Appendix A. Background of Use Cases
Assessment of measures implemented in European bus systems using key performance indicators
Public Transport: Planning and Operations
Authors: Rocio Cascajo* and Andres Monzon
*Senior Research Associate, TRANSyT Transport Research Centre, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Calle Profesor Aranguren s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Contents: This Appendix includes detailed information about the use cases to understand the measures implemented and illustrate the results in a better way (EBSF 2008; EBSF 2012).
Bremerhaven
The City of Bremerhaven suffers, like many other small and medium sized cities in Germany, from demographic changes (fewer employees, fewer pupils, increasing number of elderly people) together with a decline in social and economic quality of some districts.
In Bremerhaven, 6% of the population use public transport for their displacements. Bremerhaven Bus (BHVBUS - PT Operator) has a fleet of 69 buses which cover 16 lines.
BHVBUS and the City of Bremerhaven make necessary changes in order to overcome the existing situation and increase operational effectiveness and efficiency through:
- Enhance the perception of public transport to non-travellers by focusing on the operators' and authority tasks to provide a ‘seamless journey' with a high level of convenience regarding the vehicle on-board comfort and safety, attractiveness, in time operation and a consistent level of information service.
- Extend level of information to other means of transport (e.g. train, ferry), information sources (e.g. e-public services, tourism) and public authority activities (e.g. announcements).
- Provide adequate devices for a wide range of user groups (including elderly and mobility impaired persons) in retrofitted busses and at so-called ‘service hubs’ and link them to the existing information network (info-terminals, in total 25 in the city area and surroundings, and static ‘visitors signage system').
Description of the work
The pilot develops a new prototype bus: the EvoBus demonstrator bus, an innovative urban transport to reduce the existing physical and psychological constraints for using buses. The vehicle improves the accessibility and provides a high level of comfort to users. It is equipped with special lighting elements to show passengers where it is the best to get on, so the congestion is avoided at the doors. On the other hand, the internal layout has ceiling lights to distinguish between occupied and unoccupied seats, thus the time spent looking for a seat is reduced.
Remodelling existing bus stops through adding an info-terminal with an information system (partly combined non-public and public transport information services) is an important objective addressed. Those info-terminals are a further development of the already existing ones, in particular with bigger screens and supplemented wireless communication devices.
In addition, the project provides an advanced Information Technology (IT) and communication system to achieve better reliability. This system is retrofitted to the existing buses.
The UC focuses on the following activities along a reference line which connects densely populated districts on the outskirts of the city centre, the main tourist resort site, the city centre district and the main station:
1. Innovative bus shelter. The operator BHVBUS realizes together with the Bremerhaven Tourist Board (BIS) and the support of the City of Bremerhaven at well selected sites an innovative bus shelter ("service hub") covering innovative advanced information & communication system, fed by the back-office AVMS system. The "service hub" will be an adapted standardized bus shelter providing by its implemented facilities: an extended offer of other online information sources (status of train services connections, tourist & event information, e-public services, authority announcements, web-based routing service, etc.), and improved use and accessibility of provided passenger & public information for elderly and mobility impaired persons.
2. On- and off-vehicle passenger information system. BHVBUS and BIS developed,supported by the supplier INIT and the city of Bremerhaven, a modular advanced passenger information system (interior and exterior vehicle devices), and the integration in their overall public information system by an improved on-board communication infrastructure (data gateway, on-board AVMS devices).
Fifteen retrofitted EvoBus buses and one demonstrator bus (developed by the manufacturer EvoBus) were equipped with such a system linked to those at the service hubs & to the existing info-terminals throughout the city area.
Budapest
In Budapest, urban buses are the daily choice of two million users amongst all modes provided by the public transport network (bus, tram, metro, suburban railway and trolleybus).BKV Zrt (Budapest Transport Operator) has a fleet of 1,365 buses (2011), which cover 204 lines.
Increasing the flow of bus passengers, while improving comfort, space and security, is one of the challenges tested in this Use Case. Another challenge is to improve efficiency in terms of operational costs while meeting environmental protection objectives. The tests took place from March to November 2011.
