Operational feasibility of one-dedicated-lane bus rapid transit/light rail systems

This paper proposes the concept of a bus rapid transit (BRT) or light rail system that effectively requires only one dedicated but reversible lane to support two-way traffic in the median of a busy commute corridor with regular provision of left-turn lanes. Traffic crossing is accommodated on the otherwise unused or underused median space resulting from provision of left-turn lanes. Conceptual design options and geometric-configuration sketches for bus stops and crossing spaces are provided. System performance in terms of travel speed, headway operations, distance between two neighboring crossing spaces, and number of crossing spaces is also analyzed. To ensure practicality, we study implementation of such a system on an existing corridor. Such a system is also useful as an intermediate step toward a two-dedicated-lane system because of its potential for facilitating transit-oriented development.