Thursday, March 22, 2012

What if buses stopped at every other stop?

This idea was inspired by the comments thread here (but is unrelated to the post itself). People were discussing how some transit routes have stops relatively close together, which slows things down because the vehicle has to stop so much. Some suggested spacing stops further apart, others thought that this would place too much of a burden on people with mobility issues.

But what if we kept all the stops, but had each vehicle only service alternate stops. The first bus of the day would stop at the first, third, fifth etc. stops, the second bus of the day would stop at the second, fourth, sixth etc. stops. Each individual bus would travel the route faster (which would make this technique useful for bus routes that are most often used to travel all the way across town or connect to the subway), and any user who carries a cellphone (to check NextBus) and for whom walking to the next bus stop is feasible would not be inconvenienced at all.

Just visualizing it in my head, it also seems like it would reduce bunching, although I can't actually prove that to you. For this reason, it also occurred to me to apply it to streetcars, but I don't think they can pass each other on the tracks. Transfers would be a problem under current policy, but the transfer policy could be easily changed.

This wouldn't work with infrequent bus routes, but if you've got a bus every 10 minutes it should increase convenience for the majority of users without too much inconvenience for the remaining users. Of course, the question is whether we want to be conveniencing the able-bodied on the backs of those with mobility issues, even if overall it is for the greater good.

6 comments:

James Bow said...

It's been done. Some subway systems, like New York or Chicago have or had "A" or "B" trains, where "A" trains stopped at "A" stops and "B" trains stopped at "B" stops. Of course, both trains stopped at "AB" stops.

Chicago did away with it, though. They found that they weren't saving much in the way of time, and it inconvenienced passengers who had to travel from A to B, because suddenly the trip was A to AB to B.

impudent strumpet said...

I was thinking it might be a better candidate for buses because the stops are so much closer together. For example, on my section of Eglinton, there are three bus stop between me and the subway station, a distance that Google Maps tells me is 450 m. Walking to the next stop is only the most marginal of inconveniences those without serious mobility issues. (I do the 450 m every day in heels, often carrying heavy groceries.)

The people on Torontoist were suggesting 400 m stop spacings, and I was thinking that would be inconveniently far for people like my grandmothers. But, at the same time, many people can do it easily.

laura k said...

I'm guessing what James Bow is referring to in NYC is local and express trains. Local trains stop everywhere, express trains stop only at certain stops.

There was one NYC train that had the AB thing but that was discontinued as well.

I think this is done with buses in many cities, though. Mississauga (not known for its brilliant transit) has express buses that skip stops. Your idea is even better, I think, as long as both sets of stops are served frequently.

CQ said...

LOL.
I had posted a suggestion of an A-B set-up for Toronto's subway, for during rush hours, in Jan of 2011. The only comment I rec'd though was someone mock-asking what I was smoking? That entry stayed deleted after I re-posted my archive last November.

laura k said...

I can't see Toronto's subway on an A/B system. Toronto barely has a subway in the first place. In NYC the local/express thing works because the system is so huge.

impudent strumpet said...

In some cases, express routes with judiciously chosen stops would be more useful than AB. I know we have some already. For example, the York University express bus leaves Sheppard station and drives west along Sheppard, stopping only at Bathurst and Downsview before heading up to York. It's useful for closing the top of the loop between Sheppard and Downsview. I'm sure there are others too, I'm just not familiar with them.