Comparing Bus Rapid Transit and Light Rail Transit: Which is the Superior Transit Option?

New regulations and policies are emerging to keep the Earth a secure place and fight against carbon emissions and rising heat levels. In addition to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, each country is putting effort into adopting new regulations and policies to create a #sustainableeconomy. Another problem that is being observed across the globe is the rising population. Major cities like New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Mumbai, and Delhi face such problems due to growing job opportunities. For example, a city like Mumbai has a population of 21.29 million people with 1.77% anticipated growth in 2024 according to Macrotrends, there is a need for #sustainable #transportation.

For people who commute for work, they have two options, either to choose #public or #private transportation. This article will not go into detail on the advantages and disadvantages of public and private transportation as that is a vast topic. However, for a particular country to be a sustainable economy it is just that its citizens show reliance on public transit rather than private modes of transportation. There are current #challenges for public transport to be resilient, reliable, #economical and advanced in terms of #technology simultaneously.

This article explores the comparison of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT), two modern public transit systems that often vie for attention in cities, with each metropolis selecting based on its specific requirements and financial constraints. We will go through the details of each transit system and oversee a comparison between the two.

What is Transit System?

A Transit system (as shown in the figure below) of a specific city is described as a public transportation network which is planned and designed for #efficient commute service from one location to another. So, the transit system can be a combination of various modes of transportation like #lightrail, #subways, #trains, #buses, and #trams with or without designated lanes.

One of the factors for considering the city livable is the ease of mobility by walk, cycling, and public or private transportation around the city for residents and tourists. For urbanization, the transit system is vital and must be a convenient and sustainable alternative to private modes of transportation.

Usually, the public transit system design, operations, maintenance, and rehabilitation are supervised by the municipality or they assign the responsibility to the eligible agency under their supervision. For instance, the City of Ottawa has a public transit agency known as OC Transpo which is responsible for operating the transit system services. Public transit is alternative to private vehicles with many pros such as a reduction in greenhouse gas (#ghgs) emissions, and minimal traffic congestion.

What is Bus Rapid Transit?

According to Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP), "the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a high-quality bus-based transit system that delivers fast, comfortable, and cost-effective services at metro-level capacities". BRT (as shown in the figure below) is designed to have separate lanes for rapid commute service with higher frequency and the metro level's capacity. BRT has some essential features which make commuting secure, resilient and convenient:

• Separate and dedicated lanes for buses to ensure fast travel and reach on time.
• Fare collection at the entrance of the station rather than on the bus to avoid delay time.
• Station and boarding platforms are strategically located for ease of transition from buses to light rail, trains, subways and trams.
• Specially designed buses enhance comfort, and accessibility, and allow high capacity.
• Integrated fare systems make it easy to pay with multiple options allowing ease of travel.

What is Light Rail Transit?

According to Texas A&M Transportation Institute's Transportation Policy Research, "Light-rail transit (LRT) is rapid transit that operates electric-powered single cars or short trains on fixed rails". LRT (as shown in the figure below) has special rolling stock called Light Rail Vehicles (LRV) designed to carry passengers equivalent to metro-level capacity. The commute services the LRT provides are safe, fast, and reliable. Some of the basic features of LRT:

• Designated rail track which ensures smooth and stable ride from one station to another.
• Light rails are fueled by electricity which makes them environmentally friendly during use.
• Operates independently and free from traffic congestion which makes them rapid and reliable for the commute.
• Stations are strategically located to connect various neighbourhoods and communities with the downtown core.
• Fare collection system when entering or exiting the system to ensure passengers pay per ride.
• Operates on a schedule which is fixed and frequency is based on the demand.
• LRT systems are often integrated with other transportation systems like BRT, airports, and trains for a smooth transition.

Comparative Analysis

BRT over LRT:

• As per ITDP, BRT's average capital cost per kilometre is 10 million dollars which is low compared to LRT which is 37 million dollars. LRT essentially requires dedicated rail tracks along with signalling and communication technology for operations which are not required in BRT infrastructure.
• BRT is more flexible and adaptable in terms of system implementation as well as operations. BRT buses can run on dedicated as well as general roadways and are able to use another route during road maintenance or any construction work.
• According to Recent Developments in Bus Rapid Transit: A Review of the Literature, Construction time for the BRT project is less than 18 months compared to the LRT project which is about 2 to 3 years because the LRT system is way more complex than the BRT.
• BRT services can be operated based on demand and can be increased according to the accommodation of passengers.

LRT over BRT:

• According to Recent Developments in Bus Rapid Transit: A Review of the Literature, the light rail has a line capacity of more than 12000 passengers per hour which is higher than the BRT. Whereas, the maximum capacity of LRV is in the range of 170 - 280 passengers per unit.
• LRT offers rapid and more reliable travel time due to their dedicated rail tracks. Due to this, they are uninterrupted by traffic congestion and avoid delays for the commuters.
• Even if LRT has a higher initial investment, in the long term LRT is a cost-effective solution for commuting services since periodic maintenance and part replacement are seen more in BRT compared to LRT.
• LRT has a lower environmental impact since they are usually powered by electricity. The electricity used can be sourced from renewable energy which helps in minimizing greenhouse and air pollution.
• For urbanization, LRT is a more prestigious and attractive option for enhancing the overall image of a city.

Which is better?

According to Recent Developments in Bus Rapid Transit: A Review of the Literature, the BRT system has flexibility, low average capital and operating cost per mile, is easy to implement and in terms of customer satisfaction BRT has shown a positive impact. Even if the BRT system has shown major pros compared to the LRT, the downside of such public transportation is the propulsion system used which is an Internal combustion engine powered either by gasoline or diesel. In 2023, there has been a tremendous rise in electric vehicles, still, there is time for electric buses to be a feasible solution in terms of upfront and operating costs.

Metropolitans are putting effort to a great extent into the LRT system due to its positive environmental impact and long-term cost-effectiveness. Rising personal conveyance on the road and arising traffic congestion have made decision-makers find a superior and highly accommodating public transportation system to diminish such obstacles. Many municipalities are planning to amalgamate their transit system with LRT and existing BRT systems to upgrade the connectivity to the downtown core and provide opportunities for new construction around the transitway. Another reason the LRT has been implemented in megapolis despite of high initial investment is to improve the image of the municipality worldwide in terms of urbanization.