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63-510: Final approval for a 13.5-kilometre (8.4 mi) route was granted on 4 April 2007, and construction began in November 2009. In February 2014, rock blasting was completed, and the fitting out of the tunnels and construction of the stations was started. The opening of the extension was planned for August 2016, but was delayed until November 2017. The first designs for a metro system in Helsinki, made in

126-611: A "BHLS" (stands for Bus with a High Level of Service ). The term transitway was originated in 1981 with the opening of the OC Transpo transitway in Ottawa , Ontario , Canada. Critics have charged that the term "bus rapid transit" has sometimes been misapplied to systems that lack most or all the essential features which differentiate it from conventional bus services. The term " bus rapid transit creep " has been used to describe severely degraded levels of bus service which fall far short of

189-425: A conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes roadways that are dedicated to buses , and gives priority to buses at intersections where buses may interact with other traffic; alongside design features to reduce delays caused by passengers boarding or leaving buses, or paying fares . BRT aims to combine the capacity and speed of a light rail transit (LRT) or mass rapid transit (MRT) system with

252-428: A low-noise, low-emissions "hush mode" (in which the diesel engine operates but does not exceed idle speed ) when underground. The need to provide electric power in underground environments brings the capital and maintenance costs of such routes closer to those of light rail, and raises the question of building or eventually converting to light rail. In Seattle, the downtown transit tunnel was retrofitted for conversion to

315-449: A result, less forced ventilation will be required in tunnels to achieve the same air quality. Another alternative is to use electric propulsion, which Seattle 's Metro Bus Tunnel and Boston 's Silver Line Phase II implemented. In Seattle, dual-mode (electric/diesel electric) buses manufactured by Breda were used until 2004, with the center axle driven by electric motors obtaining power from trolley wires through trolley poles in

378-484: A series of corrections and straightening of curves, a work which began in the 1910s and continued all the way to the 1990s. As a part of the original plan, all of the stations along the Rantarata featured wooden station houses designed by the architect Bruno Granholm . Over the years many of these wood station building had been dismantled to make way for newer structures, such as Leppävaara railway station in 1999. Some of

441-451: A shared hybrid-bus and light-rail facility in preparation for Seattle's Central Link Light Rail line, which opened in July 2009. In March 2019, expansion of the light rail in the tunnel moved busses back to surface streets. Bi-articulated battery electric buses cause no problems in tunnels anymore but provide BRT capacity. A BRT system can be measured by a number of factors. The BRT Standard

504-419: A static map, featuring services like trip planning, live arrival and departure times, up-to-date line schedules, local station maps, service alerts, and advisories that may affect one's current trip. Transit and Moovit are examples of apps that are available in many cities around the world. Some operators of bus rapid transit systems have developed their own apps, like Transmilenio. These apps even include all

567-477: A total daily ridership), in the developing world this capacity constraint (or rumor of a capacity constraint) was a significant argument in favor of heavy rail metro investments in some venues. When TransMilenio opened in 2000, it changed the paradigm by giving buses a passing lane at each station stop and introducing express services within the BRT infrastructure. These innovations increased the maximum achieved capacity of

630-581: Is a risk of a dangerous gap between bus and platform , and is even greater due to the nature of bus operations. Kassel curbs or other methods may be used to ease quick and safe alignment of the BRT vehicle with a platform. A popular compromise is low-floor buses with a low step at the door, which can allow easy boarding at low-platform stops compatible with other buses. This intermediate design may be used with some low- or medium-capacity BRT systems. The MIO system in Santiago de Cali, Colombia, pioneered in 2009

693-569: Is less complex than rail maintenance. Moreover, buses are more flexible than rail vehicles, because a bus route can be altered, either temporarily or permanently, to meet changing demand or contend with adverse road conditions with comparatively little investment of resources. The first use of a protected busway was the East Side Trolley Tunnel in Providence , Rhode Island . It was converted from trolley to bus use in 1948. However,

