1. Scope and purpose of this report.............................................................................................................................52.2. Available data, and further requirements..............................................................................................................5

3. Recommended BRT corridors .................................................................................... 73.1. Criteria for selection of corridors ..............................................................................................................................73.2. Criteria for evaluating the potential BRT corridors.............................................................................................8

3.2.1. Benefits of BRT.........................................................................................................................................................83.2.2. Space availability ....................................................................................................................................................83.2.3. Benefits for users ....................................................................................................................................................93.2.4. Disbenefits .............................................................................................................................................................113.2.5. Additional considerations regarding radial or diametral options ...................................................... 11

Leveraging private sector investment in buses........................................................................................................... 11Network and integration aspects................................................................................................................................... 12

3.3. Operational requirements........................................................................................................................................ 133.3.1. Adapting BRT to local circumstances ...........................................................................................................133.3.2. A flexible system, neither fully open nor fully closed..............................................................................14

3.4. Conclusion: recommended first BRT corridors..................................................................................................16Recommendation #1: Dongfeng and Zhongshan corridors................................................................................... 16Recommendation #2: Dongfeng and Huangpu corridors....................................................................................... 16Recommendation #3: Zhongshan corridor ................................................................................................................. 16Recommendation #4: Dongfeng corridor.................................................................................................................... 17Recommendation #5: Huangpu corridor..................................................................................................................... 17Not recommended: Guangyuan corridor..................................................................................................................... 17Not recommended: Fangcun corridor .......................................................................................................................... 18

4. Addressing difficult points along the recommended corridors............................ 194.1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................................................194.2. General approach ....................................................................................................................................................... 19

4.2.1. Bus lanes and stations........................................................................................................................................194.2.2. Viaducts, tunnels and bridges and other constrained road sections.................................................20

Option 1: Divert the BRT to an alternative alignment............................................................................................... 204.2.3. Option 2: Maintain buses in normal traffic flow........................................................................................214.2.4. Dealing with left turns ....................................................................................................................................... 22

4.3. Specific locations.........................................................................................................................................................24

4.3.1. Dongfeng corridor .............................................................................................................................................. 24Zhongshan 7 Rd and Kangwang Rd intersection ...................................................................................................... 24Kangwang Rd and Dongfeng Rd intersection ............................................................................................................ 24Dongfeng Rd and Panfu Rd intersection...................................................................................................................... 24Dongfeng Rd and Xianlie Rd intersection .................................................................................................................... 25Dongfeng Rd and Nonglin Rd intersection.................................................................................................................. 25Dongfeng Rd / Guangzhou Av / Zhongshan Rd / Huangpu Av interchange ...................................................... 25

4 3 2 Zh h id 32


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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The City of Guangzhou is seriously considering implementing a Bus Rapid Transit system andhave asked for ITDPs recommendations about the most appropriate initial corridor for such

a system.

ITDP has assessed potential BRT corridors and even with the current limited availability of

data there was no time to conduct detailed surveys are able to make firm

recommendations about the best initial BRT corridors in Guangzhou.

All of the main corridors in Guangzhou have ample space for BRT implementation, and

provided that the BRT system is designed to capture a significant proportion of the existing

demand for public transport on the corridor, all of the corridors analysed can implement a

BRT system without adversely affecting and even in several locations improving the flow

of general traffic. In practical terms this means that there are no important disbenefits; it is

just a matter of choosing the corridors with the most benefits.

BRT has many other potential benefits, but experience shows that a major impact is the direct

benefits for users. Table E1, which is explained in the main body of the report, provides an

approximation of primary user benefits time saved due to congestion avoidance along the

candidate first BRT corridors.

Table E1: User benefits for the candidate BRT corridors

Present value(US$million)

Type CorridorLength

(km)

Demand(1000

pass/h/dir)

Timesavings(mins)

Isolatedbenefit(US$m)

Synergicco-

efficient Totalbenefit

Benefit/ km

Rank

DiametralDongfeng-Zhongshan

19 248.2 1.79 337 17.7 1

Diametral Dongfeng-Huangpu 19 124.6 1.59 248 13.0 2

Radial Zhongshan 9 24 30.5 102.6 1.00 103 11.4 3

Radial Dongfeng 10 22 27.8 85.6 0.95 81 8.1 4

Radial Huangpu 9 20 25.0 70.0 0.77 54 6.0 5

Radial Fangcun 8 5 3 1 2 2 0 63 1 4 0 2 6


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Even if implemented only as a radial corridor (e.g. with Zhongshan Av as the first phase,

to be later followed by Dongfeng Rd), the Zhongshan and Dongfeng corridors would

bring significant benefits. Huangpu is relatively less attractive as a first corridor option ifimplemented only as a radial corridor.

Both Guangyuan and Fangcun corridors provide very small benefits and are far less

attractive than all of the other options. Neither are viable BRT projects, and they should

both be discarded as BRT corridor options.

