Bikes in bus lanes are better - fact

Transport for London’s Motorcycle Policy Unit carried out a study modelling typical powered two wheeler journeys on main routes into London. Published in April 2010 the study suoght to determine whether there are likely to be journey time savings and consequent emission reductions generated by permitting powered two wheelers to use bus lanes.

Six routes into Central London where motorcycles are permitted were identified; the Metropolitan Police assigned riders and drivers to survey the routes with one powered two wheeler travelling in bus lanes where available and a powered two wheeler and a car travelling in general traffic lanes. These surveys all started at the same time with one route being surveyed per day. Averages were then taken of all of the journey times by mode and this showed that:

• Powered two wheelers using bus lanes where available took an average of 2 minutes 29 seconds per kilometre;
• Powered two wheelers using only general traffic lanes took an average of 2 minutes 46 seconds per kilometre.
• Cars using only general traffic lanes took an average of 3 minutes 55 seconds per kilometre.

The distances travelled by mode and the average journey speeds recorded were used to estimate the emissions and fuel consumption for a sample of ‘small’, ‘medium’ and ‘large’ vehicles (cars and motorcycles) on those routes, using the Department for Transport’s ‘Road Vehicle Emissions Database’. Averages were then taken of all of the emissions and fuel consumptions by vehicle ‘size’, mode, fuel type and lane travelled in and this showed that, over a comparable route length:

• Powered two wheelers using bus lanes where available emit an average ofbetween 0.5% and 9.0% less Carbon Dioxide than powered two wheelers usinggeneral traffic lanes only;

• Powered two wheelers using bus lanes where available emit an average of between 0.5% and 10.0% less Oxides of Nitrogen than powered two wheelers using general traffic lanes only;
  

• Powered two wheelers using bus lanes where available consume an average of between 0.4% and 9.0% less fuel than powered two wheelers using general trafficlanes only;
  

• Powered two wheelers using bus lanes where available emit an average of between 100% and 500% less Carbon Dioxide than petrol cars using general trafficlanes only;
  

• Powered two wheelers using bus lanes where available emit an average of between 50% and 550% less Oxides of Nitrogen than petrol cars using general traffic lanes only;
  

• Powered two wheelers using bus lanes where available consume an average of between 100% and 500% less fuel than petrol cars using general traffic lanes only.
  

So, environmentally speaking, there is a massive benefit in allowing powered two wheelers to use bus lanes. Read the full report at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/pt-emissions-study.pdf