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756-459: Is today over 18.5 miles long. The OC Transpo BRT system in Ottawa , Canada, was introduced in 1983. The first element of its BRT system was dedicated bus lanes through the city centre, with platformed stops. The introduction of exclusive separate busways (termed 'Transitway') occurred in 1983. By 1996, all of the originally envisioned 31 km Transitway system was in operation; further expansions were opened in 2009, 2011, and 2014. As of 2019,

819-559: The BRT Standard promoted by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and other organizations. Compared to other common transit modes such as light rail transit (LRT), bus rapid transit (BRT) service is attractive to transit authorities because it does not cost as much to establish and operate: no track needs to be laid, bus drivers typically require less training and less pay than rail operators, and bus maintenance

882-605: The Indonesian capital city . Bus rapid transit is a mode of mass rapid transit (MRT) and describes a high-capacity urban public-transit system with its own right of way , vehicles at short headways , platform-level boarding, and preticketing. The expression "BRT" is mainly used in the Americas and China; in India, it is called "BRTS" (BRT System); in Europe it is often called a "busway" or

945-906: The MIO in Cali since November 2008, Metrolinea in Bucaramanga since December 2009, Megabús in Pereira since May 2009. This design is also used in Johannesburg 's Rea Vaya . The term "station" is more flexibly applied in North America and ranges from enclosed waiting areas ( Ottawa and Cleveland ) to large open-sided shelters ( Los Angeles and San Bernardino ). A unique and distinctive identity can contribute to BRT's attractiveness as an alternative to driving cars, (such as Viva, Max, TransMilenio, Metropolitano, Metronit, Select) marking stops and stations as well as

1008-435: The 15,000 to 25,000 range. Research of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) shows a capacity ranking of MRT modes, based on reported performance of 14 light rail systems, 14 heavy rail systems (just 1-track + 3 2-track-systems "highest capacity") and 56 BRT systems. The study concludes, that BRT-"capacity on TransMilenio exceeds all but the highest capacity heavy rail systems, and it far exceeds

1071-521: The 1950s, already contained lines to Espoo. After the two forks of the metro line in eastern Helsinki had been completed in 1998, the city of Helsinki continued to pursue the Länsimetro proposal, but the city of Espoo continued to reject it until the early 2000s. After Helsinki, Espoo is the second most populous city in Finland, served by roads, bus transport, and commuter trains, but previously not connected to

1134-454: The 1990s, the Finnish state and the city of Helsinki had been willing to finance a part of the Länsimetro project and prepared to commence construction. However, Espoo opposed the project for a long time, mainly because of the cost: the state had only agreed to pay 30% of the costs, while Espoo wanted them to contribute at least 70%. In 1997, Helsinki made an official proposal to Espoo to construct

1197-553: The Länsimetro by a vote of 45 to 19. In its decision, the council set a number of conditions for the project: After the construction decision by Espoo city council, allowing city taxes to be used for the project, critics of the decision expressed concern that such a large construction project could conceivably bankrupt the city, and sued the city in the Supreme Administrative Court of Finland for alleged neglect in decision-making. Since administrative courts cannot rule on

1260-477: The Länsimetro. A year later, on 8 December 1998, Espoo city council decided to support the extension only to Tapiola, rejecting a continuation to Matinkylä and Kivenlahti . On 16 February 1999, the city council changed its mind, and voted 48 to 18 in support of building the extension to Matinkylä. (These decisions did not yet authorize construction. In June 2012, Espoo was keen on continuing the line from Matinkylä to Kivenlahti as soon as possible, wishing to commence

1323-639: The United States, BRT began in 1977, with Pittsburgh's South Busway , operating on 4.3 miles (6.9 km) of exclusive lanes. Its success led to the Martin Luther King Jr. East Busway in 1983, a fuller BRT deployment including a dedicated busway of 9.1 miles (14.6 km), traffic signal preemption , and peak service headway as low as two minutes. After the opening of the West Busway , 5.1 miles (8.2 km) in length in 2000, Pittsburgh's Busway system

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1386-419: The buses. Large cities usually have big bus networks. A map showing all bus lines might be incomprehensible, and cause people to wait for low-frequency buses that may not even be running at the time they are needed. By identifying the main bus lines having high-frequency service, with a special brand and separate maps, it is easier to understand the entire network. Public transit apps are more convenient than