The benefits of the diametral corridors are significantly higher both on an absolute and

per kilometre basis than the radial corridors. Zhongshan Avenue, due to the high demandand severe congestion, is a partial exception, with the per kilometre benefit only slightly

lower than the per kilometre benefit of the diametral Dongfeng Huangpu corridor.

In addition to the direct benefit for users in terms of time savings and the positive impact on

mixed traffic caused by reducing congestion along the BRT corridors, focusing the BRT on

high demand corridors is required for a viable BRT business model. A BRT system in

Guangzhou could be highly profitable without an operating subsidy, and buses could bepurchased through private sector investment. This can only be achieved, however, if the

system is planned to be financially viable. If the first BRT corridor selected has high passenger

demand the City can plan accordingly for private sector investment in buses and fare

collection systems, and it can be designed to be a profitable system without subsidies. If on the

other hand the first corridor selected has relatively low passenger demand and few time-

savings for passengers, it is highly unlikely that the City will be able to secure private sector

investment in the buses and fare collection systems without a substantial operating subsidy.

Many other corridors in Guangzhou are well suited to BRT. Although for various reasons not

considered candidates for the first corridor, these should be considered for future BRT

expansion, including for example Huanshi Av, Xianlie Rd, Guangzhou Av, Kangwang Rd,

Jiefang Rd, and even roads which have metros such as Zhongshan Rd and Xingang Rd.

Having recommended initial corridors, the report then considers how a BRT can be operated

through the most difficult and constrained sections of each of these corridors. While the

corridor recommendations are made with a fairly high level of confidence, these proposed

solutions for operating BRT through selected points should not be considered the final ones ,

as more detailed study and more complete data will required to recommend the best final

solution for each location. Nevertheless, the analysis shows that options exist to operate BRT


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2. BACKGROUND

2.1. Scope and purpose of this report

Early last November the Mayor of Guangzhou visited Bogota and Sao Paulo. The Mayor was

impressed by the potential of Bus Rapid Transit and is considering implementing an initial

BRT corridor in Guangzhou. The Vice Director of the Construction Commission has been

entrusted to assess the potential of BRT in Guangzhou and he has twice organised delegations

on 29th January and 21st April of experts from around China to come to Guangzhou and

assess the preliminary plans of three local institutes given the task of developing conceptualplans for BRT on several potential corridors.

Last December ITDP prepared a report on Preliminary Observations on BRT in Guangzhou.

This report discussed the features and benefits of BRT, the existing situation in Guangzhou,

international experience with BRT planning, and preliminary observations on the suitability

of BRT for Guangzhou. It had a much wider scope than the present report. Following this

report last December and the first expert meeting on 29th

January, the Vice Director of theConstruction Commission and ITDP have prepared a Memorandum of Understanding

(currently still being finalised) wherein ITDP will provide technical assistance to the city on

BRT planning. The present report is prepared pursuant to this MOU at the request of the

Construction Commission and comprises ITDPs recommendations on the first corridor for

BRT implementation in Guangzhou.

An outline of a work schedule for BRT in Guangzhou has also been requested and is includedin the final section of this report. A detailed work schedule specifically for Guangzhou needs

more time for preparation, and ITDP anticipates being able to complete such a work plan

during the last week of May 2005.

Two further delegations from Guangzhou are due to make visits to Bogota and Sao Paulo to

investigate BRT systems there in May and June 2005. A decision on whether Guangzhou will

proceed with BRT, and on the initial BRT corridor, is expected in late May or June.

2.2. Available data, and further requirements

It is important to note that this report is prepared based on very limited data.


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If a decision is made to proceed with BRT much more detailed and complete data and

modelling is required, both for these difficult locations as well as to estimate the system

demand and to design the infrastructure and operations accordingly.

The main data required is:

1. Household origin-destination (OD) survey, but only if already available;

2. On board OD survey, if the household OD is not available;

3. Transfer survey;

4. Boarding and alighting survey;

5. Visual occupancy and frequency surveys;

6. Speed and delay time surveys; and

7. Traffic counts.

Other data required includes:

1. Bus routes maps, in an AutoCad or GIS format if possible;2. Locations subject to congestion;

3. Blackspots for pedestrian and bicycle fatalities and injuries;

4. Number of passengers, number of buses and headways for all bus routes;

5. Detailed map of the city, in an AutoCad or GIS format if possible;

6. Number of passengers of cars, buses and the other travel modes including walking and

bicycles;7. Number of lanes of the roads; and

8. Traffic restrictions for the roads.

There is another way to obtain an OD trip table. Using the data of the smart card and coding

the bus stations it is possible find out the origin and the destination of the passengers in the

city. In Jinan, for example, each smart card when used on a bus records the time, boarding

location, bus route, and card number. It is not known if the Guangzhou smart card alsorecords this information. Using the data of the smart card in the BRT design could greatly

reduce the cost and time required for the data collection.


