The Livable Blog

With gas prices soaring and the economy in deep trouble, people in the US are looking to cost-effective transit solutions.

The concept is to use the shoulders as queue jumper lanes between each intersection or interchange, not quite a continuous bus lane. The shoulder lanes are not used at high speeds, they allow transit buses to pass cars at a reasonable speed when traffic slows or grinds to a halt. When traffic is moving at high speeds, the lanes revert to shoulders for emergency stopping.

If bus rides in Maryland "cheer when you pass 70 to 80 cars waiting for a stoplight," imagine how people would cheer passing the line of cars on Highway 1 to merge onto the Port Mann Bridge.

It works, it is cheap and quick to implement, why not here too?

For Buses, Wheels To the Shoulders?

By Eric M. Weiss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 17, 2008; Page B01

Washington area transportation officials are pushing a plan to run buses on the shoulders of the region's highways and other major roads, allowing the vehicles to drive around congestion and go to the head of the line at traffic signals.

With prospects for increased transportation funding fading, regional leaders are looking for alternative -- read: cheap -- solutions for easing congestion.

"It's about as low cost a thing as you can do," said Chris Zimmerman, chairman of the Metro board and the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. Zimmerman is proposing a 100-mile system of shoulder lanes, the same length as the Metrorail system.

Metro General Manager John B. Catoe, who was credited with innovations when he ran the Los Angeles bus system, is meeting with top transportation officials in Maryland and Virginia this week to push shoulder use and other bus improvements.

[snip]

Minneapolis bus drivers are allowed to use shoulders only when traffic speeds in the regular lanes drop to less than 35 mph; they can then travel on the shoulders a maximum of 15 mph faster than traffic in the regular lanes. Drivers are specially trained to avoid stalled cars, debris and other safety issues, according to Minneapolis officials, who said the lanes have had a good safety record.

Full Story at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/16/AR2008041603674.html