BUS DELAYS IN MIXED TRAFFIC: A CHALLENGE FOR INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

Improving bus transit speed as well as the reliability of information on bus arrival times at stations/stops are two major objectives in public transportation planning and management. This paper reports research in the characterization and quantification of bus delays in mixed traffic operations and the study of intelligent transportation systems with potential to reduce bus delays. For a 25.6 km long bus route in the Ottawa Carleton Region (Canada), three scenarios were analyzed by using a microsimulation program: the normal (existing) traffic operation, the case of one traffic lane block because of a nonrecurring incidence, and the case of bus priority at signalized intersections. Results suggest that significant improvements to bus delays can be achieved by using technology for early detection and management of incidents that block lanes and by applying bus priority policy and technology.