What is a BRT Corridor?

A BRT corridor is a section of road or contiguous roads served by a bus route or multiple bus routes with a minimum length of 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) that has dedicated bus lanes. The BRT Standard is to be applied to specific BRT corridors rather than to a BRT system as a whole, because the quality of BRT in cities with multiple corridors can vary significantly*.

To be considered BRT, a corridor must:

·         be at least 3km length with dedicated lanes,

·         score 4 or more points in dedicated right-of-way element,

·         score 4 or more points in busway alignment element; and

·         score 20 or more points across all five BRT Basics element.

*See The Scorecard 2016 for more details.

The BRT Basics

There are five essential features that define BRT. These features most significantly result in a faster trip for passengers and make traveling on transit more reliable and more convenient. 

Dedicated Right-of-Way

Bus-only lanes make for faster travel and ensure that buses are never delayed due to mixed traffic congestion.

Busway Alignment

Center of roadway or bus-only corridor keeps buses away from the busy curbside where cars are parking, standing, and turning

Off-board Fare Collection

Fare payment at the station, instead of on the bus, eliminates the delay caused by passengers waiting to pay on board

Intersection Treatments

Prohibiting turns for traffic across the bus lane reduces delays caused to buses by turning traffic. Prohibiting such turns is the most important measure for moving buses through intersections – more important even than signal priority.

Platform-level Boarding

The station should be at level with the bus for quick and easy boarding. This also makes it fully accessible for wheelchairs, disabled passengers, strollers and carts with minimal delays.