89-545: The Wright StreetCar is an articulated bus developed by Wrightbus and Volvo for FirstGroup . It was built on the Volvo B7LA chassis, featuring a separate driver compartment at the front, resembling to some extent similar designs in Europe. It features wrap-around seating arrangement at the rear. They were designed to mimic trams and used on FirstGroup's FTR services with high frequencies and dedicated stops to further enforce
178-517: A triple bus . The Chinese manufacturer Zhejiang Youngman (Jinhua Neoplan ) has developed the 25 metres (82 ft) JNP6280G bi-articulated bus, deemed the "world's largest", which will be used in Beijing . Bi-articulated buses are still rare, having been trialled and rejected in some places. Because of their length they have a role on very high-capacity routes, or as a component of a bus rapid transit scheme. Major examples of bi-articulated buses playing
267-611: 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
356-781: A "puller" bus can be subject to unusual centripetal forces , which many people can find uncomfortable, although this is not an issue with "pushers". Nonetheless, the articulated bus is highly successful in Budapest , Hungary , where the BKV city transit company has been operating more than 1000 of them every day since the early 1970s. The Hungarian company Volán also runs hundreds of articulated buses on intercity lines. Articulated buses have been used in most European countries for many years. Articulated buses became popular in mainland Europe due to their increased capacity compared with regular buses. In many cities, lower railway bridge clearances have precluded
445-808: A 100% wheelchair-accessible bus fleet. Singapore Bus Services (SBS, present-day SBS Transit) introduced one Duple Metsec -bodied Volvo B10MA and one Volgren-bodied Mercedes Benz O405G in 1996 and 1997 respectively to evaluate the suitability of articulated buses for high-capacity single deck bus operations. The trial was however unsuccessful and SBS stuck to the use of 12-metre double deck "Superbuses". The two articulated buses were eventually sold off to Bayes Coachlines of Dairy Flat , Auckland in New Zealand in March 2006. SBS Transit only began to operate articulated buses again from March 2018 when ten ex- SMRT MAN A24 buses were transferred to SBS Transit in batches by
534-415: A change in the law, but the experiment was abandoned in 1981 because double-decker buses were generally considered less expensive both to purchase and to operate. The cost and weight of the strengthened deck framing and staircase of a double-decker was lower than the cost and weight of the additional axle(s) and coupling mechanism of an articulated bus. Modern technology has reduced the weight disadvantage, and
623-425: 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
712-416: A crowded long bus can contain more than 100 passengers. In Macau, Transmac – Transportes Urbanos de Macau S.A.R.L. imported an 18-meter articulated bus model, and put it into operation on 6 January 2018 following multiple tests and adjustments. The bus operated on route 51 during peak hours. In Singapore , articulated buses were first introduced in 1996 by Trans-Island Bus Services (now SMRT Buses ) with
801-584: A damping system in the joint to reduce the risk of jack-knifing and fishtailing. This was developed by the FFG Fahrzeugwerkstätten Falkenried in Germany. The production cost of the pusher bus was lower than that of a puller bus. The puller bus was a completely different construction compared to a solo bus which was often fabricated by external body construction firms due to the lower production numbers compared to solo buses. The pusher concept enabled
890-540: A few cities, namely Beijing , Shanghai , and Hangzhou . In the 2000s, a surge in BRT construction has reintroduced or re-purposed the articulated bus fleets for rapid transit usage in cities like Changzhou , Chengdu , Dalian , Guangzhou , Jinan , Kunming , Xiamen , Yancheng , Zaozhuang , and Zhengzhou . Indonesia first operated articulated buses in 1993, when Jakarta's bus company PPD began to operate Ikarus articulated busses from Hungary on several busy lines. Later,
979-459: A handful of Neoplan Jumbocruisers between 1975 and 1992. In these models, only the upper deck allows movement between the two sections, so each section has its own doors and set of stairs. 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
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#17328381983171068-428: 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
1157-608: A major role in bus rapid transit can be found in Curitiba, Bogota, Mexico City, Quito, etc. Volvo is a major supplier of puller-type bi-articulated buses in these markets. In the Netherlands, bi-articulated buses came into service in Utrecht (2002) and Groningen (2014) on busy routes. Most articulated buses use a single passenger level or deck. A few attempts have been made to design a double-decker articulated bus. NEOPLAN Bus GmbH built
