Bus Priority on Strategic Bus Corridors
The NSW Government has committed $235 million to improving bus priority on Strategic Bus Corridors.
Both infrastructure and technological solutions will be used to improve the average bus speed on strategic corridors.
Technology options include the Sydney-wide implementation of the Road and Traffic Authority's Public Transport Information and Priority System (PTIPS). PTIPS uses satellite technology to identify late running buses and communicates with the RTA's traffic management system to direct traffic signal priority to late running buses.
Key congestion or choke points for traffic are being targeted using:
- dedicated "red" bus lanes on approaches to congested intersections;
- dedicated bus "bypass" lanes (such as "Left Turn Only, Buses Excepted");
- bus pre-emption signals ("B" signals);
- conversion of unrestricted lanes to "transit" and "no stopping" lanes; and
- new bus lanes through tidal flow schemes.
PTIPS will be introduced on two Strategic Bus Corridors by June 2006:
- the Hurstville - Miranda; and
- the Liverpool - Bankstown corridors.
Bus priority infrastructure is already being implemented with the new $1.4M Port Hacking Road / Princes Highway treatment at Sylvania, coming into operation on the 9 January 2006. This treatment enables buses to bypass lengthy traffic queues, saving up to three red traffic light phases.
PTIPS will be rolled in conjunction with the new integrated networks over the next 3 years.
