No car lanes or bus lanes: which gives public transport the better priority? An evaluation of priority lanes in Tyne and Wear

ABSTRACT:The implementation of No-Car Lanes as a method of allocating space on the highway is a relatively new concept which differs from bus priority measures in that No-Car Lanes give priority not just to buses but to other types of vehicles, facilitating the movement of goods as well as people in congested urban areas. Within the study area reported in this paper, covering the five Districts that comprise Tyne and Wear, Newcastle City Council has already implemented No-Car Lanes in the city centre and has proposed others, with the same approach being trialled in Sunderland. This paper reports the outcome of a study which looked to quantify the benefits of No-Car Lanes in Tyne and Wear, together with disadvantages to give an improved understanding of their contribution within the more general context of bus priority measures. The motivation for the study was that a better understanding of the different measures would give a sound basis to the development of a rational, conurbation-wide, policy The paper examines the available evidence on journey times for goods vehicles, buses, cars and taxis; and the road safety aspects, particularly for cyclists and pedestrians of different forms of priority and levels of contravention. Existing data are supplemented by a simple micro-simulation model to look at the effects of changes in traffic composition and importantly to evaluate the environmental impacts of the different types of priority measure. This ‘hard data’ evaluation is enhanced by views elicited by a stakeholder consultation and the results of an on-line questionnaire that sought the general public’s perceptions of priority schemes in the conurbation.