1246-410: A rear section with a single axle, with the driving axle mounted on either the front or the rear section. Some articulated buses have a steering arrangement on the rearmost axle which turns slightly in opposition to the front steering axle, allowing the vehicle to negotiate tighter turns, similar to hook-and-ladder fire trucks operating in city environments. A less common variant of the articulated bus
1335-449: 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
1424-451: 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
1513-1008: A single vehicle. King County Metro and Caltrans led a Pooled Purchase Consortium, formed in 1976, which later awarded a contract to the AM General / MAN joint venture responsible for assembling MAN SG 220 (from Germany) articulated buses in America. Contemporaneously, Crown entered an agreement with Ikarus to produce the Crown-Ikarus 286 , coupling American-made powertrains with the Hungarian Ikarus 280 chassis. Articulated buses have also been used in Australia, Austria ( Gräf & Stift ), Italy, Germany (Gaubschat, Emmelmann, Göppel, Duewag , Vetter), Canada (LFS Articulated), Hungary (Ikarus), Poland (Jelcz AP02), Romania ( DAC 117 UD ). The first modern British "bendy buses" (as they are referred to in
1602-480: A smaller turning radius, higher maximum service speed, the ability to pass under low bridges, and improved accessibility for people with disabilities and the elderly. In some circumstances of urban operation (such as in areas with narrow streets and tight turns), articulated buses may also be involved in significantly more accidents than conventional buses. Estimates for London's articulated buses put their involvement in accidents involving pedestrians at over five times
1691-419: 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
1780-516: A stepless entry, which will assist less-mobile passengers. Flip-up seats in the front part of the bus allow easy accommodation for passengers in wheelchairs and with strollers and prams . In 2009-2010 150 new Volvo B12BLEA articulated buses have been introduced into the Sydney Buses fleet, many of these part of the expanded Metrobus program. Articulated buses typically feature at least two and sometimes three curbside doors for passengers. Because
1869-431: 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
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#17328381983171958-581: 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
2047-434: Is an articulated vehicle , typically a motor bus or trolleybus , used in public transportation . It is usually a single-decker , and comprises two or more rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint (articulation) enclosed by protective bellows inside and outside and a cover plate on the floor. This allows a longer legal length than rigid-bodied buses , and hence a higher passenger capacity (94–120), while still allowing
2136-569: 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,
2225-481: Is monitored by the driver or conductor. The only way of checking for free riders was to use large teams of ticket inspectors to swamp the bus and inspect all tickets while keeping the doors closed, meanwhile delaying the further progress of the bus. Since the articulated buses were tending to serve areas of relative deprivation it is suspected that this was a contributory factor in Transport for London (TfL) turning against
2314-538: Is the bi-articulated bus , where the vehicle has two trailer sections rather than one. Such vehicles have a capacity of around 200 people, and a length of about 25 m (82 ft); as such, they are used almost exclusively on high-capacity, high-frequency arterial routes and on bus rapid transit services. First example of the articulated bus appeared in Milan ( Italy ) in 1937. In 1938, Twin Coach built an articulated bus for
2403-665: Is the Hungarian-made Ikarus 280 , the articulated version of the Ikarus 260, of which 60,993 buses were manufactured between 1973 and 2002, mostly for Soviet bloc customers. (This type accounted for two-thirds of the articulated buses built in the 1970s.) Puller-type articulated buses are built in less numbers, but are still available in Scandinavia and South America. Examples being the Volvo B9S and Volvo B12M . The pusher bus needs
2492-459: 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,
2581-661: The Australian Capital Territory in 1974. They remain in service for Transport Canberra serving both rapid and feeder routes. In Adelaide , articulated buses are used on the O-Bahn Busway , reaching speeds of 100 km/h. The first articulated buses to use it were the Mercedes-Benz O305 G buses; however, three MAN SG280H buses are also equipped for O-Bahn use. In recent years, it has proven problematic to find suitable low-floor articulated buses to replace
