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Deploying bus bypasses in dense, congested cities: Practical findings from simulations and abstractions

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  • Bronicki, Nadav
  • Doig Godier, Jean
  • Cassidy, Michael J.

Abstract

Simulations of idealized urban arterials reveal how a bus bypass, or queue jump, can worsen travel conditions for cars and buses. Problems occur when bypass operations affect a critical bottleneck, where queues form and grow long. To expedite bus movements through an intersection, a bypass’ dedicated traffic signal periodically detains cars. This creates voids in car flow that propagate forward. When a bypass was placed at a bus stop immediately upstream of a critical bottleneck, the voids diminished bottleneck discharge flow. Cars therefore encountered higher delays. Buses were also penalized, albeit unintentionally, because they shared lanes with cars.

Suggested Citation

  • Bronicki, Nadav & Doig Godier, Jean & Cassidy, Michael J., 2025. "Deploying bus bypasses in dense, congested cities: Practical findings from simulations and abstractions," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:196:y:2025:i:c:s0965856425001119
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2025.104483
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    References listed on IDEAS

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