CAPACITY CHARACTERISTICS OF DOWNTOWN BUS STREETS

After a series of experiments aimed at determining the bus capacity of Honolulu's Hotel Street, a simulation model (BUSMALL) was developed to examine the implications of various system changes such as alternative bus stop locations, signal offsets, and the lengthening of bus stops. BUSMALL is a microscopic interval-scanning model developed to simulate a transit mall. Geometric features of the street, the traffic control system, the bus route structures and other parameters are specified as input. Typical of the findings are that bus priority holds the promise of improving speed at capacity to a greater degree than capacity itself. Bus-stop lengthening alone tends to enhance capacity more than speed. In combination, the two strategies result in more dramatic improvements in both capacity and speed. Simulation models provide an effective and relatively inexpensive means of analysis of incremental consequences of a large number of combinations prior to selection and eventual implementation.