Description of work
The UC develops a new type of articulated vehicle: the MAN Lion's City GL (MAN Truck & Bus). It is an innovative bus with five doors in order to shorten the time at stops. The passenger compartment is designed to allow passenger flow, flexibility and comfort. Thedesign is based on scientific studies inthe form of simulations carried out for thisproject.To provide extra seating, the driver isable to release seven electrically foldingseats in the forebody.The driver can block or release these seatsat the touch of a button on the dashboard.This enables a generous amount of standingroom to be made available for the efficientboarding and alighting of passengersat bus stops.An optical signal on the seat shows thepassenger whether it is free or blocked.A sophisticated 3D counting system at the doors registers the passenger flow.This system is capable of distinguishingbetween children and adults.
To guarantee a safe trip to all, the MAN Lion's City GL is equipped with conspicuous green uprights for passengers to hold on, as well as vertical lights barriers showing the entrance to avoid obstruction at doors.
The bus is powered by a modern engine reducing energy consumption. In terms of exhaust gases, it complies with the voluntary EEV standards (Enhanced Environmentally Friendly Vehicle), which set requirements for particulate emissions that are more demanding than the current Euro 5 emission standard. In addition, the Man Lion's City GL has a Tele-diagnostic system which provides the data measured during service periods, and is available online, helping operators to reduce maintenance costs.
The pilot also includes improvements in the bus lines and helpsreducing the travelling time and the dwell time at stops: a traffic lights influence system has been implemented to offer priority to the bus; the system is directly influencing 13 traffic lights on the test line, at road junctions where there are no crossing PT lines.
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is situated on the west coast of Sweden and is the major harbour of Scandinavia. The region has around 750,000 inhabitants. Main industries are shipping and freight, pharmaceutical and biotechnical industries and the headquarters and factory of Volvo.
Over the past years, bus lines have been gaining in popularity in Gothenburg and buses have become an inherent part of urban life. This positive result for buses, but also for the whole public transport network, is the consequence of great efforts to respond more adequately to users' needs. The implementation of the ‘Trunk Bus System’is part of this new wave of interest in public transport. The ‘Trunk Bus System’, based on the tram mode, provides buses with dedicated lanes, boarding through all doors, high standard bus stops, real time information and ease fare payment.
ThisUC focuses on improving services and access. Special consideration is given to the requirements of people with limited mobility and sensory ability, senior citizens, women and children.
The Volvo prototype bus, with a centred driver workplace offers new internal layout possibilities boosting the comfort of passengers, improving the accessibility and reducing dwell time at stops. Drivers feel safer and have a better view of the traffic situation.
Description of work
The User Case focuses on raising the commercial speed for bus routes by reducing dwell time at the stops. From December 2011 to February 2012 a Volvo prototype, with improved internal design, ran on one of the Trunk Routes to see what impact this has on boarding times.
There was a special focus on the driver's role at stops. Along the UC-line a curved 17 cm high curb stone is used on all bus stops. This is done to make the gap between the platform and bus floor as small as possible. By lowering the bus at the stop, a small difference of 5 cm of height is still remaining. The curved lower part of the curb stone gives the driver the possibility of putting the wheels against the stone without damaging the wheels or the tires.
The bus was designed with a centred driver's cabin by placing the front wheels in the front corners of the bus and positioning the driver between them in the centre.Drivers thus feel saferand have a better view of the traffic situation.
The EBSF drivers’ training in Gothenburg wascarried out on route 16.By learning how to better use the existinginfrastructure, training deduced dwell time at stops: it helped to raise the commercial speed of the busroutes; and it allowed better accessibility for all users, but especiallyfor disabled people, having a great impact on accessibility.