2670-559: 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
2759-700: The Ikarus 280 was released. In the mid-1960s, AC Transit in California pioneered the American use of a modern articulated bus, operating the experimental commuter coach "XMC 77" (based on Continental Trailways ' Bus & Car Co. Super Golden Eagle model) on some of its transbay lines. The XMC-77, which AC Transit dubbed the "Freeway Train", was originally built in 1958, purchased by the District in October 1965, and made its debut run for Line N on 14 March 1966; passengers on
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2848-556: 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
2937-776: The Land Transport Authority as part of the Seletar Bus Package under the Bus Contracting Model . In March 2021, Tower Transit took over 1 ex- SMRT MAN A24 bus from SMRT Buses in preparation for the takeover of Sembawang-Yishun Bus Package . Tower Transit took over more units as part of the transition in September 2021. Articulated buses were first used in Taiwan in 2014 as the Taichung BRT . The BRT system
3026-906: 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
3115-561: The Mercedes-Benz O405G buses (bodied in Hispano Carrocera (MK1/MK2), Hispano Habit and Volgren CR221). In 2015, SMRT introduced 40 MAN NG363F A24 buses to replace the first batch of O405Gs, while the subsequent batches were replaced by double deck buses issued by the Land Transport Authority . All Hispano Habit-bodied O405Gs have been retired from service as of December 2020 as part of Land Transport Authority 's policy of
3204-435: 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
3293-558: The 1984-manufactured Mercedes buses, because the design of the O-Bahn track unfortunately precludes the use of most modern articulated buses. Sydney has seen the operation of articulated buses for many years. Currently it operates a fleet of various models with eighty Volvo B12BLEA buses joining the Sydney Buses fleet in 2005 and 2006, increasing capacity along many of the busy corridors. A number of prototype vehicles were delivered in 2008 & 2009 to operate on Sydney Buses' first Metrobus route,
3382-467: The M10 from Leichhardt to Kingsford and Maroubra Junction. The buses feature different chassis, body types, and internal layouts. The articulated Volvo B12BLEA buses are fully wheelchair-accessible, air-conditioned, and have visual and audible next-stop passenger information systems installed. The buses feature air-conditioning, large electronic destination displays and cloth seating. Additionally, each bus features
3471-653: The Mercedes Benz Citaro is the only articulated bus available in the United Kingdom at present. The Last public Wright Eclipse Fusion bendy buses ran on 26 March 2023 on service 888 between Luton airport and Luton airport parkway station, the service being replaced by the Luton DART monorail service. In Asia, many major Chinese cities had fleets of articulated buses prior to the late 1990s. Some of these fleets have since been replaced by single-section units except in
3560-558: The UK and Canada) were built by Leyland-DAB and used in the city of Sheffield in the 1980s. They were subsequently withdrawn from service because they proved to be expensive to maintain. The main benefits of an articulated bus over the double-decker bus are rapid simultaneous boarding and disembarkation through more and larger doors, increased stability arising from a lower centre of gravity, smaller frontal area giving less air resistance than double decker buses thus better fuel efficiency, often
3649-676: The United States for use on the RTC Transit . Developed from the Wright StreetCar, they were built on Carrosserie Hess chassis. They first arrived in December 2008. [REDACTED] Media related to Wright StreetCar at Wikimedia Commons [REDACTED] Buses portal Articulated bus An articulated bus , also referred to as a slinky bus , bendy bus , tandem bus , vestibule bus , stretch bus , or an accordion bus ,
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3738-583: 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
3827-447: The articulation joint is close behind the middle axle, usually four potential passenger door positions are possible on a single-articulated bus: Articulated buses can be of "pusher" or "puller" configuration. Very few companies specialise in manufacturing the articulated section for the buses. One that does is ATG Autotechnik GmbH in Siek near Hamburg . In most puller articulated buses,
3916-401: The benefits of a continuous low floor allowing easier access plus additional entrance doors for smoother loading have led to reconsideration of the use of articulated buses in the UK. In London , articulated buses were used on some routes from 2001 until 2011, but they were not a success. Boris Johnson , former Mayor of London , promised in the run-up to the mayoral election of 2008 to rid
