Bussprioritet

Bussprioritet is a set of measures intended to give buses priority over other road users in order to improve reliability, speed, and overall efficiency of public transit. The aim is to reduce travel times for bus passengers and make bus travel more attractive relative to private cars, thereby encouraging higher ridership and reducing congestion and emissions.

The main approaches to bus priority include physical infrastructure, traffic control, and service organization. Physical infrastructure includes dedicated bus lanes or busways that separate buses from mixed traffic, often with station platforms designed for rapid boarding and alighting. Traffic control measures comprise transit signal priority, where traffic signals adjust green and red phases to accommodate approaching buses, sometimes extending green time for the bus or shortening opposing phases. Queue jumps, priority at merge points, and priority corridors along major routes are other examples. Service organization involves coordinated timetable planning, real-time information, and stop optimization to minimize dwell times and improve reliability.

Benefits of bus priority typically include reduced travel times and variability, higher on-time performance, increased bus speed, and a shift from car to bus travel, contributing to lower emissions and improved air quality. However, there are trade-offs, such as potential delays for other road users, higher implementation and maintenance costs, and the need for careful integration with existing traffic management and land-use policies to ensure equity and acceptability.

Implementation varies by city and country, often requiring cross-agency coordination, clear policy objectives, and public engagement to balance efficiency with safety and access for all road users.