Optimization of “green wave” mode to ensure priority of fixed-route public transport

Abstract The studies conducted in Chelyabinsk showed that the main requirement of passengers for public transport is the speed of transportation. Many authors believe that the most efficient way to improve the speed of passenger transportation by public transport is allocation of dedicated lanes for public transport. However, this method has no visible effect under conditions of non-congested traffic. The analysis of was conducted for the traffic along Lenin Avenue in Chelyabinsk where a “green wave” mode fortraffic speed of 50 km/h exists from SUSU to the center, while a so-called “red wave” mode exists from the center to SUSU, since the 5 out of 6 traffic lights are red for the main traffic flow. The analysis showed that the public transport moves slower in direction of the current “green wave” than in the opposite one where the speed of public transport is almost close to the speed of passenger car transport. Thus, setting the “green wave” mode for public transport under non-congested traffic conditions allows to bring the speed of public transport as much as possiblecloser tothe speed of the car transport as much as possible, which will contribute to abandonment of personal transport in favor of public one for everyday trips.