Fundamental transit service design in a number of small cities in Western Europe, which have reputationally good transit systems, is discussed. This work was the result of a transit study tour sponsored by the Transit Cooperative Research Program of TRB. Key differences between transit design practice in Europe and the United States include longer distances between stops, superior customer information at bus stops, more frequent service, and downtown schedule coordination in the European systems. The combination of low-floor buses, off-board fare collection, long distances between stops, and multiple boarding doors on buses enables these systems to carry a large number of customers without deteriorating schedule speed. Several transit systems have used imaginative methods of providing service in low-density markets such as sparsely settled areas and evening and weekend transit service. These include the use of group taxis that travel between downtown and bus stops in the rest of the city. Compared with U.S. transit systems of comparable size, European transit systems are more technology driven. Even small cities have traffic-signal preemption systems, schedule adherence systems, and off-board electronic fare collection technology. Possible application of some of these techniques to transit practice in the United States is discussed.
Transit Service Design and Operation Practices in Western European Countries
Transportation Research Record
1997-01-01
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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