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3. RECOMMENDED BRT CORRIDORS

3.1. Criteria for selection of corridors

Due to the time limitations and drawing from ITDPs previous work investigating bus priority

proposals (October 2003) and the potential of BRT in Guangzhou (December 2004), the

corridors evaluated for BRT were limited to a shortlist of:

Fangcun Av and Guangyuan Av (not considered strong candidates, but included in the

assessment as these were potential corridors identified by the Municipality)

Various combinations of Dongfeng Rd, Zhongshan Av, and Huangpu Av (Figure 1)

Figure 1: Corridors considered as potential first BRT corridors in Guangzhou

The shortlisting of these corridors was based on several considerations including:

Space availability


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end of Huanshi Av. Although Huanshi is considered an excellent potential corridor for BRT

expansion, for these reasons it was not considered as a potential first corridor. Similar

considerations excluded Xianlie Rd from consideration as a first corridor, though it is also anexcellent potential corridor for later BRT expansion.

3.2. Criteria for evaluating the potential BRT corridors

3.2.1. Benefits of BRT

BRT has several potential benefits in Guangzhou. These were described in ITDPs report onPreliminary Observations on BRT in Guangzhou and include:

Travel time and cost savings for BRT passengers

Travel time and cost savings for mixed traffic in the BRT corridor

Reduced pollution

Reduced fatalities and injuries from crashes

Greater profitability for bus operators

Increased ridership and revenue for the metro

Bus industry development

Leadership in bus system planning in China and internationally.

Experience suggests, however, that the fundamental aspect to consider is the primary benefit

for the users of the system. For this reason as well as the time limitations and requirement fora simple methodology, a two-stage analysis was conducted. Firstly to determine whether the

corridors have sufficient space to implement BRT, and secondly to evaluate the benefits for

system users. Each is considered in turn.

3.2.2. Space availability

BRT needs extra space, usually in the middle of the road, for dedicated runways and stations.

The extra width required is listed in Table 1.

Table 1: BRT width requirements (metres)

Single bus lane Double bus lanes

Between At Between At


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stations and 19m at bus stations). Many corridors in Guangzhou have or are projected to be

expanded to 60 metres or more of total wall-to-wall width. Compared to South American

cities were BRT has been implemented, this is a huge space. Table 2 provides some examplesof where BRT has been implemented in South American cities with much less available space.

All corridors are central exclusive bus lanes on bi-directional avenues.

Table 2: Right-of-way requirements for BRT South American experience

Lane widths (metres)

City(country)

Corridor

Flow(1000pax/hr/dir)

Over-takingbus lane

atstations

Carlanes/direc

tion

Side-walk

Cars

Bus

Busstop

Bus

Cars

Side-walk

Total(all)

Total(BRT)

BRTas%

oftota

l

Congested?

Farecollectio

n

Year

So Paulo(Brazil)

SantoAmaro

15 Y 2 1.8 5 3 2 6.4 5 1.8 25 11.4 46 Y Int 1986

So Paulo(Brazil)

Rebouas 6 N 2 3 7 3.5 3 3.5 7 3 30 10 33 Y Int 2004

Bogota(Colombia)

CaracasTrans-milenio

42 Y 2 4 6.5 7 5 7 6.5 4 40 19 48 N Ext 2000

Curitiba(Brazil)

Norte Sul 12 N 1 4 4 3.5 6* 3.5 4 4 23 7 30 N Ext 1975

PortoAlegre(Brazil)

Farrapos 18 N 2 3 7 3.5 3** 3.5 7 3 27 7 26 ? Int 1980

Leon(Mexico)

Norte Sul 4 N 2 2.5 6 3.5 3 3.5 5 2.5 26 10 38 N Ext 2003

* Curitiba has doors on the right side and two separate platforms; one serving each direction, locatedopposite eachother with the same orientation.** Porto Alegre also has right-side doors and separate platforms serving each direction, but the platforms areoffset (staggered) in order to reduce the total required width.

There are examples of broader roads, but in Table 2 we selected some record cases, such as:

Bogota: the highest flow

Santo Amaro: the narrowest with overtaking lanes

F h hi h l BRT l


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congestion. Where either demand or congestion is low (as in Fangcun Av and Guangyuan

Av), the benefits are correspondingly low. Table 3 is not a rigorous benefit analysis; it is a

preliminary analysis based on rough estimates.

Table 3: User benefits for the candidate BRT corridors

Present value(US$million)

Type CorridorLength

(km)

Demand(1000

pass/h/dir)

Timesavings(mins)

Isolatedbenefit(US$m)

Synergicco-

efficient Totalbenefit

Benefit/ km

Rank

Diametral Dongfeng-Zhongshan

19 248.2 1.79 337 17.7 1

DiametralDongfeng-Huangpu

19 124.6 1.59 248 13.0 2

Radial Zhongshan 9 24 30.5 102.6 1.00 103 11.4 3

Radial Dongfeng 10 22 27.8 85.6 0.95 81 8.1 4

Radial Huangpu 9 20 25.0 70.0 0.77 54 6.0 5

Radial Fangcun 8 5 3.1 2.2 0.63 1.4 0.2 6Radial Guangyuan 9 3.5 1.4 0.7 0.63 0.4 0.0 7