4005-818: The bus manufacturer to simply join a forward and a rear part of a solo bus and build the articulated bus completely in-house. This reduced the production cost. In pusher buses, only the rear axle is powered by a rear-mounted internal combustion engine , and the longitudinal stability of the vehicle is maintained by active hydraulics mounted under the turntable. This modern system makes it possible to build buses without steps and having low floors along their entire length, which simplifies access for passengers with limited mobility. Modern low-floor pusher articulated buses also tend to suffer from suspension problems because their wheels lack sufficient travel to enable them to absorb typical road surface unevenness. This also leads to passenger discomfort and relatively rapid disintegration of
4094-424: The bus to maneuver adequately. Due to their high passenger capacity, articulated buses are often used as part of bus rapid transit schemes, and can include mechanical guidance . Articulated buses are typically 18 m (59 ft) long, in contrast to standard rigid buses at 11 to 14 m (36 to 46 ft) long. The common arrangement of an articulated bus is to have a forward section with two axles leading
4183-419: 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
4272-534: 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
4361-591: 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
4450-477: The city of Baltimore ; this bus, which had four axles on a 47 ft (14.33 m) long body, was only articulated in the vertical direction to accommodate steep grades . 15 examples of the "Super Twin" were built in 1948, but it was not developed further. According to contemporary coverage, the Super Twin had a capacity of 58 seated and 120 total, with a weight of 27,500 lb (12,500 kg). In Budapest ,
4539-466: The city of the controversial buses and replaced them with double deckers. Elsewhere in the UK, they are generally operated on particular routes in order to increase passenger numbers, rather than across entire networks. With unsupervised "open boarding" through three doors and the requirement for pre-purchase of tickets, levels of fare-dodging on the new vehicles were found to be at least three times higher than on conventional buses where entry of passengers
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#17328381983174628-499: The city, making them look worse than the buses they were being compared with. Other commentators have described these types of buses as 'flaccid and unappealing', preferring the sturdiness of their rigid-body counterparts. The last disadvantage of an articulated bus is that it requires a specially trained driver in some cases. An articulated bus is a long vehicle and usually requires a specially trained driver, as maneuvering (particularly reversing) can be difficult. The trailer section of
4717-460: The company Arriva on a number of routes across the country. A number of serious engine fires resulted in their withdrawal from service, and they have also been responsible for causing an increase in traffic congestion and accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists. Until 1980, articulated buses were illegal on the UK's roads. A 1979 experiment by South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive with buses manufactured by MAN and Leyland-DAB led to
4806-517: The company also imported Chinese-made articulated buses. PPD dominated Jakarta city bus service until 2004, when Transjakarta was established; it operates one of the longest BRT systems in the world. Transjakarta has been using articulated buses manufactured by Scania for some of their busiest routes since 2015. Prior to Scania buses' introduction, there were Chinese-made Huanghai , Zhong Tong , Yutong , Ankai , and local-made INKA Inobus and AAI Komodo buses in service since 2010. In Israel ,
4895-568: 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
4984-546: The concept. Many of the articulated buses from London went on to serve with regional operators. Aside from limited use in regional cities, articulated buses may now be found at airports as park and ride shuttles. A Batch of 9 Mercedes Benz Citaros currently run on First Aberdeen routes 1 and 2, and 5 others run with First York on York Park and ride services 2 and 3 but are being phased out by more modern Wright Streetdecks and Optare Metrodeckets In 2020, twenty one brand new Mercedes Benz Citaros entered service at Stansted Airport;
5073-633: The end of a five-year contract which the city council refused to renew. These StreetCars were transferred over to Leeds to operate on the Leeds-Bradford bus corridor, but StreetCars there were later withdrawn in 2016. Swansea's StreetCars, which caused major road layout changes around the city centre to fit the buses, of which would later be blamed as a cause for two fatal accidents, were withdrawn in 2015 due to them proving too expensive to run. In 2008/09, 50 StreetCar Rapid Transit Vehicles were built for Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada in
