Development and evaluation of bus priority scenarios via microscopic simulation models

The number of private vehicles increased dramatically during the last two decades in the island of Cyprus. This phenomenon had a negative effect on the bus transport mode which over the years its use has been considerably reduced. As traffic congestion increased considerably during the same period the need for a high quality public transportation system became clear. This need is also supported by the demand for public transportation by the aging and disadvantaged population. The best way to attract people back to public transportation is to have a reliable bus system with a high quality of service which can compensate for the lack of freedom and exibility a private vehicle can provide. However such a system should not have a negative effect on the traffic network in terms of congestion and travel times but should coexist serving both the needs of people who do not drive and those who use the public transport mode. The purpose of this paper is to present the development and evaluation of a number of scenarios aiming at attracting commuters back to public transportation. This idea stems from the fact that surveys among the Cypriot commuters show that people will use buses if buses provide a fast and reliable service. For this purpose, microscopic simulation models are developed in order to examine several scenarios of dedicated bus lanes and bus priority schemes so that the buses can provide the desired level of service with the minimal impact on the rest of the traffic.