The proposal is part of the government’s bid to increase transit ridership and make bus service faster and more reliable.
A proposed plan would speed up bus service in Sydney, Australia by automating traffic lights to prioritize buses. According to an article by Elias Visontay and Catie McLeod in The Guardian, “The plan, outlined by the New South Wales government’s bus industry taskforce in its white paper for better bus services, is designed to address frustration such as long waits, delays and getting stuck in traffic that have become front of mind for passengers.”
The government hopes improving bus service will incentivize more people to use public transit and help reduce traffic congestion in the city. “Existing priority lanes in Sydney’s network use a “B light” that allow buses to accelerate first, whereas the new technology would be similar to how trams on the light rail network influence traffic lights.”
According to John Lee, chair of the taskforce, “most traffic intersections already had the potential to incorporate bus priority – they just need to be switched on.” The taskforce also identified a driver shortage as a challenge to improving service and frequency.
FULL STORY: Parting the ‘Red Sea’: Sydney buses would sail through intersections under automated lights plan
Boston Bus Signal Priority Project Yields Faster Travel Times
The city now plans to expand a year-long pilot project that reduced the time buses waited at traffic signals.
Pandemic Bus Lanes Show Promise as Permanent Solutions
As cities streamline approval processes for bus-only lanes during the pandemic, transit experts hope the projects will lead to lasting change.
Van Ness BRT Speeds Travel by 36%, Earns Silver Designation
The San Francisco rapid bus line is making transit on the corridor more reliable and reducing traffic crashes and congestion.
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?
Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.
Paris Bike Boom Leads to Steep Drop in Air Pollution
The French city’s air quality has improved dramatically in the past 20 years, coinciding with a growth in cycling.
Why Housing Costs More to Build in California Than in Texas
Hard costs like labor and materials combined with ‘soft’ costs such as permitting make building in the San Francisco Bay Area almost three times as costly as in Texas cities.
San Diego County Sees a Rise in Urban Coyotes
San Diego County experiences a rise in urban coyotes, as sightings become prevalent throughout its urban neighbourhoods and surrounding areas.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
City of Santa Clarita
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service