Deana Breški

Impact of exclusive bus lane on urban arterial performance measures

The introduction of an exclusive bus lane can be one of the operational measures that will improve the quality of public transport, especially on urban arterials with intense traffic flows. By using an exclusive traffic lane, buses can reduce their travel time and increase speed, resulting in a more efficient public transport, better level of service and satisfied passengers. However, the change of an existing traffic lane into a bus lane may have an impact on the quality of traffic on the adjacent lanes and the arterial as a whole. So, it is necessary to analyse and evaluate this impact before implementing a new mode of traffic regulation. This paper presents a traffic analysis of the possibilities of changing the curb traffic lane into a bus-only lane on an arterial street in Split. Using the calibrated simulation model, the average speeds, travel times and average intersection delays were compared for variants with and without a bus lane. Field data were used for performing simulations, and additionally, variants with increased traffic volume were also tested. Based on the obtained results, i.e. the performance measures of arterial and intersections level of service, comments and a conclusion were provided regarding the possibility and purpose of introducing the bus lane in terms of the impact on the traffic flow quality.