Transit priority lane retrofit
RFT-CDR-06 CorridorTransit priority lane retrofit
Overview
On a bus route with frequent service and heavy congestion, buses stuck in general traffic lose the reliability advantage that makes transit competitive with driving. Dedicating a lane to buses, marked with red paint and "Bus Only" signage in most U.S. applications, removes that conflict. The lane can run curbside, offset from the curb to preserve a parking or loading lane, or along the center median on a wider corridor.2
Where this leads: Target patterns
Local Transit (LOC-LTR-10), Collector Transit (COL-CTR-05), Arterial Transit (BRT/LRT) (ART-ATR-04)
Applicability and thresholds
Most applicable on corridors with frequent bus service experiencing measurable delay from mixed traffic, particularly where curb, street, or driveway conflicts are low to moderate; where conflicts are high, a curbside lane may need to shift further from the curb or run center-median instead.
Evidence and effectiveness
Agencies implementing dedicated and business-access-and-transit lanes report improved bus speed and schedule reliability, with the effect scaling with how much of the corridor's delay was previously caused by mixed-traffic conflict rather than signal timing or stop dwell time.13
Getting it built
Frequently piloted with temporary cones, signage, and paint before permanent installation, since testing the lane's effect on both bus reliability and general traffic before committing to red paint and enforcement infrastructure is common practice. See Construction Methodology & The Build Spectrum.
Who can move this
Typically a joint decision between the transit agency and the city or county transportation department, since the lane affects both bus operations and general traffic capacity. See Legal & Planning Mechanisms.
Related retrofit strategies
Parking-lane reallocation (RFT-CDR-05) (the underlying mechanism when the transit lane replaces parking rather than a travel lane)