1449-585: The center of major arterial roads, in 1980 the Curitiba system added a feeder bus network and inter-zone connections, and in 1992 introduced off-board fare collection, enclosed stations, and platform-level boarding. Other systems made further innovations, including platooning (three buses entering and leaving bus stops and traffic signals at once) in Porto Alegre , and passing lanes and express service in São Paulo . In

1512-591: The central part of the Transitway has been converted to light rail transit , due to the downtown section being operated beyond its designed capacity. In 1995, Quito , Ecuador, opened MetrobusQ its first BRT trolleybuses in Quito , using articulated trolleybuses. The TransMilenio in Bogotá , Colombia, opening in 2000, was the first BRT system to combine the best elements of Curitiba's BRT with other BRT advances, and achieved

1575-568: The concept while sketching on the back of an envelope. The town was designed around the transport system, with most residents no more than five minutes walking distance, or 500 yards (460 m), from the Busway. The second BRT system in the world was the Rede Integrada de Transporte (RIT, integrated transportation network ), implemented in Curitiba , Brazil, in 1974. The Rede Integrada de Transporte

1638-608: The construction of the Kehärata (Ring Rail Line) in nearby Vantaa . By January 2008, the estimated cost had risen to over €800 million, and by February 2014, to about €1 billion. A metro line extension was accepted as a basis for further planning in 2000. The locations of the stations were confirmed by the cities of Espoo and Helsinki in June 2007. The extension runs underground for its entire length. The stations are: The Ruoholahti–Matinkylä section (the first three stations in Helsinki,

1701-513: The construction of this second phase even before the first phase entered service.) The issue of the extension was revived in 2002, when the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council (YTV) was drafting a new master plan for public transportation in the Helsinki area. Counter to the view taken by Espoo city council, YTV prioritised the Länsimetro over the construction of a light railway between Helsinki and Espoo. A compromise solution

1764-552: The delayed opening of the first phase in August 2016, Ville Saksi replaced Kokkinen as CEO on 14 November 2016. On 11 November 2009, Helsinki city council approved construction of the Länsimetro, which started on 24 November 2009. Judicial complaints and appeals postponed the start for over a year, but all were rejected by the Supreme Administrative Court. As of June 2012, Finnish courts have rejected all charges made against

1827-582: The extension. In 2002, a joint study by the city of Helsinki, the city of Espoo, and the Ministry of Transport and Communications, compared the impact of the metro extension with that of building a bus rapid transit system. The running costs of the systems were estimated to be roughly equivalent. The metro extension would reduce emissions in Helsinki, but feeder buses would increase them in Espoo. The metro would make it faster and more convenient to travel to Helsinki from

1890-683: The first BRT system in the world was the Runcorn Busway in Runcorn , England. First conceived in the Runcorn New Town Masterplan in 1966, it opened for services in October 1971 and all 22 kilometres (14 mi) were operational by 1980. The central station is at Runcorn Shopping City where buses arrive on dedicated raised busways to two enclosed stations. Arthur Ling , Runcorn Development Corporation's Master Planner, said that he had invented

1953-611: The flexibility, lower cost and simplicity of a bus system. The world's first BRT system was the Runcorn Busway in Runcorn New Town, England, which entered service in 1971. As of March 2018 , a total of 166 cities in six continents have implemented BRT systems, accounting for 4,906 km (3,048 mi) of BRT lanes and about 32.2 million passengers every day. The majority of these are in Latin America , where about 19.6 million passengers ride daily, and which has

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2016-442: The following features: Bus-only lanes make for faster travel and ensure that buses are not delayed by mixed traffic congestion . A median alignment bus-only keeps buses away from busy curb-side side conflicts, where cars and trucks are parking, standing and turning. Separate rights of way may be used such as the completely elevated Xiamen BRT . Transit malls or 'bus streets' may also be created in city centers. Fare prepayment at

