SURAT BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM

Surat Bus Rapid Transit System

BRTS Surat Project

• BRTS for Surat is a multifaceted project which integrates land use and transport, various forms of public transport services as well as other motorized and non-motorized modes through various physical, operational and policy interventions to achieve the objective of making Surat an accessible and competitive city. Given this multi-dimensional nature of the project, anticipated impacts are numerous and some measurable and some qualitative.

• The proposed Bus Rapid Transit System will be a high quality, ultra-modern and passenger oriented rapid transit system to deliver fast, comfortable, economical and eco-friendly mobility to urban dwellers. By introducing the BRT system, the overall traffic flow will improve as significant shift from privatized modes towards BRT system is expected. Based on a detailed assessment, it is recommended to develop a BRTS of around 29.7 km in phase-I and 58 km in phase 2.

• An integrated transit system comprising of BRT, regular urban bus, regional bus and regional rail are envisaged to deliver the feeder services to meet with the needs of people of Surat

BRTS routes of phase 1

BRTS major project components

• Surat Navsari road (10.20 Km)

• Dumas Resort - Sarthana Jakaatnaka (via canal road) road (19.7 km)

• Bridges Flyover & ROB (2 x 4 lane)

• Pedestrian Subways (5)

• Bus stops (33)

• Terminals & Depots (3)

• ITS Application

Real Time Transit Launch

• Surat Municipal Corporation with the help of its SPVs, Surat Sitilink Limited and Surat Smart City Development Limited has collaborated with Google to add real-time bus information in Google Maps. This would provide the commuters real time bus information making it easier to plan their trips. Surat is the first city in Gujarat and second in India to launch real time transit information with Google Maps.

• So the next time you’re planning a trip between Patelwadi and Maharana Pratap Circle, you can simply type the two locations into Google Maps to get information about which bus to catch and – more importantly – you’ll see when the next bus is actually arriving at your stop. You’ll also get an estimation of how long your trip is going to take, and if your bus is delayed Google Transit will automatically update the times in line with the new conditions. Arrival times based on real-time information available are marked in green on Google Maps.

• The new Google Transit feature will enable people in Surat to get real-time updated information for Surat Sitilink's transit routes, the company said. Commuters in Surat will be able to get information such as when a bus to their desired destination will arrive at their stop, and how long the commute could take. People will also be able to check the arrival time for the next bus The new feature is available on both Android and iOS apps of Google Maps, and users can also find such information through a search on Google if they looked up for a particular bus stop, and tapped on the name and the listed bus numbers.

 

• "Surat Sitilink Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Surat Municipal Corporation, offers a passenger oriented transit system that is fast, comfortable, economical and eco-friendly. Surat Smart City want to deliver an enhanced experience for our commuters by sharing real-time transit information with Google Maps. We are confident that the practical use of this technology will facilitate better trip planning resulting in greater convenience to commuters." said Shri M Thennarasan IAS, Municipal Commissioner, SMC and Chairman, Surat Sitilink Limited.

BENEFITS OF BUS RAPID TRANSIT

Transit Improvements:

• Level boarding eliminates need for lifts or ramps for wheelchairs and or for people with disabilities or traveling with strollers or carts. Boarding will be exactly like boarding BART. This makes boarding for people in wheelchairs much faster and safer.

• Dedicated lanes keep buses out of traffic, running on time, and prevents bus bunching, which helps to reduce operations cost, allowing for more service and less cuts

• BRT buses will come more frequently - in some places, every 5 minutes - all day long (not just during peak hours!)

Safety from Crime:

• Increased lighting at stations makes waiting for transit much safer;

• Emergency phones at stations provide direct links to police or sheriff;

• Cameras at stations will act as crime deterrents;

• Fare inspection officers also increase presence of authority, and can act as "eyes and ears" of police or sheriff;

Safety from Traffic:

• Dedicated lanes calm car traffic to safer speeds

• Bike lanes calm car traffic to safer speeds, and get bikes off of sidewalks;

• New traffic signals make it safer to cross the street;

• Improved crosswalks and bulb-outs increase visibility of pedestrians;

Health Benefits:

• Improved ambulance and fire response times by giving emergency vehicles access to a traffic-free dedicated bus lane while maintaining access to senior facilities from the street;

• Creates bike lanes, which encourage biking which has been proven to improve health;

• By offering greener choices for transportation, BRT reduces asthma and other respiratory problems by reducing air pollution;

• Reduces obesity and health problems by creating safe, accessible and walkable communities. BRT would create pleasant transit stops and safer streets and sidewalks;

Economic Benefits:

• Turns a 45 minute bus ride into a 30 minute bus ride, saving time and money for riders;

• By offering people a competitive, reliable alternative to a private vehicle, household transportation costs can be reduced, thereby freeing up more resources for other necessities such as housing and healthcare;

• BRT creates hundreds of local jobs (construction and support jobs);

• Invests $180M into Oakland and San Leandro from Regional, State and Federal sources;

Environmental Benefits:

• Reduces GHG's by 1,900 tons per year by attracting more riders and with new, state-of-the-art hybrid buses that reduce travel times by 30%

• Cleaner, greener buses (made in the USA) means improved air quality and reducing air pollution that causes asthma and other respiratory illnesses;

• Saves 210,000 gallons of gas from being burned per year in Alameda County