Note. Assumptions include:

Current average peak hour speeds of 8km/hr on Zhongshan corridor, 12km/hr on Dongfeng andHuangpu corridors, 20km/hr on Fangcun corridor, and 35km/hr on Guangyuan corridor

50% of total bus demand on the corridors absorbed in the BRT system

2 hours per day per direction in peak conditions of congestion

Value of time of US$1 per passenger hour

300 days operation per year

Years to present value: 7

Table 3 is based on several assumptions which were in turn based on estimates and

approximate visual counts rather than on systematic data collection. The figures are therefore

only approximate, but nevertheless some conclusions can be drawn:

The Dongfeng Rd Zhongshan Av corridor is the top option in terms of user benefits,

both in absolute terms and on a per kilometre basis. This is ITDPs recommended corridor

for the first BRT implementation in Guangzhou.

The Dongfeng Rd Huangpu Av corridor would also be an excellent first BRT corridor.

Even if implemented only as a radial corridor (e.g. with Zhongshan Av as the first phase,

t b l t f ll d b D f Rd) th Zh h d D f id ld


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3.2.4. Disbenefits

Usually the general traffic capacity reduction is considered a key factor and obstacle for BRT

implementation. In Guangzhou, however, there is enough space to implement BRT in almost

every important corridor without reducing general traffic capacity. So in practical terms there

are no important disadvantages; it is just a matter of choosing the corridors with the most

benefits.

3.2.5. Additional considerations regarding radial or diametral options

Benefits to users are not the only consideration in choosing BRT corridors. Otherconsiderations have been mentioned in Section 3.1.

Leveraging private sector investment in buses

In addition to the direct benefit for users in terms of time savings and the positive impact on

mixed traffic caused by reducing congestion along the BRT corridors, focusing the BRT on

high demand corridors is required for a viable BRT business model. A BRT system inGuangzhou could be highly profitable without an operating subsidy, and buses could be

purchased through private sector investment. This can only be achieved, however, if the

system is planned to be financially viable. If the first BRT corridor selected has high passenger

demand the City can plan accordingly for private sector investment in buses and fare

collection systems, and it can be designed to be a profitable system without subsidies. If on the

other hand the first corridor selected has relatively low passenger demand and few time-

savings for passengers, it is highly unlikely that the City will be able to secure private sectorinvestment in the buses and fare collection systems without a substantial operating subsidy.

Hence an additional important factor, relating to the choice between diametral or radial

options, is the need to elicit private sector investment in the BRT buses. The government

should not be required to buy the BRT vehicles in Guangzhou. There is no reason why a high

quality BRT system could not also be highly profitable for system operators at around the

same fare as applied today. But in order to encourage bus operators to buy new, 18 metrearticulated BRT vehicles equipped with doors on both sides (and therefore able to operate

both on and off the system), the length of the system will be an important initial incentive.

If a radial (single section) corridor is selected, many routes will only operate on the BRT

infrastructure for a small proportion of the total route length and it may be difficult to


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Table 4: Zhongshan Av bus routes, and percentage of theroute within the Zhongshan Av corridor

Bus Route % over thecorridor

18 21%22 11%23 26%33 21%50 95%139 42%173 21%

178 21%194 11%197 5%210 100%214 89%227 21%227 21%234 16%235 11%240 74%242 84%245 21%248 42%263 11%269 53%289 53%292 58%296 68%298 74%

505 11%515 53%540 11%548 11%549 63%560 79%561 100%810 11%813 16%

813 11%883 79%41A 21%Average 40%

Conversely, however, if the corridor is diametral (two sections), extending along both the


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total public transport demand in the corridor. Figure 2 shows a typical curve of benefits. The

same concept applies to metro systems.

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

corridors implemented

benefits

closed

flexible

Figure 2: BRT benefits according to mass transit system size

Figure 2 shows that even with the best corridor selected, in a closed system the demand and

benefits are relatively small during the first corridor implementation and it is only when some

reasonable number of corridors are implemented that the benefits (and demand) can be much

greater. For the initial corridor or in general at any first stage of a BRT, a flexible system can

help to ensure that maximum benefits are achieved during the initial stage. The following

section outlines a flexible BRT system which contains elements of both open and closedsystems, and which could help ensure that even during the first corridor implementation in

Guangzhou a major proportion of the public transport demand in the corridor is captured by

the new system. Otherwise, the risk is that as in systems such as Jakarta and Beijing, most of

the bus demand in the BRT corridor will continue to use the regular bus system.1

3.3. Operational requirements

The following operational features should be considered in order to maximise the benefits of

the initial BRT corridor in Guangzhou.

3.3.1. Adapting BRT to local circumstances


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3.3.2. A flexible system, neither fully open nor fully closed

A major challenge for the first BRT corridor is to capture a large proportion of public

transport demand within the BRT corridor. This will in turn result in lesser bus volumes in

the corridor, as the standard buses are brought into the system and replaced by 18m

articulated buses. Conversely if the system fails to attract a significant proportion of public

transport demand, a situation such as in Beijing or even on Xingang Rd in Gaungzhou will

prevail, in which despite the existence of a BRT or metro in the corridor, the large majority of

passengers continue to use the conventional bus system.

