Far East Mobility's multi-disciplinary team of staff and associated experts - including experts from the Guangzhou Municipal Engineering Design and Research Institute - led the planning, design, and implementation of the two 'gold standard' BRT systems in Asia: the world's second-highest capacity BRT system in Guangzhou, as well as the award-winning Yichang BRT.
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BRT done well offers the potential of metro-like levels of capacity, passenger service and speed at a fraction of the cost of metro systems. BRT also has a much faster implementation time frame and can rapidly provide a citywide reach, since BRT buses can enter and leave a BRT corridor. BRT done poorly provides none of these benefits. Planning, design, implementation and operation of high capacity BRT systems providing citywide benefits, starting with a BRT Concept Design, Pre-Feasibility Study and/or Feasibility Study, is a core focus area of Far East Mobility. Far East's consultants can provide crucial guidance to cities and agencies on BRT systems and corridors, from the Concept Design stages through to preliminary design, technical supervision and input during the engineering design, construction, and operation. This guidance includes practical advice on the steps cities and agencies should take at each stage of the project to ensure a successful outcome and avoid the various potential BRT project minefields.
Areas of Far East Mobility expertise include surveys and data collection, corridor selection, intersections, stations (location, dimensions, configuration, architecture, ITS integration, renderings, access), operational design and optimization, demand analysis, detailed cost estimation, institutions and regulation, ITS components, traffic impact analysis, modal integration, communications and outreach, technical supervision during engineering design and construction, inventory and strategy (and costings) for dealing with urban utilities in the corridor, capacity building in all of these areas, and other aspects.
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Traffic management
Traffic surveys, simulations, impact analysis, circulation and management are all issues requiring attention as part of BRT projects. Microsimulations can help to test and verify solutions as well as explain project impacts - especially major projects such as BRT systems - to decision-makers and stakeholders. In some cases a 'full BRT' approach may not be viable or desired, with traffic management approaches to bus priority preferred. Often, the same corridor will involve a combination of traffic management and 'full BRT' measures in different locations.
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BRT systems are a major investment and cities should maximize returns by encouraging high quality station area development in line with international best practices. Special zones should be set up around BRT stations, regulating issues such as pedestrian & bicycle facilities, parking provision in new developments, on-street & setback parking, affordable housing and other approaches that can be 'trialled' first in BRT station areas before being rolled out citywide. Far East Mobility has developed TOD plans for several BRT corridors, including identifying zoning and regulatory impediments to best practice TOD implementation around mass transit station areas.
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Parking & TDM
Parking projects almost always include surveys and data collection and documentation of best practices, with analysis and recommendations on definition of zones, setting standards for parking provision for new developments, preparation of tender documents, setback parking management, parking pricing, communications, technology, roadway design, enforcement, and other aspects. Far East Mobility developed a detailed parking plan for central Yangon as part of a Bus Priority Feasibility Study in Yangon in 2018, and has worked on parking in several other cities, usually in relation to a BRT corridor project.
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The planning, design, implementation, and operation/management of pedestrian and bicycle facilities is important in any city, and is an area of intense attention by cities and agencies in almost all BRT projects. Measures that can be taken to improve bike and pedestrian facilities include bike sharing, greenways, and high quality urban bike networks. 'Complete streets' or road designs to enhance vibrancy and appeal, prioritizing cyclists & pedestrians, are an excellent way to improve BRT corridor access and promote station area development. Some of the issues relating to ensuring high quality NMT facilities with BRT are discussed in our Ji'an case study. In our experience, if excellent NMT facilities are to be implemented together with BRT, it cannot be done as an afterthought. NMT planning needs to be done in the early design stages so that it can be incorporated into designs, and needs to be supervised to ensure implementation in line with designs. All NMT improvement projects involve a wide range of implementation-oriented surveys and data collection; a process carried out by Far East Mobility in many cities.
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Road safety
Road safety is an important consideration in BRT planning and in sustainable transport planning generally. All transit passengers are pedestrians at the start and end of their trips, and road, intersection and transit system design all have major potential impacts on pedestrian and bicycle safety. One useful measure which can be carried out independently or as part of a wider transit or road project is a Road Safety Audit.
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Nothing will convince a city's leaders of the benefits, as well as the potential pitfalls and preferred approaches to BRT, as a site visit to BRT systems such as Bogota, Cali, Brisbane, Guangzhou, Yichang or Nanning. Technical personnel also benefit immensely from such visits. Far East Mobility can conduct site visit and training programs on BRT and sustainable transport, focusing on the Guangzhou and Yichang BRT systems.
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