Can bus Rapid Transit be a Sustainable Means of Public Transport in Fast Growing Cities? Empirical Evidence in the Case of Oslo

Statistics Norway (SSB) has forecast that the population in the greater Oslo metropolitan area will grow by more than 30 per cent in the period 2010-2030. This growth will induce a demand for transport, which in turn will increase the emission of greenhouse gases unless measures are taken to reduce it. In this paper, I investigate under what conditions the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system should be regarded as the best solution to meet the challenges facing the Oslo metropolitan area. The rationale is that there is currently no BRT system in Norway, and little is therefore known about its sustainability advantages over other forms of public transport.