The FTA has identified the concept of Bus Rapid Transit as a means to increase the efficiency of transit operations while maintaining transit's proven safety record. According to the FTA website www.fta.dot.gov, "BRT combines the quality of rail transit and the flexibility of buses. It can operate on exclusive transit ways, HOV lanes, expressways, or ordinary streets. A BRT system combines intelligent transportation systems technology, priority for transit, cleaner and quieter vehicles, rapid and convenient fare collection, and integration with land use policy." Because of the limited right-of-way available to build new (and possibly dedicated) lanes for BRT operations, the FTA has identified lane assist as an emerging technology, which will enable deployment of BRT systems. The premise behind lane assist technology is to increase the safety of BRT vehicles as they operate in the more unique environments, such as narrow lanes. Lane assist technology will allow BRT vehicles to operate at the desired higher operating speeds while maintaining the safety of the passengers, BRT vehicle and the motoring public.

Contains guidelines for estimating bus lane capacities and speeds along arterial streets. It recommends level-of-service thresholds for buses based on speed, and it presents procedures for estimating the speed of buses using dedicated bus lanes on arterial streets.

Cities around the world face enormous problems of transport sustainability. Rapidly increasing populations and vehicle usage have created gridlock and sprawl, even in very poor cities, as well as unacceptably high levels of air pollution, noise, and accident rates. But improvements can be made. This book explores how the provision of better bus services can bring concrete solutions. "Bus rapid transit" systems emerging in Latin America provide fast, reliable and efficient urban travel for large numbers of people. Express busways, employing high-capacity buses and new technologies such as GPS-based bus tracking systems, can conveniently and reliably move up to 10 times as many people along a route as can cars - and be profitable. This book shows how bus rapid transit differs from traditional bus systems and how it can be developed around the world. There is a detailed look at clean fuels and advanced technologies such as "clean diesel", CNG, hybrid-electric and fuel cells. Case studies are made of six cities and of the steps each might take to encourage more sustainable transport systems