Providing Spatial-Temporal Priority Control Strategy for BRT Lanes: A Simulation Approach

Abstract

Bus rapid transit (BRT) lanes may increase the travel time cost of other motor vehicles while improving the operating efficiency of BRT vehicles. In this paper the control strategies of the BRT lane are provided spatially and temporally. At the spatial level, the dedicated BRT lanes were divided into a certain number of fixed areas with a corresponding induction method and operation rules, and the intermittent bus lanes are allowed by other vehicles. At the temporal level, a bus priority strategy for a single intersection with an intermittent bus lane was presented, and a green wave coordination control method for the bus operation line was given. Taking the BRT in Lanzhou city, China, as an example, the spatial priority and time priority control strategies of the BRT lanes were analyzed and compared through simulation. The results showed that the control scheme of intermittent BRT lane integrating space- and time-optimized green wave coordination control performs better than other control schemes. The strategies may benefit the planning, operating, and management of BRT system.