Bus lanes

[aaron1]

Do bus lanes made traffic beater or worst? what do you think do some need to removed or can they make them better.

[snowman]

There are very few long bus lanes, most are shortish, and often with gaps.

Generally anything that removes road space, or causes vehicles to queue behind something waiting to turn is going to add to congestion.

However your general assertion that some are not beneficial is correct, as they cause queues preventing buses from reaching the start of the bus lanes.

You need to see what causes the queue, often it is traffic lights, or traffic lights further ahead. So becomes a debate as to optimising the traffic through the lights which is a separate debate.

[vjaska]

Jul 2, 2019 16:45:52 GMT snowman said:

There are very few long bus lanes, most are shortish, and often with gaps.

Generally anything that removes road space, or causes vehicles to queue behind something waiting to turn is going to add to congestion.

However your general assertion that some are not beneficial is correct, as they cause queues preventing buses from reaching the start of the bus lanes.

You need to see what causes the queue, often it is traffic lights, or traffic lights further ahead. So becomes a debate as to optimising the traffic through the lights which is a separate debate.

Any examples of non beneficial bus lanes?

[vjaska]

Jul 2, 2019 15:10:11 GMT aaron1 said:

Do bus lanes made traffic beater or worst? what do you think do some need to removed or can they make them better.

They could be made better by removing parking bays from bus lanes as parking makes some bus lanes useless to use. Where possible, parking bays can be indented into the pavement allowing bus lanes to be clear for buses to use.

[southlondonbus]

There's one at the junction of Dunsford a road/Gap Road in Wimbledon on the 156 where the bus has to go into the stop then re merge into the traffic a few metres down the bus lane as opposed to just staying in Lane with the traffic.

[Pilot]

Nothing worse than a parking spot in the actual bus lane.

[Deleted]

Jul 2, 2019 19:46:28 GMT southlondonbus said:

There's one at the junction of Dunsford a road/Gap Road in Wimbledon on the 156 where the bus has to go into the stop then re merge into the traffic a few metres down the bus lane as opposed to just staying in Lane with the traffic.

That one is a huge benefit as it allows the bus to merge whilst other traffic is held at the lights behind the stop. We should definitely have more bus stops like this.

[george]

Jul 2, 2019 20:51:11 GMT @busenthusiast56 said:

Jul 2, 2019 19:46:28 GMT southlondonbus said:

There's one at the junction of Dunsford a road/Gap Road in Wimbledon on the 156 where the bus has to go into the stop then re merge into the traffic a few metres down the bus lane as opposed to just staying in Lane with the traffic.

That one is a huge benefit as it allows the bus to merge whilst other traffic is held at the lights behind the stop. We should definitely have more bus stops like this.

There's something similar to what you mentioned on both putney bridge and shepherds Bush green

[rif153]

Jul 2, 2019 22:33:38 GMT george said:

Jul 2, 2019 20:51:11 GMT @busenthusiast56 said:

That one is a huge benefit as it allows the bus to merge whilst other traffic is held at the lights behind the stop. We should definitely have more bus stops like this.

There's something similar to what you mentioned on both putney bridge and shepherds Bush green

There's also one on Walworth Road. Its a great example of a bus priority signal

[dennistas]

Bus lanes are excellent for bus drivers & much more efficent than the cycle lanes taking there space up these days.

The bus lanes in Waltham Forest for example on Lea Bridge Road & Hoe Street no longer exist but before they helped buses significantly.

[redbus]

Jul 2, 2019 17:50:57 GMT vjaska said:

Jul 2, 2019 16:45:52 GMT snowman said:

There are very few long bus lanes, most are shortish, and often with gaps.

Generally anything that removes road space, or causes vehicles to queue behind something waiting to turn is going to add to congestion.

However your general assertion that some are not beneficial is correct, as they cause queues preventing buses from reaching the start of the bus lanes.

You need to see what causes the queue, often it is traffic lights, or traffic lights further ahead. So becomes a debate as to optimising the traffic through the lights which is a separate debate.

Any examples of non beneficial bus lanes?

Try the one on the A5 Edgware Road in Maida Vale (leaving aside the bit on the approach to Kilburn). There was never a jam before the bus lane was installed and no reason to introduce it. There are now occasional minor jams due to the loss of road space, so sometimes journeys are a little longer, yet buses journey times aren't improved at all!

[redbus]

Jul 2, 2019 15:10:11 GMT aaron1 said:

Do bus lanes made traffic beater or worst? what do you think do some need to removed or can they make them better.

There a few that need removal (see my other post for an example), but by and large more bus lanes and bus priority is required.

In order a bus lane to be effective they need to be clear and operate for the right hours, meaning no parking loading etc  for much longer periods than now.