2079-662: The green phase or reducing the red phase in the required direction compared to the normal sequence. Prohibiting turns may be the most important measure for moving buses through intersections. The station platforms for BRT systems should be level with the bus floor for quick and easy boarding, making it fully accessible for wheelchairs, disabled passengers and baby strollers, with minimal delays. High-level platforms for high-floored buses makes it difficult to have stops outside dedicated platforms, or to have conventional buses stop at high-level platforms, so these BRT stops are distinct from street-level bus stops. Similar to rail vehicles, there

2142-628: The highest capacity and highest speed BRT system in the world. In January 2004 the first BRT in Southeast Asia, TransJakarta , opened in Jakarta , Indonesia. As of 2015 , at 210 kilometres (130 mi), it is the longest BRT system in the world. Africa's first BRT system was opened in Lagos , Nigeria, in March 2008 but is considered a light BRT system by many people. Johannesburg , South Africa, BRT Rea Vaya ,

2205-447: The highest light rail system." Performance data of 84 systems show More topical are these BRT data After the first BRT system opened in 1971, cities were slow to adopt BRT because they believed that the capacity of BRT was limited to about 12,000 passengers per hour traveling in a given direction during peak demand. While this is a capacity rarely needed in the US (12,000 is more typical as

2268-463: The metro in 2004, the estimated cost was €452 million. In September 2007, the estimated cost of the Länsimetro was at least €530 million. In December 2007, Olavi Louko estimated that the cost would rise to at least €600 million. According to Louko, the cost of the excavation work had risen a third more than that of other ground construction work, due to security requirements and the increase in simultaneous excavation work elsewhere, including

2331-677: The metro system. It is connected to Helsinki by the Rantarata coastal railway and by two motorways: Finnish national road 1 (Turun moottoritie, to Turku) in the middle and the Western Highway (the Länsiväylä ) in the south, near the coast. As the primary passageway between southern Espoo and central Helsinki, the Länsiväylä has been repeatedly enlarged to cope with congestion, but still experiences chronic traffic jams during morning rush hours. Since

2394-474: The most cities with BRT systems, with 54, led by Brazil with 21 cities. The Latin American countries with the most daily ridership are Brazil (10.7 million), Colombia (3.0 million), and Mexico (2.5 million). In the other regions, China (4.3 million) and Iran (2.1 million) stand out. Currently, TransJakarta is the largest BRT network in the world, with about 251.2 kilometres (156.1 mi) of corridors connecting

2457-472: The new extension include (Swedish station names in parentheses): 60°09′36″N 24°44′15″E  /  60.159955°N 24.737528°E  / 60.159955; 24.737528 Rantarata Rantarata (the Coastal Railway , Swedish: Kustbanan ), is a railway running between Helsinki Central Station and Turku Central Station in Finland. Its first segment, linking Turku to Karis ,

2520-477: The old buildings still remain, Kauniainen railway station being the most significant example. The track between Helsinki and Kirkkonummi was upgraded with 25 kV AC railway electrification during the 1960s, and was the first government-owned electrified railway line in Finland. Together with other improvements and maintenance, the Kirkkonummi–Karis track received its overhead lines in 1994. Coinciding with

2583-579: The others in Espoo; Swedish station names in brackets): The work started in January 2010 with the extension of the tunnels at the Ruoholahti metro station , and rock blasting in Espoo commenced in August 2010. All contracts for tunneling and station building were signed in December 2011, and rock blasting reached 50% completion in July 2012. The excavation of the first stations began in 2012. The excavation work on

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2646-400: The parts of Espoo near the new stations, but would increase the travel time from outlying areas. A second study by the same parties, published in 2004, investigated the alternative option of a light rail line. In 2006, an informal private-sector shadow plan for a light rail alternative called TramWest was released. According to its critics, the plan underestimated costs and that the line

2709-459: The plan was released in early 2008, claiming to address most of these concerns. It proposed connecting Espoo with both the Länsiväylä and with Helsinki's city centre, with the eastern terminus being relocated to either Viikki or Laajasalo . Preliminary plans, made in 2000 and 2001, estimated the cost of building the infrastructure for the metro extension to Matinkylä to be about € 400 million. When Espoo city council decided on construction of