Madrid
Madrid Region is the capital of Spain; it is situated in the centre of the country with 6 million inhabitants. The Region is formed by 179 municipalities, and the largest being Madrid City, with 3 million inhabitants. The Public Transport System within the region includes the following modes:
- Urban buses in Madrid city (2,000 buses), a public company owned by Madrid Municipality, and other urban networks in other 30 municipalities (200 buses)
- Interurban buses connecting Madrid city with other municipalities (1,800 buses), operated under private operators
- Metro (12 lines, 282 km), is a public company owned by Madrid Municipality and Madrid Region, plus 2 concessions
- Light rail (4 lines, 36 km), under 3 private concessions
- Commuter railway (9 lines, 339 km), operated by the national Government
Majadahonda is a town located in the western part of the Madrid Region, 18 km away from the centre of the capital. It has a compressive offering of intercity buses that serve the capital networks and connect them with the nearby municipalities. The operator fleet is composed of 79 buses which cover 2 urban lines and 16 interurban lines (6 connect with Madrid).
The main output of Madrid UC is to provide multimodal real time passenger information (including buses, train and traffic) allowing users to choose the best mode depending on the real solution of the network, and encouraging the use of public transport. The innovations offer a high level of service, as well as an improvement of punctuality. In addition, thanks to the two new elements, passenger can have more comfort and security while accessing vehicles and infrastructures.
Description of the work
The Madrid UC is related to the metropolitan buses lines between the Majadahonda municipality and Madrid City. Six bus lines connect Majadahonda with Moncloa interchange: 651, 652, 653, 654 and 655 using the BUS-HOV system, and 651A not using the BUS-HOV lane. The demand in a labour day is 30,000 passengers (more than 50% of the total users for the Majadahonda network).The pilot test was done between October 2011 and March 2012; it was divided into two innovations to provide the best mobility alternative:
- Improving the information offered to the user, providing multimodal, real time, passenger information (including buses, train and traffic) along the corridor, on board of the vehicles, at stops and at the interchange station, by SMS messaging, via web, Bluetooth, displays, etc., through the Integrated Public Transport Management Centre. In this way, the information aids users in the decision of the public transport mode (bus, train or private vehicle, depending on the circumstances).
- Supporting the advanced management of traffic inside the underground interchange station, by maintaining data communication and location of vehicles underground using a radio frequency system (Wi-Fi network, etc.) and providing real time information on incoming buses and traffic and incidents in the corridor, through the Integrated Public Transport Management Centre.
Rouen
Since 1997 Rouen has three rapid-transit guided-bus routes, called TEOR (Transport Est Ouest Rouennais). 66 vehicles are equipped with optical guidance systems of which are 36 Irisbus AGORA L Euro II and 28 Irisbus CITELIS 18m Euro III. Each vehicle covers a distance of approximately 39,000 km per year, which is a total of more than two million kilometres.
Vertical and horizontal gaps between the bus door and the station platform are a considerable obstacle to fulfil the objective of accessibility for everyone. The optical guidance on the TEOR network enables a better orientation of the bus at the station, but still there are vertical and horizontal gaps. These ‘holes’ are always present and vary of a few centimetres. This makes accessing the vehicle difficult for people with reduced mobility, elderly people and parents with prams.
The innovations introduced in Rouen are a further step forward to granting easy access to all, including those with special needs. Accessibility is improved thanks to two innovative solutions completing the current optical guidance system and removing all gaps between vehicle and dock of station: a high regulation and a miniflap called ‘gap filler’. The results showed that there is a general improvement in the quality of access to passengers and potential users, thus promoting buses as an accessible mode of transportation for everyone.
Description of the work
In the Rouen UC, two new systems were implemented within the EBSF project to limit the vertical gap:
- Adjustable electric system for height regulation and for vertical gap filling: The height regulation system detects the height of the dock thanks to electronic cells placed on the side of the vehicle. The system regulates automatically the vehicle's height with a suspension system by lowering the bus to the same level as the dock when the vehicle is approaching the bus station. This operation is performed automatically when the vehicle is in a bus station and stopped. Moreover, the movements due to suspension are similar to those produced by a conventional electronic suspension.
- The gap filler between the bus and the dock with a retractable step: The system deploys as soon as the doors open, and retracts once the door is completely closed. The result is that the platform deploys and settles on the dock suppressing the horizontal gap.
The test execution condition consisted of equipping two IrisBus vehicles (one Agora and one Citelis). The Agora was equipped with two systems: disposition of electronic suspension control and a gap filler installation. The Citelis was equipped with the disposition of electronic suspension control. The test took place between September 2011 and February 2012.