John Spellar, transport minister for the United Kingdom, recently launched a new
guided busway system in Bradford, the third U.K. city to offer guided buses. The new
operation was introduced almost 120 years to the day since public transportation first
came to the city: electric trams were introduced in Bradford on Feb. 2, 1882.
Bradford’s new central guideway enables specially adapted, modern low floor buses
to avoid traffic holdups and cut journey times by separating them from other road users.
The system was developed as part of First Group’s Quality Bus Initiative by Bradford
Council, First, and Metro, the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive. It will help
ease traffic congestion on one of the city’s busiest commuter routes while improving
facilities for passengers, pedestrians and cyclists.
The city of Bradford also is introducing innovative bus shelters that feature work by
internationally renowned artists. Six special shelters, including two unique Super
Shelters, have been designed by award-winning architects and are a flagship project in the
city’s bid to become a "European Capital of Culture" in 2008.
The Super Shelters are three times the size of the regular shelters and are equipped
with wind turbines, supported on 39-foot-high masts, that generate power to heat the
seating area. Some of the shelters include color recognition cameras that react to
changing colors of the surroundings--such as people’s clothes, passing traffic, or
the arrival of a bus--by triggering musical sounds and words.
The busway and the shelters both are part of the Bradford Integrated Transport Scheme,
designed to improve the area’s transport system radically over the next five years.
"This is another example of Metro working with its partners to improve public
transport, benefit passengers, and develop our towns and cities," said Metro Chairman
Mick Lyons. "By improving reliability, reducing road congestion, and cutting journey
times through such inventive public transport systems, we are making positive contribution
to the economy of the region as a whole."
Andy Campbell, managing director of First in Bradford, added, "With the forecast
increase in traffic volumes in our city, bus priority schemes such as this, supported by
vehicle investment and high standards of service, are critical to ensuring Bradford can
continue to provide reliable, safe, affordable, and comfortable routes to travel in and
out of the city."
Outside Britain, guided busways can be found in Essen, Germany, and the south
Australian city of Adelaide, which is one of the stops on APTA’s May Study Mission to
Australia and New Zealand.
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