2772-411: The possibility of passenger service being reinstated. [REDACTED] Media related to Helsinki–Turku railway at Wikimedia Commons Bus rapid transit Bus rapid transit ( BRT ), also referred to as a busway or transitway , is a trolleybus , electric bus and public transport bus service system designed to have much more capacity , reliability , and other quality features than

2835-542: The proposal by a vote of 65 to 10. It was estimated that starting the construction of the second phase immediately after the conclusion of the first phase would save about 130 million euros, compared to a five-year delay between the construction of the two phases. The estimated cost of the second phase was €801 million in 2013. According to HSL, when the extension to Kivenlahti opened, lines M1 and M2 would reach Kivenlahti (Kivenlahti-Vuosaari/Mellunmäki) and line M2 would run to Matinkylä (Matinkylä-Mellunmäki). The stations of

2898-459: The purchase of VR Group 's first VR Class Sm3 " Pendolino " high-speed trains , the remaining track between Karis and Turku Harbour was electrified in 1995, completing the route. The passenger service to Uusikaupunki was abolished in the early 1990s, while freight traffic continues through the Port of Uusikaupunki . Work to electrify the line to Uusikaupunki was scheduled to begin in 2019, leading to

2961-437: The reasons for the failures was written, but was not released due to "advice from lawyers". On 3 February 2014, the city board of Espoo proposed to the city council an extension of the new line to Kivenlahti, on the condition that the Finnish state would commit to paying 30% of the construction costs. This extension would run entirely within Espoo, and would serve five new stations. On 24 February 2014, Espoo city council approved

3024-858: The right side of the street. Groups of criteria form the BRT Standard 2016, which is updated by the Technical Committee of the BRT Standard. High-capacity vehicles such as articulated or even bi-articulated buses may be used, typically with multiple doors for fast entry and exit. Double-decker buses or guided buses may also be used. Advanced powertrain control may be used for a smoother ride. Bottleneck BRT stations typically provide loading areas for simultaneous boarding and alighting of buses through multiple doors coordinated via displays and loudspeakers. An example of high-quality stations include those used on TransMilenio in Bogotá since December 2000,

3087-771: The schedules and live arrival times and stations for buses that feed the BRT, like the SITP (Sistema Integrado de Transporte Público or Public Transit Integrated System) in Bogotá . A special issue arises in the use of buses in metro transit structures. Since the areas where the demand for an exclusive bus right-of-way are apt to be in dense downtown areas where an above-ground structure may be unacceptable on historic, logistic, or environmental grounds, use of BRT in tunnels may not be avoidable. Since buses are usually powered by internal combustion engines , bus metros raise ventilation issues similar to those of motor vehicle tunnels. Powerful fans typically exchange air through ventilation shafts to

3150-492: The station, instead of on board the bus, eliminates the delay caused by passengers paying on board. Fare machines at stations also allow riders to purchase multi-ride stored-value cards and have multiple payment options. Prepayment also allows riders to board at all doors, further speeding up stops. Prohibiting turns for traffic across the bus lane significantly reduces delays to the buses. Bus priority will often be provided at signalized intersections to reduce delays by extending

3213-406: The substance of the decision, only the formal procedure was questioned. The court rejected the complaint. In June 2007, the cities of Espoo and Helsinki jointly founded a company called Länsimetro Oy (English: "Western Metro Ltd.") to construct the extension. Espoo owns 72% of the company's stock and Helsinki owns 28%. Matti Kokkinen was appointed as the company's CEO . Following disputes related to

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3276-404: The subway, and with the rear axle driven by a conventional diesel powertrain on freeways and streets. Boston is using a similar approach, after initially using trolleybuses pending delivery of the dual-mode vehicles that was completed in 2005. In 2004, Seattle replaced its "Transit Tunnel" fleet with diesel-electric hybrid buses, which operate similarly to hybrid cars outside the tunnel and in