In South American closed BRT systems such as Bogota, Curitiba and Quito the standard

approach which could also be successfully applied in Guangzhou has been to ban or severely

curtail the conventional bus services operating in the BRT corridor. This ensures high system

patronage, but at the cost of forcing passengers to make more transfers. Metros around the

world often use a similar approach, with the banning of directly competing bus services

forcing passengers to use the expensive new metro. To some extent this also occurred in

Guangzhou, as bus routes were changed when the metro was introduced in order to reduce

direct competition with the metro, although some corridors such as Xingang Rd retain far

higher numbers of bus than metro passengers despite being located along a metro line.

In the Beijing and Jakarta closed BRT systems feeder buses were not introduced, and

competing buses operating in the mixed traffic on BRT corridors were not re-routed or

restricted. As a result, both systems carry only a minority of public transport ridership in their

corridors. For the passengers this has allowed a greater choice and avoided forced transfers,

but it has had an adverse effect on the financial viability of the new systems as well as

worsening congestion in mixed traffic as the same number of vehicles compete for less space.

In Guangzhou it is well known that with the long bus routes the level of transfers is currently

very low, though detailed survey data on transfers is not yet available. A BRT system which

forces passengers to make significantly more transfers would be viable as part of a trunk and

feeder system with higher capacity buses on the main corridors, but the fact that passengers

are forced to make more transfers may reduce the new systems popularity and demand.

It is proposed, then, that Guangzhou consider a new, flexible form of BRT which can capture

a major proportion of public transport passengers in the corridor while not forcing passengers

to make more transfers. This flexible system can absorb up to around 5 or 10 of the main


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Figure 3: A flexible BRT system concept

Under this proposed flexible system, bus operators in the BRT routes would be required to usearticulated 18m buses meeting the system specifications established by the regulators. This

could include, for example, distinctive buses with a unique system identity, as in

TransMilenio, Curitiba, Jakarta and other closed systems. Preference in bidding for the

operating rights would be given to operators who already operate buses in the BRT corridor,

especially high frequency routes with a large proportion of the route operating within the

corridor. Where operators already have route permits in the BRT corridor a negotiation could

be undertaken to persuade them to invest in new, 18m articulated BRT buses and to replacetheir existing 12m buses operating in the corridor. The incentive for the operators is the

improved operating conditions and reduced congestion made possible by being permitted to

operate in the exclusive bus lanes and stop at the special BRT stations. Operators would use

the left side doors of the BRT buses in the exclusive BRT median lanes and BRT stations when


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3.4. Conclusion: recommended first BRT corridors

Recommendation #1: Dongfeng and Zhongshan corridors

Recommendation #2: Dongfeng and Huangpu corridors

Recommendation #3: Zhongshan corridor


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Recommendation #4: Dongfeng corridor

Recommendation #5: Huangpu corridor

Not recommended: Guangyuan corridor


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Not recommended: Fangcun corridor


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4. ADDRESSING DIFFICULT POINTS ALONG THE RECOMMENDED CORRIDORS

4.1. Introduction

In the preceding section ITDP recommended several corridors for BRT implementation. The

best corridor is Dongfeng Road - Zhongshan Avenue, but Dongfeng Road - Huangpu Avenue,

Zhongshan Avenue, and Dongfeng Road are also viable options for an initial BRT corridor.

Each of these corridors, however, have several potentially difficult locations for implementing

BRT. These include existing congested intersections, flyovers, interchanges, points of massive

demand concentration, tunnels, and options for connecting different corridors. The following

section considers the most difficult such locations along the recommended possible BRT

corridors, and shows that BRT can be implemented without adversely impacting upon the

existing mixed traffic flows in each location, while maintaining a high speed BRT

performance. Figure 4 shows each of the points examined. After a discussion of the general

approaches used in elaborating the options for operating BRT in such conditions, each of the

locations is discussed in turn.

Figure 4: Difficult locations for BRT examined as part of ITDPs BRT corridor recommendations.

4.2. General approach

4.2.1. Bus lanes and stations


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Table 1 above described the general scheme for the BRT stations. Bus stations should be 5m to

8m wide depending on demand. A BRT station with 2 sub-stops will be 110m long, and with 3

sub-stops 180m long. Fare collection will require additional space, but where bridges ortunnels are used the fare collection can optionally take place in the bridge or tunnel. Between

the stations, a total of 8m is required for a 1m dividing lane and 2 bus lanes of 3.5m each. At

the stations a width of 19m to 22m (according to demand) is required for the total of 4 bus

lanes plus the platform.

4.2.2. Viaducts, tunnels and bridges and other constrained road sections

All of the possible BRT corridors feature viaducts, and Huangpu Av has a tunnel. The

approach for operating the BRT system through these points will depend on the specific

location. The general problem is illustrated in Figure 5.

