Nantes Transit Riders Prefer Qualities of BRT Over Trams (versus, suburbs, issues)

[BajanYankee]

Thought this was interesting. There's apparently not much of a rail bias in Nantes.

Users' preferences for BRT versus LRT in Nantes | Europe and R.O.W

[jade408]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

Thought this was interesting. There's apparently not much of a rail bias in Nantes.

Users' preferences for BRT versus LRT in Nantes | Europe and R.O.W

I think rail bias is a mostly US exclusive. We stigmatize the bus at every turn and every level. Since the bus is for poor people, no one wants to be associated.

[nei]

This British poster thinks there's a bus stigma in England:

Originally Posted by dunno what to put here

I think buses tend to have stigma regardless of them being segregated or not.

Is taking public transit associated with poverty in your country or a service used by everyone from all walks of life?

[Rozenn]

The article says that the Nantes BRT line beats tramway on comfort and security. I think security would greatly depend on which neighborhood is served.


IMO comfort is pretty much the same in segregated buses and streetcars. Both are vastly superior to this system:
Translohr - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Took a picture of one under construction:



The one I've ridden (T5 in the northern suburbs of Paris) was brand new and, really, the ride quality is astoundingly low, especially above 20 pmh. Bombardier also makes rubber-tyred trams, though the system is slightly different. I've never ridden them. Sounds like comfort issues are similar to the Translohr ones.
Bombardier Guided Light Transit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by Rozenn

IMO comfort is pretty much the same in segregated buses and streetcars.

What do you mean by "comfort?" Are you talking more about things like air conditioning and cushioned seats or the quality of the ride?

[Rozenn]

The quality of the ride. Other factors don't depend on the transport mode.

[wburg]

One thing to keep in mind is that BRT is not the same as a bus. It's a more expensive bus, on its own dedicated lane, dolled up to resemble a streetcar as much as possible. This means that proper BRT costs nearly as much as an LRV line.

For all practical purposes, actual BRT has more in common with light rail than a standard (non-BRT) bus. Which may be why people like it more...

[Malloric]

I find it very odd how BRT is supposed to always have its own lane (according to some Internet posters) where light rail often does not. Nantes Busway, for example, runs in mixed traffic. So I guess from that standpoint, people actually prefer regular buses as having higher quality because Nantes is fake BRT, again, according to Internet posters.

Anyone with transit chops (which isn't me) seems to consider the fake BRT Nantes Busway to be actual BRT. I agree with them and disagree with the Internet posters who consider it a regular bus.

[nei]

Originally Posted by Malloric

I find it very odd how BRT is supposed to always have its own lane (according to some Internet posters) where light rail often does not.

Because light rail is just a type of train (physical size of trains) while BRT is a specific of bus. At least that's my understanding.

[nei]

Originally Posted by Rozenn

The one I've ridden (T5 in the northern suburbs of Paris) was brand new and, really, the ride quality is astoundingly low, especially above 20 pmh. Bombardier also makes rubber-tyred trams, though the system is slightly different. I've never ridden them. Sounds like comfort issues are similar to the Translohr ones.
Bombardier Guided Light Transit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Is this not a segregated streetcar? What makes the ride quality so low? Bumpy?