3339-417: The surface; these are usually as remote as possible from occupied areas, to minimize the effects of noise and concentrated pollution. A straightforward way to reduce air quality problems is to use internal combustion engines with lower emissions. The 2008 Euro V European emission standards set a limit on carbon monoxide from heavy-duty diesel engines of 1.5 g/kWh, one third of the 1992 Euro I standard. As

3402-428: The theoretical maximum throughput measured in passengers per hour per direction (PPHPD) for a single traffic lane is some 150,000 passengers per hour (250 passengers per vehicle, one vehicle every 6 seconds). In real world conditions BRT Rio (de Janeiro, BRS Presidente Vargas) with 65.000 PPHPD holds the record, TransMilenio Bogotá and Metrobus Istanbul perform 49,000 – 45,000 PPHPD, most other busy systems operating in

3465-538: The tunnels was completed on 27 February 2014, while the fitting out of the tunnels and construction of the stations was ongoing. The last of the tracks were laid in Matinkylä in December 2015. In January 2014, the estimated date of opening for service was pushed back to autumn 2016 at the earliest. While physical construction was completed on schedule, there were numerous other problems with automatization, project schedules, project leadership and safety systems. Not enough time

3528-499: The use of dual buses, with doors on the left side of the bus that are located at the height of high-level platforms, and doors on the right side that are located at curb height. These buses can use the main line with its exclusive lanes and high level platforms, located on the center of the street and thus, boarding and leaving passengers on the left side. These buses can exit the main line and use normal lanes that share with other vehicles and stop at regular stations located on sidewalks on

3591-474: Was commissioned in 1895, and work began the following year. The Turku–Karis track was opened for temporary traffic on 1 April 1899 and for permanent use on 1 November 1899. The second part of the Rantarata, linking Karis to Helsinki, was approved in 1897 and opened for traffic in 1902–1903. The track was built to primarily serve commuter traffic and was therefore laid out with many curves and as few tunnels and expensive earthworks as possible. This resulted in

3654-438: Was developed by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) to score BRT corridors, producing a list of rated BRT corridors meeting the minimum definition of BRT. The highest rated systems received a "gold" ranking. The latest edition of the standard was published in 2016. Other metrics used to evaluate BRT performance include: Based on this data, the minimum headway and maximum current vehicle capacities,

3717-490: Was inspired by the previous transport system of the National Urban Transport Company of Peru (In Spanish: ENATRU ), which only had quick access on Lima downtown , but it would not be considered BRT itself. Many of the elements that have become associated with BRT were innovations first suggested by Carlos Ceneviva, within the team of Curitiba Mayor Jaime Lerner . Initially just dedicated bus lanes in

3780-656: Was partly placed in areas where it would have been impossible to implement. TramWest also included many level crossings , which, if done badly, would slow down public transport. The proposed tracks would also have cut through the parks next to the Kiasma museum and the Helsinki Music Centre , and all the lines would have terminated at the Elielinaukio square next to the central railway station, without being integrated with any existing or future rail system. A revised version of

3843-457: Was reached, as an investigation into the alternative of constructing such a light rail line was added to the plan, with a proposed construction schedule from 2010 to 2020. According to a survey commissioned by Helsingin Sanomat in late 2005, 77% of Espoo residents and 90% of Helsinki residents were in favour of the Länsimetro. On 25 September 2006, Espoo city council approved the construction of

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3906-408: Was scheduled for safety system integration tests, which then failed, causing delays. There was poor workmanship with track installation. Rock dust was left behind from blasting and was not cleaned. Doors were substandard. There was poor communication from the cities via Länsimetro and the main contractor Sweco to the building contractors. The general manager of the project was fired. A report detailing

3969-612: Was the first true BRT in Africa, in August 2009, carrying 16,000 daily passengers. Rea Vaya and MIO (BRT in Cali , Colombia, opened 2009) were the first two systems to combine full BRT with some services that also operated in mixed traffic, then joined the BRT trunk infrastructure. In 2017 Marrakesh , Morocco, opened its first BRT Marrakesh trolleybus system (BHNS De Marrakesh) trolleybuses Corridors of 8 km (5.0 mi), of which 3 km (1.9 mi) of overhead wiring for operation as trolleybus. BRT systems normally include most of

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