Transportation
When is a Dedicated Bus Lane Not a Dedicated Bus Lane?
Pre-signals are a rare bird of traffic engineering, but they could save bus riders a lot of time.
Why are trains usually more reliable than buses? Mostly because they don’t have to mix with other vehicles. Dedicated rights-of-way—in this case, tracks—help trains move quickly and evenly; they’re not constantly dragged down by car traffic like their rubber-tired counterparts. (Unless it’s a streetcar, a topic for another day.)
But buses can run fast, too, when they’re given a fair shot. The democratizing force is a dedicated lane, which can allow buses to carry upwards of four times as many travelers per hour than a general traffic lane. Separate lanes can also double or triple bus speeds by eliminating delays caused by single-occupancy vehicles. (Just look at what Seattle has done with a few dedicated lanes downtown.)