York’s ‘tram-on-tyres’ ftr service goes live next week, as a fleet of 11 articulated, single-decker StreetCars will ply a specially-prepared 7.7km route.
York City Council, which is partnering First Group in the scheme, is looking for 10% modal shift from car use, and a 30% increase in public transport ridership along the corridor over the next five to six years.
It has invested £1.3M in creating a dedicated ftr path, with three roads resurfaced, new off-street parking, widened junctions and automatic vehicle location-based traffic signal priority at all signaled intersections, to create clear ‘tram-like’ runs for the £300,000 vehicles.
First has said that the vehicles, manufactured by Northern Ireland-based Wrightbus, provide some of the benefits of a tram – carrying 100 passengers each – with the flexibility and affordability of a bus. Swansea council is also set to introduce the vehicles, and to create a new, one-way route to do so (Surveyor, 27 April). York has upgraded all 75 ftr stops on the route between the western suburb of Acomb, the city centre and the University of York to the east, with raised Kassel kerbs, designed for easier passenger access. Four stops have ‘smart columns’, supplied by Cityspace, which carry real-time next-departure displays and interactive touch-screens giving local information chosen by the council.
Passengers can also use mobile phones or home/office computers to check next ftr arrivals. On-board display screens give next stops, time and weather checks, details of tickets and special offers, and local information.
The real-time passenger information and TSP are delivered through the city’s Bus Location Information Sub-System (BLISS), developed through its UTMC-based York Traffic Control Management System.
Passengers can also use their mobile phones to buy tickets, receiving a return message in the form of a barcode image for checking by a special reader as they board.
Co-ordination of on-board ITS systems is by the Wrightbus Telematics system – the result of a partnership between Wrightbus, public transport technology provider ACIS, and Irish smart ticketing specialist Mobimatics.
A second phase of improvements, including further priority measures, upgraded shelters and additional smart columns, is planned during 2006/2007.