Figure 5: Schematic of bottlenecks along the potential BRT corridors

Where a grade separated intersection or bridge has not yet been implemented the design can

be modified to ensure that BRT and general traffic needs are both accommodated, paying

particular attention to the space and location requirements of BRT stations.

Where the viaduct or bridge or other feature already exists, several options are available for

accommodating BRT, each with a range of sub-options.

Option 1: Divert the BRT to an alternative alignment

This is necessary in any case on a BRT network to interchange from one corridor to another,

so it is a routine challenge in a BRT project. Options are to:

change just with normal weaving

use a traffic signal with 2 phases, one for buses to get out and the other for general traffic

(Figure 6).


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4.2.3. Option 2: Maintain buses in normal traffic flow

This approach entails proceeding with BRT buses in the centre lane, through the grade

separated intersection or other constrained point. When the intersection in question is not ona BRT corridor this will be the standard approach: buses will enter the mixed traffic and

proceed normally through the intersection. When occurring on the BRT corridor these grade

separate intersections or bridges usually present two possible problems:

1. The grade separated section is too long and as it is difficult to put a BRT station there as

the the interval between the BRT stations would be too large.

2. The capacity of the grade separated section is limited (for example with just 2 or 3 lanes)and the use of an exclusive BRT lane will cause congestion in the mixed traffic lane(s).

Options include:

1. maintaining the exclusive BRT lane

2. ending the exclusive BRT lane before the intersection, mixing with traffic through the

intersection, and beginning the exclusive BRT lane again after passing the intersection.

The first of these options, maintaining the exclusive BRT lane, has the following sub-options.

1.1improve the grade separated section capacity, providing additional space for BRT lanes

1.2maintain the current grade separated section capacity and provide alternative routes for

general traffic to avoid congestion

1.3maintain the current grade separated capacity and just produce more congestion in the

general traffic lanes.

The second option, ending the bus lane and operating in mixed traffic through the grade-

separated intersection, is generally the favoured option for the first BRT corridor (as discussed

below with regard to particular sites). The following alternatives are possible:

2.1just finish the BRT lane around 50m before the bottleneck without any special control

2.2install a special traffic light signal to control congestion on the grade separated section (or

bridge or other restricted point). This signal is based on average occupancy of thecontrolled link, and is especially useful even without bus lanes to avoid congestion and

related excessive air pollution in tunnels. The general approach is illustrated in Figure 7.

BRT lane B ttl k


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This alternative is well suited to Guangzhou, and the practical result is that the space required

for the BRT at the constrained point would not be a full lane, but rather a lane fraction

corresponding to the actual BRT bus volumes. This means that restriction for cars at theconstrained point is much smaller than if a full lane is dedicated to BRT buses, and velocity

for buses is almost the same as would be achieved with an exclusive BRT lane. This alterantive

is well suited to Guangzhou because:

1- There are dozens of viaducts and tunnels in Guangzhou, many with 2 lanes per

direction which cannot support taking one lane just for the BRT without causing

considerable additional congestion in the remaining mixed traffic lane(s).

2- Technology for this kind of system, including automatic surveillance, is available in

Guangzhou.

3- Law enforfement is strong enough to ensure a high level of obedience.

Clearly, then, there are several options for BRT in crossing grade separated intersections or

other constrained points, and the best solution will depend upon the local characteristics.

4.2.4. Dealing with left turns

Left turns at many intersections such as proposed for Zhongshan Av / Tianhe East Rd below

can be eliminated and replaced by u-turn movements, with the resulting capacity increase

more than compensating for the allocation of one lane exclusively to the BRT. Subject to

volumes, the u-turn may need to be signalised, and in this case can be combined with a

pedestrian crossing.

The general concept is illustrated in Figure 8.


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Figure 9: General concept of a bicycle-friendly 2-phase intersection

Figure 10: A 2-phase intersection design with waiting area for left turning bicycles in Xian (left) andChengdu (right)

Left turns at viaducts, bridges or T-intersections, however, must often be maintained,

especially at the heaviest turning points.


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4.3. Specific locations

4.3.1. Dongfeng corridor

Zhongshan 7 Rd and Kangwang Rd intersection

Current situation: Four phaseintersection, 3 lanes eachdirection on Zhongshan 7 Rd, 4lanes on Kangwang Rd.

Suggestion for BRT: Change to 3

phases, no left turns fromKangwang Rd (u-turn and turnright instead). Only BRT buses canturn left from Zhongshan 7 Rdinto Kangwang Rd. BRT lanesouthward ends 100m beforejunction and starts again 50m intoZhongshan 7 Rd.

Kangwang Rd and Dongfeng Rd intersection

Current situation: Three phase T-junction under a viaduct.

Suggestion for BRT: Reduce totwo phases, diverting left turnvehicles from Kangwang Rd toanother road. Stop the BRT lane

before the intersection andresume after viaduct on DongfengRd.