5162-466: The engine is mounted under the floor between the front and middle axles, and only the middle axle is powered. Some consider this an outdated design, as it prohibits floor levels lower than approximately 750 millimetres (29.5 in), and can produce passenger discomfort due to high noise and vibration levels. On the other hand, they can be used in very narrow or severely potholed streets. This type of bus also performs better in snowy or icy conditions, as
5251-633: 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
5340-594: The first prototypes of the Ikarus 180 [ hu ] (named for its 180-passenger capacity) were shown in 1961. There is an ongoing exhibition in Budapest at the Hungarian Technical and Transportation Museum in 2010 with the title "The articulated bus is 50 years old." The Ikarus 180 went into limited production in 1963, and entered serial production in 1966; the Ikarus 180 was discontinued in 1973 when its successor,
5429-611: 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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#17328381983175518-442: 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
5607-662: 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
5696-580: 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 ,
5785-447: 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
5874-705: The impression of a premium service. The StreetCar's only UK customer is First Bus , where they were introduced on First York 's route 4 between Acomb and the University of York on 8 May 2006, after the City of York Council had made significant alterations to the road layout to accommodate the new vehicles. Further examples entered service with First Leeds , on First Capital Connect 's Luton Airport Parkway railway station to Luton Airport shuttle and with First Cymru in Swansea . York's StreetCars were withdrawn in 2012, following
5963-510: The inaugural run were presented with special souvenir tickets. XMC-77 was later exhibited to the public at various locations in the East Bay and the Transbay Terminal . It offered seats for 77 passengers (finished in brown and orange) and an observation lounge, complete with a card table to seat a quartet. The 60 ft (18.3 m) long coach stood 10 ft 10 in (3.30 m) high and
6052-504: The length increases from 18 to 23 m (59 to 75 ft). Examples include the Mercedes-Benz Citaro CapaCity , MAN Lion's City GXL (A43) , Mercedes-Benz O500 DA , BYD D11 , and Scania K IA . Since the late 1980s, the concept of the articulated bus has been extended further with the addition of a second trailer section that extends the bus almost to tram length and capacity, to create a bi-articulated bus , also called
6141-716: The majority of articulated buses utilise diesel engines for their motive power, a number of operators (primarily outside North America and by LACMTA ) have adopted compressed natural gas (CNG) power in order to reduce pollution. Many other transit authorities in the United States and Canada are adopting articulated buses that are diesel-electric hybrids , such as the New Flyer DE60LF. There are also articulated trolleybuses , which use catenary cables to power electric traction motors. Electric articulated trolleybuses principally operate in hilly locations like Mexico City , San Francisco , Seattle , and Vancouver, B.C. , where
6230-423: 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
6319-420: The rate of all other buses, and over twice as high for accidents involving cyclists. In a period when articulated buses made up approximately 5% of the London bus fleet, they were involved in 20% of all bus-related deaths, statistics which eventually led to their replacement . However, these safety statistics may be partly skewed due to the buses having been used on the busiest routes in the most crowded areas of
6408-858: 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,
6497-771: 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
6586-492: 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
6675-454: The steep grades preclude the use of combustion engines for motive power. The New Flyer Xcelsior Charge NG battery-electric articulated buses are equipped with traction motors on both the middle and rear axles; the middle axle uses in-wheel motors. Super articulated bus are similar to the normal articulated buses, but they have a fourth tag axle next to the rear axle, increasing the rated load. Typical capacity ranges up to 200 passengers and
6764-404: 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
6853-417: 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
6942-428: 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
