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
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Pandemic Bus Lanes Show Promise as Permanent Solutions
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Van Ness BRT Speeds Travel by 36%, Earns Silver Designation
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What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
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‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
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The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
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Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research