Dongfeng Rd and Panfu Rd intersection

Current situation: Due to poles and theu-turn ramp Dongfeng Rd is reduced totwo lanes per direction under theelevated roundabout.


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Dongfeng Rd and Xianlie Rd intersection

Current situation: Two

viaducts and heavy trafficvolumes including a heavyu-turn volume.

Suggestion for BRT: Stopthe BRT lane before theviaduct, and resume again50m after viaduct. Include asignal for the mixed traffic atthe point the BRT lane ends,

and combine this signalsred with queue detectorsplaced ahead, to ensure thatqueues occur before ratherthan at the viaduct.

Dongfeng Rd and Nonglin Rd intersection

Current situation: Two lane(each dir.) viaduct and heavytraffic u-turn underneath.

Suggestion for BRT: Stopthe BRT lane before theviaduct, and resume again50m after the viaduct.Include a signal for themixed traffic at the point theBRT lane ends, and combinethis signals red with queuedetectors placed ahead, toensure that queues occurbefore rather than on theviaduct.

Dongfeng Rd / Guangzhou Av / Zhongshan Rd / Huangpu Av interchangeCurrent situation: Five layerinterchange generally with two laneaccess ramps. Three lane (each dir.) rampfrom Dongfeng Rd to Huangpu Av. Twolane ramp connecting Dongfeng with


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4.3.2. Zhongshan corridor

Huanshi Rd / Guangzhou Av / Tianhe Rd interchange

Current situation: Four layerinterchange generally with two laneaccess ramps.

Suggestion for BRT: Stop the BRT lanebefore the interchange, and resumeagain after the interchange. Optionallyinclude a signal for the mixed trafficcombined with queue detectors at thepoint the BRT lane finishes to ensure theBRT buses are not subject to delays inthe vicinity of the interchange. If notconnecting to Dongfeng Rd, buses cancontinue accordingly in mixed traffic,some may turn around and return.

In front of Teem Plaza / Grand View Plaza and (under construction) Asia Plaza

Current situation: Alreadya huge point of demandfor public transport, withadditional shoppingcentres underconstruction.

Suggestion for BRT:Multiple BRT stations atshort intervals to split thedemand between stations.Consider at-gradepedestrian access.

Tianhe Rd and Tiyu East Rd intersection

Current situation: Four phaseintersection.

Suggestion for BRT: Reduce to twophase, with all left turns via a u-turn.Capacity is increased by around 50% and

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Tianhe Rd and Tianhe East Rd intersection

Current situation: Four

phase intersection.Suggestion for BRT: Asabove for the Tianhe Rdand Tiyu East Rdintersection.

Zhongshan Av and Wushan Rd intersection

Current situation: Twolane (each dir.) viaduct.

Suggestion for BRT: Stopthe BRT lane before theviaduct, and resume againafter the viaduct. As above,include a signal for themixed traffic combinedwith queue detectors afterthe BRT lane finishes.

Zhongshan Av and Huanan Expressway intersection

Current situation: Twolane (each dir.) viaduct.

Suggestion for BRT: Stopthe BRT lane before theviaduct, and resume againafter the viaduct. As above,include a signal for themixed traffic combinedwith queue detectors afterthe BRT lane finishes.

Connecting Zhongshan Av and Donfeng Rd corridors

C i i Ti W Rd i


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4.3.3. Huangpu corridor

Dongfeng Rd / Guangzhou Av / Zhongshan Av / Huangpu Av interchange

Current situation: Five layerinterchange generally with two laneaccess ramps, but with three lane accessramp to Dongfeng Rd.

Suggestion for BRT: Stop the BRT lanebefore the interchange, and resumeagain after the interchange. Optionallyinclude a signal for the mixed trafficcombined with queue detectors at thepoint the BRT lane finishes to ensure theBRT buses are not subject to delays inthe vicinity of the interchange. If notconnecting to Dongfeng Rd, buses cancontinue accordingly in mixed traffic,some may turn around and return.

Huangpu Av. tunnel section

Current situation: Three lane 1kmtunnel, with 3 lanes each side at grade.Heavy u-turn volumes above tunnel.

Suggestion for BRT: Most BRT routesenter the tunnel in mixed traffic (ifcurrent volume >4,000 pcu per hr) or BRTlanes (if < 4,000). If mixed, BRT lane stopsbefore tunnel, as above. Some routesserve the two top stations and theseroutes will operate either in the median(above the tunnel), or at the regularcurrent bus stations in mixed traffic.

Huangpu Av and Tianfu Rd intersection

Current situation: Three laneviaduct.

Suggestion for BRT: If < 4,000pcu use a BRT lane If > 4 000 pcu

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Huangpu Av and Keyun Rd intersection

Current situation: Intersection is being

reconstructed.Suggestion for BRT: Two figure 8 options.Favoured option is at-grade (see diagram).BRT buses turning left from Huangpu Avmaintain BRT lanes. BRT buses turningright from Keyun Rd enter mixed traffic atthe Figure 8, with BRT lane resuming againupon exit from the intersection. BRTmovements are accommodated in the

phases for regular traffic movements.

