What is High Speed Transit?

The term High Speed Transit or HST is being used to refer to forms of public transit that are enhanced to reduce the time it takes to get to your destination.

With HST, transit vehicles operate at average speeds of about 30 km/h, but travel times are shortened by such enhancements as:

• queue jumps to allow transit vehicles priority at traffic lights;
• on-street reserved lanes;
• separated rights of way where transit vehicles run separate from other traffic;
• direct routing with few stops;
• off-board fare collection;
• combinations of the above.

To be effective and worthwhile, any investment in HST must significantly reduce travel times to make taking transit time competitive with the automobile.  The best travel times are achieved with separate rights of way, direct routing and capable vehicles.

A proposal for transit oriented redevelopment in Markham, Ontario, reveals how BRT can be effectively integrated. [Transportation Planning Branch]

Why invest in HST?

Spent time on the WhitemudFreeway in rush hour lately? Jammed exits and bridge decks, traffic slowed to a snail's pace, accidents and near misses now characterize Edmonton's most popular West-East transportation link. Roadways have their limitations.

Roads soon reach their capacity and must be continuously expanded to accommodate growing numbers of private vehicles.  Building new roads is not only expensive.  It is next to impossible in well-established communities in the city core without destroying those communities.

As Edmonton's population grows, so does the need to commute. If Edmonton wants to continue to thrive, it is important that we establish effective, efficient and sustainable ways of moving people.  High Speed Transit is an alternative to freeways for moving people across town quickly and reliably.

"Good public transit is a sound urban policy whose time has come."

Does HST make financial sense?

The costs of building HST vary depending on the kind of system.  Consider, however, that the new interchange proposed at Calgary Trail and 23^rd Avenue to ease congestion will cost $106 million.¹  And this is only one interchange.  1/3 of this amount would finance bus operated HST connecting Downtown with Grant MacEwan, the Royal Alexandra Hospital, Kingsway Mall and NAIT, transporting thousands of commuters daily to common destinations.²

High Speed Transit can be more cost effective than investing in new roads. This is because:

• Less land is required to build a right of way for transit than for private vehicles. An LRT line has the same capacity as a six-lane freeway, yet requires less land than a two-lane road;
  
  
• Transit vehicles are more efficient than cars. A regular bus will carry the same number of people as twenty to fifty automobiles, yet it takes up only as much space as 2.3 cars. A five-car LRT train can displace 600 cars. One bus or LRT car also consumes less energy than number of cars needed to transport its capacity. With sufficient passenger loads, the overall cost impact of moving people by public transit is less than new roadway investments;
  
  
• The capacity of a transit line can easily be increased by adding service. It is more difficult and costly to increase the capacity of a roadway;
  
  
• By opening up quicker alternatives to congested main thoroughfares, HST attracts commuters and reduces the need for new roadway investments;
  
  
• Less land is required to build a right of way for transit than for private vehicles. An LRT line has the same capacity as a six-lane freeway, yet requires less land than a two-lane road;
  
  
• Transit vehicles are more efficient than cars. A regular bus will carry the same number of people as twenty to fifty automobiles, yet it takes up only as much space as 2.3 cars. A five-car LRT train can displace 600 cars. One bus or LRT car also consumes less energy than number of cars needed to transport its capacity. With sufficient passenger loads, the overall cost impact of moving people by public transit is less than new roadway investments;
  
  
• The capacity of a transit line can easily be increased by adding service. It is more difficult and costly to increase the capacity of a roadway;
  
  
• By opening up quicker alternatives to congested main thoroughfares, HST attracts commuters and reduces the need for new roadway investments.

Rome's newest Bus Rapid Transit scheme uses
articulated trolleybuses on reserved lanes. [D. Vignola]

Where should we build HST?

The Transportation Master Plan [1999] underlies the planning of HST to the West, North and Southeast. Several corridors have been identified. South and North HST lines will connect Millwoods and Downtown, NAIT and Northgate.  West HST will connect the West End with the University and/or Downtown. South LRT will connect Heritage, Southgate, the University, Downtown and the North East, and may link with HST to the West.  This system will enable quick cross-town commuting to a wide range of popular destinations.

The diagram below shows the current long term vision for an HST system:³

The City wishes to adopt a staged approach to HST, introducing Bus Rapid Transit on all lines except South LRT first.  A staged approach can reduce initial costs and realize HST sooner, but long term costs will be greater.

Further study and community consultation are needed to closely define route specifics. A basic concept plan has been approved by City Council for Bus Rapid Transit from Downtown via Grant MacEwan to NAIT. With funding, this could be realized as early as 2008.⁴

LRT in Denver, Colorado [Jon Bell]

What modes are available for HST?

There are several vehicle modes possible for HST. There are two Bus Rapid Transit [BRT] modes plus Light Rail [LRT].

Articulated ["Bendy"] Diesel or Hybrid Buses [BRT]

• offers basic service at low initial investment cost. Hybrid variant offers reduced tail pipe emissions, but at at higher initial investment than regular diesel.

Articulated ["Bendy"] Trolleybus [BRT]

• offers quiet operation without adding local emissions;
  
  
• long term sustainability in the face of rising oil prices;
  
  
• unique identity and proven ability to attract passengers;
  
  
• higher investment cost, but investing in electrical infrastructure now would reduce some of the capital costs associated with converting to LRT later on;
  
  
• Double articulated vehicles are possible, with greater passenger capacity and power than articulated diesel buses.

Light Rail Transit [LRT]

• quiet operation, no local emissions;
  
  
• optimal choice for long term and high capacity service;
  
  
• long term sustainability in the face of rising oil prices;
  
  
• unique identity and proven ability to attract passengers;
  
  
• higher investment cost, but offers operational economies through high capacity.

BRT vehicle pulls into an elaborate station in Quito, Ecuador [A. Morrison]		Light Rail Transit in Calgary, Alberta [M. Parsons]

Points to Remember

• Good mobility is essential to economic vitality;
  
• Investing in HST is an effective way to accommodate growth and ease congestion by providing rapid cross-town alternatives to private vehicle use;
  
• To be effective, an investment in HST must achieve significant reductions in travel times over regular buses in traffic and match or better travel times by automobile;
  
• The greatest reduction in travel times and highest reliability of service is achieved with "rights of way" that separate HST from other traffic;
  
• Buses can provide HST. But because of their limited capacity, the long term sustainability and effectiveness of HST can be better achieved by an investment in electric light rail;
  
• The sooner we acquire rights of way and start investing in LRT, the lower the overall long term costs;
  
• Trolleybuses can provide an excellent Bus Rapid Transit service with many of the benefits of electric light rail. An investment in trolleybus BRT would reduce some of the costs of conversion to light rail at a later date.

To voice your views on HST, call your Councillor or the Citizens Action Centre at 496-8200

Illustrative materials:
A. Bruce, TBus Group.
Source Endnotes:
¹ Department of Transportation and Streets;         ² North HST Study, Final Report, February 2005;
³ High Speed Transit Strategic Study, April 2004;   ⁴ North HST Study, Final Report, February 2005.

This web page was produced jointly by the Citizens for Better Transit and the Edmonton Trolley Coalition
as part of a promotional campaign on transportation choices for liveable, sustainable communities.