7031-499: The thrust from the driving wheels does not cause the vehicle to jackknife. Newer models such as the Van Hool AG300 feature low floors while maintaining the puller design by placing the engine block off-center opposite to the second door. Also, the unpowered rear axle is much simpler and carries no engine weight, facilitating the installation of counter-steering mechanisms to further decrease the turning radius. A typical puller model
7120-780: The use of articulated buses—commonly called accordion bus, אוטובוס אקורדיון —is widespread, particularly in Gush Dan and Jerusalem , the two great urban centers of the country, as well as in Haifa (for the Metronit BRT system) and other cities such as Beersheba . The long buses are considered reliable and useful, and have been in service in Israel since the mid-1970s. During the Israeli–Palestinian conflict , such buses were often targeted by Palestinians and suicide bombers during rush hours, since
7209-605: The use of double-deck vehicles, which have never achieved great popularity there. Overhead wires for trams, trolleybuses, etc. are not really relevant issues, as the minimum normal clearance above road level is standard across the EU and is well in excess of the height of a double-deck vehicle—otherwise, many freight vehicles would encounter severe problems in the course of normal operation. From 3 July 2011 to 28 August 2013, articulated Mercedes Citaro buses purchased from London were used in Malta by
7298-499: 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
7387-474: The vehicle's superstructure. Makers of pusher-type articulated buses include Mercedes-Benz , New Flyer Industries , MAN , Volvo and Scania . The Renault PR 180 and PR 180.2 (articulated versions of the PR 100 and PR 100.2) were a special variation of the pusher design in which both the middle and the rear axles were driven, with a driveshaft passing through the turntable between the two driving axles. Although
7476-532: Was abolished a year later, and the articulated buses run as regular buses along the same route. In Vietnam, articulated bus service was first introduced and operated on 16 October 2010, by Transerco in Hanoi. It was added to the route 07 from My Dinh Bus Station to Noi Bai Airport as a test run. The bus was part of the Hanoi Ecotrans project subsidized by the EU and Ile de France. It was a Mercedes Euro II Galaxy which
7565-438: 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,
7654-2085: Was first manufactured in December 2003 by Mercedes-Benz Vietnam and was previously used for SEA Games in Hanoi. The bus was painted yellow instead of traditional white-yellow-red (from top to bottom) and had two ticket sellers onboard instead of one. The bus received positive reviews from passengers but the bus no longer operates in Hanoi; route 07 is now served by Daewoo BC095 buses. Articulated buses are commonplace in US urban centers such as Albuquerque , Austin , Baltimore , Boston , Chicago , Cleveland , Denver , Honolulu , Indianapolis , Los Angeles , West Palm Beach , Miami , Minneapolis-St.Paul , New York City , Newark , Orange County (California) , Orlando , Philadelphia , Phoenix , Pittsburgh , Portland (Oregon) , Rochester (New York) , San Diego , San Francisco , Seattle , Washington, D.C. , and Westchester County (New York) . In Eugene , Lane Transit District uses articulated buses on some high-traffic routes, as well as on their Emerald Express (EmX) Bus Rapid Transit Service. In Vancouver, Washington , C-Tran (Washington) uses articulated buses on their BRT service, The Vine (bus rapid transit) . In Canada , they are used in Brampton , Calgary , Durham Region , Edmonton , Gatineau , Halifax , Hamilton , London , Longueuil , Mississauga , Montreal , Niagara Region , Ottawa , Quebec City , Regina , Saskatoon , St. Albert , Toronto , York Region , Metro Vancouver and Winnipeg . Articulated buses in Mexico are usually used on BRT lines, such as Mexico City 's Metrobús , Guadalajara 's Macrobús , Monterrey 's Ecovía and León 's Optibús . In South America, they are used in Quito , São Paulo , Santiago , Curitiba , Barranquilla , Cali , Bucaramanga , Pereira , Cartagena , Medellín and Bogotá . The first articulated bus in Australia operated in Canberra in
7743-490: 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
7832-512: Was powered by a Cummins engine with an output of 262 hp (195 kW). Engineering for the XMC-77 was carried out by the local firm of DeLeuw Cather & Co. In the United States, articulated buses were imported from Europe and deployed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. During this time, rising operating costs led to public takeovers of transit systems, and the pressure to reduce labor (driver) costs in turn meant transporting more passengers in
7921-661: 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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