Keyun Rd and Zhongshan Av intersection

Current situation: Intersection is beingreconstructed.

Suggestion for BRT: As for the Keyun Rd /Huangpu Av intersection. Two figure 8options. Favoured option is at-grade (seediagram). BRT buses turning left fromZhongshan Av maintain BRT lanes. BRTbuses turning right from Keyun Rd entermixed traffic at the Figure 8, with BRT lane

resuming again upon exit from theintersection. BRT movements areaccommodated in the phases for regulartraffic movements.


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5. WORK PLAN FOR BRT IN GUANGZHOU

If the government decides to proceed with BRT planning in Guangzhou, a detailed work

schedule must be prepared. The work schedule will depend on many local factors includingfor example:

Whether the city decides to implement a first BRT corridor

The level of funding allocated to the BRT planning

Whether the project is fully or partly funded under the World Bank project loan (and

therefore subject to bidding procedures, etc.)

Whether a corridor is pre-determined, or will be determined during the planning process Whether a household OD survey is available, and other available data

The range of expertise and resources within the team formed by the Municipality to work

on the BRT planning

The political timetable for implementing the first BRT corridor.

Preparation of a detailed work schedule for Guangzhou is beyond the scope of this report, as

almost all of the issues listed above currently remain unresolved. ITDP expects, however, to be

able to complete a detailed work schedule during the last week of May 2005, if so requested by

the Construction Commission. This task will be made easier if some of the issues above

(whether a corridor is to be pre-selected and if so which corridor, whether planning is to be

funded under the World Bank loan, etc.) are resolved.

Officials in Guangzhou have repeatedly emphasised their desire for a very rapid planning and

implementation process. The following general outline for a BRT planning and first phase

implementation is considered to be optimistic, but achievable in Guangzhou given the fast

pace of infrastructure development and planning in the city (Figure 11).

The timetable in Figure 11 is designed to match with the World Bank urban transport project

requirement for infrastructure construction to be completed by December 2006. It must be

noted, however, that a BRT project can and should be divided into several discrete

components, and it is not essential that the different components are funded from the samesource. The World Bank project could fund the planning, for example, including the detailed

engineering designs of the first corridor, but funding for the infrastructure could be provided

by the City. This would reduce the pressure on completing the infrastructure construction by

D b d ld ll i f h l l i


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General stage Responsible Apr-05 May-05 Jun-05 Jul-05 Aug-05 Sep-05 Oct-05 Nov-05 Dec-05 Jan-06 Feb-06 Mar-06 Apr-06 May-06 Jun-06 Jul-06 Aug-06 Sep-06 Oct-06 Nov-06 Dec-06

Data review, initial

planning, conceptualplan, preparation of

TORs and bid documents

ITDP, WorldBank

Bidding for planning

World Bank

project

process

Detailed planning of the

first BRT corridor,

including detailedengineering design

Consultants

Bidding for construction

World Bank

project

process

Institutions, bus

procurement, marketing,

hiring, training, and other

final preparation

Various

Construction Contractors

Figure 11: A very high level outline of a BRT work schedule in Guangzhou. This schedule assumes that the World Bank project funds will be used to supportthe BRT planning.

Figure 12: (overpage) Example of a more detailed BRT work schedule developed by Logit for ITDP in Dakar, Senegal.


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2 8 3 Environmental aspects 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8


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2.8.3 Environmental aspects 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8

2.8.3.1 Resettlement plans 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8

2.8.3.2 Mitigation Plans 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8

2.8.3.3 Environmental Management 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 8

2.8.4 Bidding documents for BRT infrastructure implementation 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 12

3 Dakar NMT Master Plan and Pilot Corridor Design

3.1 Baseline NMT Data Collection 44

3.1.1 Review of Existing NMT Data 4

3.1.2. NMV Traffic Counts 8

3.1.3. NMV Ownership from Household Survey 8

3.1.4. Desire lines of Trips Under 5 km. 8

3.1.5. Survey of User Attitudes to using NMT as feeder system to BRT 8

3.1.6. Bicycle and Pedestrian Accident Analysis and Mappin g 8

3.2 NMT Feeder Network to BRT System 24

3.2.1. Detailed designs for bike parking facilities at BRT terminals 8

3.2.2. Detailed analysis of accidents on feeder roads 8

3.2.3. Needs assessment for key NMT facilities 8

3.3 NMT Master Plan 36

3.3.1 Review and Revision of Key NMT Traffic Policies 12

3.3.2. Analysis of NMT Data 12

3.3.3. Definition and mapping of NMT Backbone Network & Rec. Ancillary Activities 12

3.4 Detailed Engineering Designs for Pilot NMT facilities 24

3.1.1. Detailed Review of NMT designs on BRT corridor and parallel corridors 8

3.1.2. Architectural design for NMT-BRT - Ped only on Downtown Street 8

3.1.3. Costing estimate for pilot project 8

brt- china by embarq

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