Developing high-quality bus corridors and safe city-centre lanes

Summary

In parallel with the opening of its new metro line, Toulouse improved other public transport services by developing high-quality corridors in peripheral areas and segregated bus lanes in the city centre.

Implementing sustainable mobility

The construction of the city’s second metro line opened up an opportunity to modify and improve a number of public transport routes in Toulouse. The public transport authority and surrounding cities were jointly committed to taking this opportunity to improve public transport services from these residential areas to Toulouse city centre.

High-quality bus corridors are an affordable option to enlarge the scope and improve the level of public transport services. The costs are considerably lower, compared to metro and tram lines and as a result they are a perfect solution for highly congested routes, where the population density does not justify the construction of a tram or metro line.

The objectives of the three new high-quality corridors were to:

• increase the public transport offer and improve intermodal connections;
• improve bus speed and regularity; and
• increase the number of public transport passengers in peripheral areas.

The objectives of the segregated bus lanes in the city centre were to:

• reorganise the public transport network infrastructure in the city centre;
• improve bus efficiency and attractiveness; and
• enhance road safety.

Progress

The high-quality bus corridor on the RN126 opened in two phases: the first stretch in November 2005, followed by a second stretch in November 2007. It is 10.9 km long with 9.5 km of segregated lanes and 11 bus stops.

The high-quality bus corridor on the RN113 also opened in two phases: the first 2 km in September 2007 and the entire line in December 2007. It is 6.9 km long with segregated lanes along its entire length and features 11 bus stops.

A few segregated bus lanes already existed in Toulouse prior to measure implementation, and many more were created as part of the road works generated by the construction of the city’s second metro line and were opened in July 2007.

Outcomes

The new high-quality corridors improved journey times and reliability during the day:

• on line 62, the opening of the bus lanes and second metro resulted in significant travel time benefits, with speeds on this line increasing from 10 to 15 km/hour to an average of 30 km/hour;
• on the 4 km bus lane between Balma centre and the metro station, bus speed increased slightly to 25 km/hour, but the route is shorter;
• on line 77, the route was made longer and speeds increased, reaching an average of 30 km/hour, with travel time no longer depending on traffic conditions;
• car travel times remained constant compared to the situation without bus lanes;
• park and ride facilities located on the high-quality corridors are not used much due to the high number of changes required; and
• bus stop access was improved for pedestrians, cyclists and disabled people.

The results linked to the implementation of dedicated bus lanes included:

• a reduction in average bus travel time of around 10 percent;
• greater bus frequency; and
• a reduction in car journey times by 23 percent.