Giving priority to public transport
Summary
Introducing priority systems in urban public transport is the most effective way to create a modern, efficient, user-friendly service for passengers that is able to compete with the growing popularity of the private car.
Implementing sustainable mobility
In response to the increasing volumes of traffic on the city’s roads, Krakow identified new solutions to expand priority facilities, including separate bus and tram lanes and traffic lights that privilege public transport vehicles.
Specific objectives were to:
- improve the punctuality and regularity of public transport vehicles;
- reduce travel times;
- increase the number of public transport trips;
- reduce the number of private cars in the city centre;
- improve passenger information systems;
- design a new database for monitoring public transport operations; and
- formulate new indicators for public transport quality.
Progress
Activities began with an analysis of the existing public transportation priority system in Krakow. Two corridors were then selected as pilot areas: the Rondo Mogilskie–Filharmonia tram-bus corridor; and the Cracovia–Cmentarz Rakowicki bus corridor. Monitoring covered 40 stops for 14 hours, before and after the installation of dedicated bus and tram-bus lanes.
Outcomes
The principal achievement was to create a high-quality passenger-friendly public transport system. The measurements recorded proved that the solutions implemented had positive impacts for passengers in both selected transport corridors: there were shorter intervals between services, faster speeds and more reliable operation. As a result, journey times were reduced and passenger numbers rose.
