Driver’s Eye View of BRT
Istanbul’s New BRT System in Action from EMBARQ Network on Vimeo.
In the transport world, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a hot topic. Akin to a cross between a bus and a metro, this increasingly popular form of mass transit is fast, efficient, and a fraction of the cost of its better known cousins – metro and rail. As a result, BRT systems are sprouting up all across the globe.
But if you don’t spend your free time reading about the latest and greatest in transportation infrastructure (or haven’t had the chance to use BRT yourself), you might have a hard time picturing exactly how this technology works.
The video above does a great job of illustrating BRT in action. The clip, taken by EMBARQ’s Dario Hidalgo, offers a drivers-eye view of Istanbul’s new BRT system, known as Metrobüs. The video clearly shows some of the key features of BRT: special lanes reserved exclusively for buses, high speed travel along normally gridlocked traffic corridors, and high capacity bus stations, instead of traditional bus stops.
Check back for more “Sustainable Transportation 101” on TheCityFix.com in the near future.
[...] A few months ago here on TheCityFix.com I posted a video offering a “driver’s eye view” of Istanbul’s new BRT system – Metrobus. Today I thought I would show a similar clip (see above) that I took of Transantiago’s new dedicated bus lanes. The video should give you a first-hand look of how another innovative (though controversial) urban transport project operates. [...]
With trolley wire electric traction and use of only battery power at junctions, turnings (Dual power use) and wherever trolley wire electric traction cannot be made use of. This concept can be implemented for BRTS easily and BRTS will be totally eco-friendly. Full details on this concept available in the New York City Fix-Blog of WRI.
Great video! Is great to see the BRT phenomenon spreading out to Europe and Asia. I hear this is the first Transcontinental BRT!
Something I noticed though, is that the bus driver is parking very far from the station, failing to accommodate some potential users with mobility or disability impairments.
I think it is important to incorporate Universal Access Design Principles– design that accommodates people with disabilities – in transportation systems. Yet it is not enough! Users – in this case the drivers – need to be trained to take advantage of it. For example, getting the bus closer to the station so that a wheelchair or an older person can easily get in the bus. Perhaps Istanbul Metrobus drivers can get some training from their cousins from Metrobus in Mexico or Transmilenio in Bogota on how to take advantage of the leveled platforms.
What kind of camera did you guys use to shoot this? How difficult was the upload? It’s great stuff, and very illustrative of what I would aspire to, if sitting in a car on the right side of the road: “I want to ride Metrobus!”