LONDON-WIDE BUS PRIORITY - ACHIEVABLE IN THE 1990'S?

The paper outlines the development of bus priority measures in London in the early 1970's and early 1980's and discusses why their successes were limited. The 1980's saw major swings in the balance between public and private transport, which finally settled firmly in favour of public transport at the end of the decade. The 1990's is now considered to be the decade when public transport is restored to its former status as the most desirable form of transport in London. Major rail investment is now in hand or proposed, but the effects will not be felt until late in the decade; bus services provide the only opportunities for more immediate improvements to public transport and will always play a vital complementary role when improved rail infrastructure is in place. Conventional techniques being used include with- and contra-flow bus lanes, bus-only facilities and selective detection at traffic signals. More innovative proposals involve using traffic signals to relocate queues to places where bus priority can be provided, additional signals in advance of a junction, selective detection within Urban Traffic Control and bus lanes in the centre of the carriageway. The improvement enforcement required and the interaction with London's Red Routes are also discussed. (A) For the covering abstract of the seminar see IRRD 859670.