What a BRT really is
(Part 3)
Speed and capacity of transport systems. Last Sunday, we talked about dedicated right-of-way (segregated lanes) as a necessary element of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems, the others being the boarding/ alighting stations, the service plans, the fare collection system, and internal/external system integration. Before we venture into the next, we need to get a clearer understanding of the concept of the speed and capacities of mass transport systems. These are not identical with that of vehicles they use.
A news article two weeks ago may serve as a basis for discussion on this analysis. An "e-train" transport system (5-coach train) is supposedly introduced for Cebu City, which will have a capacity of 260 passengers at a speed of 69 kilometers per hour. Taken at those rated measurements and assuming an empty unrestricted road from origin to destination, that's a mean transporting capacity. That wouldn't happen. The effective travel speed would still be the same as the average travel speed in that city where it is operating.
Take for example the LRT/MRT system in Manila. New LRT systems may have top speeds of, say, 80-100 km per hour. But take note that the train needs to accelerate (increase speed) from zero at the station for some time before it reaches these speeds and then decelerate to zero again at the next station. More often than not, it cannot even attain the maximum speed because of the short distance between stations. Only long distance inter-city trains (like the Japanese "Shinkansen") can truly attain their more than 200 kph speeds; LRT's do not. Imagine the link between Ortigas and Shaw Boulevard stations.
That's less than half of the story. The more timeconsuming portions of one's trip, say from MRT's Quezon Avenue Station, to Ayala station are: getting to the station itself, climbing the stairs four storys up, lining up to get a ticket, queuing up to get to the platform, and waiting for the next train. At the end of the train trip, you do the reverse, except the ticket line. If the system is congested, climbing up and lining up are merged, which can be rather inconvenient, to say the least. All in all, you spend more time (not to mention effort) in all the hassle getting a train ride, than the train ride itself which is usually fast.
In a trip between one's first origin to final destination, there are so many time-bound actions involved, not only the actual transport vehicle ride. Oftentimes, the goal of a transport system is to minimize these non-ride times, and not only provide actual fast travel speed. Time consumed while waiting for a ride, buying for a ticket, boarding and alighting, and queuing are actually longer, but they have much opportunities for innovative solutions to shorten. Even if your system has top speeds of 80-100 kph, you may end up with a real travel speeds of 10-20 kph. In Manila and Cebu, these may even be lower.
Singapore boasts of very excellent rail transport systems, and all us visitors there can't wait to as much time as we can to experience the speed. Actually, that depends on where you are and where you want to go. I have long found out it's sometimes even faster to use their bus systems, which are not full-fledged BRTs but nearing the latter's standards. Singapore's MRT trains are fast, but if you have to speed halfway across the island to transfer to another line to go to another section, just take the bus that runs direct. A visit to googlemaps will show you much the same thing. The speed and capacity of the vehicle used is not the final determinant of the speed and capacity of the whole transport system. If it is, why shouldn't we use airplanes from Taft Avenue to Monumento?