Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Streetsblog.net

Finding the Buses That Need a Speed Boost

11:50 AM EDT on July 21, 2010

busspeed.jpgMapping bus speeds in Washington, D.C. Slower lines show up as dark blue. Image: Greater Greater Washington

A fresh look at old information can sometimes be all you need to better understand a knotty problem. And a fresh look is exactly what the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority provided with a new set of bus maps released this week. Using GPS data gathered last year, these maps show the average speed of the transit system's buses, painting a picture of where bus riders could use faster service. 

David Alpert at Greater Greater Washington posted the images, with some strategic graphic adjustments, and offers the analytic insight that makes these maps important:

Closer to the core, the bus speeds are generally slower. That's a consequence partly of congestion, but also partly from bus stop density. Since there are more destinations and more riders in the central areas, there are more bus stops, and those stops have more riders, which take time to load and unload. DC could reduce some, but there will still be more and speeds will therefore be slower. It's where some lines are slower than their neighbors, sometimes much slower, that the difference becomes particularly useful.

Buses that are slower than they should be pop right out of the map. Where that's true, and especially where the number of buses stuck at a snail's pace is high, Alpert recommends bus lanes, queue jumpers, and signal priority as ways to speed buses along. If the slow speed is due to lots of riders getting on and off the bus, a common problem on popular routes, off-board fare collection might be another solution to look into.

Has your transit system or DOT put forward any useful ways of visualizing transportation information? Share it in comments.

More from around the network: Charleston Moves challenges a new ordinance that would outlaw locking your bike to a tree or sign. EcoVelo marks the opening of London's so-called bicycle superhighways. And the Hard Drive details Portland's big push to bring in electric cars. 

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Wednesday’s Headlines Are Too Fast, Too Furious

When it comes to speeding, why don't regulators and automakers save drivers from themselves?

November 29, 2023

Reader Roundup: What the Demise of the Inter-city Bus Station Means for Passengers

Here's just a few of the horror stories we heard from readers who are struggling with the inter-city bus industry's latest push for "curbside" loading.

November 29, 2023

Highway Boondoggles 2023: Is the BQE the Queen of All Boondoggles?

New York City is set to squander a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix a polluting and outdated highway.

November 29, 2023

Bay Area Transit Agencies Struggles to Define a Vision for the Future

Leaders plan to put a regional tax measure on the ballot, but first they need to show what those taxes would do for the Bay Area transit system.

November 29, 2023

The Price Is Right for Tuesday’s Headlines

If congestion pricing works in New York City, City Lab predicts that other U.S. cities will quickly follow suit.

November 28, 2023
See all posts