Design and Evaluation of V2X-Based Dynamic Bus Lanes

In mixed traffic, the popularity of public transport (PT) is still affected by relatively low operating speeds compared to private vehicles. To overcome this, PT priority measures have been proposed and adopted extensively. However, existing solutions such as exclusive bus lanes or traffic signal priorities are often limited in terms of available road space or large-scale feasibility. In this paper, we propose a Vehicle-to-Vehicle/Infrastructure (V2X)-based dynamic PT priority concept in mixed traffic called Virtual Right of Way (VROW). Private vehicles in front of a PT vehicle make spaces through collaborative lane changes within a dynamic clearing distance computed based on the current traffic situation. This allows a more efficient allocation of road space while still maintaining a high level of PT priority. In this paper, we evaluate the potential traffic impacts of VROW on both PT and private vehicles by conducting microscopic traffic simulations within a small urban network and a highway scenario. Comparisons with mixed traffic and other existing bus lane priority strategies, in terms of operation and safety concerns, are analyzed and highlighted. Simulation results show that VROW improves the PT operational performance with only a marginal influence on private vehicles measured by their average travel time and the number of lane changes.