Road Safety Effects of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Systems: a Call for Evidence

Authors

Andres I. Vecino-Ortiz, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Adnan A. Hyder, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthFollow

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

10-1-2015

Journal

Journal of Urban Health

Volume

92

Issue

5

DOI

10.1007/s11524-015-9975-y

Keywords

Bus Rapid Transit; Evidence-based policy; Knowledge to action gap; Road safety

Abstract

© 2015, The New York Academy of Medicine. Road injuries are an important cause of global mortality especially in low- and middle-income countries. While these countries undergo major urban transformations, an integral part of their development has often been the implementation of mass transportation systems, including Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems. However, the net effect of BRT systems on road safety is still unclear, and while there is reason to believe that BRT systems improve safety, very few available empirical studies have tested this hypothesis using observational data. Furthermore, the existing evidence is mixed and sparse. This paper reviews the available literature on the links of BRT systems and road safety and calls for more research to strengthen the body of evidence on the effect of BRT systems on road safety in the future.

APA Citation

Vecino-Ortiz, A., & Hyder, A. (2015). Road Safety Effects of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Systems: a Call for Evidence. Journal of Urban Health, 92 (5). http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11524-015-9975-y