- Metrobus (Istanbul)
-
Metrobüs 
Info Locale Istanbul Transit type bus rapid transit (BRT) Number of lines 1 Number of stations 33 Daily ridership 800,000 [1] Operation Began operation 2007 Operator(s) IETT Number of vehicles 315 [2] Technical System length 43 km (26.7 mi) 
Inside of a Metrobüs, Phileas brand vehicle
The Metrobüs line (grey) in relation to the Istanbul public transport networkMetrobus (Turkish: Metrobüs) is the name of the bus rapid transit (BRT) system implemented and operated in İstanbul, Turkey. The name Metrobüs was coined by the transit agency to suggest that this system is a hybrid between a metro train (Turkish: metro) and a bus (Turkish: otobüs)
The system has its fully separated right-of-way between Avcılar and the western end of the Bosphorus Bridge, and also between Söğütlüçeşme and the eastern end of the Bosphorus Bridge. The buses travel on the Bridge in mixed traffic. There are no intersections with a dedicated bus lane in each direction with few passing lanes.[3]. Metrobus Istanbul frequent services operate on a ‘closed’ BRT system with vehicles not operating beyond the separated right of way.
Contents
History
Construction work for the Metrobüs line started in 2005 and the line was brought into operation in 17 September 2007.[4]
Metrobus Line
The initial part of the line was between Istanbul University's Avcılar Campus and Topkapı. Since then, the line has seen two extensions, the first to Zincirlikuyu and the second to Söğütlüçeşme, which is located on the Anatolian side of Istanbul. As of March 2011, the total length of the line is approximately 43 km (27 mi) and it has 33 stations[5]. The bus route follows Istanbul's main highway, the D100.
Extensions are planned at both end of the line[6]. At the western end, the line will extend to Beylikdüzü. At the eastern end, a new extension to Göztepe is planned.
The extension to Beylikdüzü, where actually is the west end of the greater Istanbul with around half million population has started to be constructed in 2011 and planned to be opened in 2011 as well. With this extension it is planned to carry 1 Million passanger/day.
Metrobus Routes
While the Metrobus line is a single one lane each way BRT, five all stop routes operate varying distances along the 33 station line. [7]
- The majority of services operate between Avcılar and Zincirlikuyu (Route 34, 26 Stations) or between Zincirlikuyu and Söğütlüçeşme (Route 34Z, 8 Stations). Passengers travelling on these routes transfer at Zincirlikuyu if wishing to travel beyond Zincirlikuyu. [7]
- Routes 34G & 34A connect the two separate parts of the line travelling beyond Zincirlikuyu.
- Route 34G operates the full length of the line at an irregular and low frequency. In an easterly direction 30 trips operate business days, 10 Saturdays & 11 Sundays & Holidays. A similar number of trips operate in the westerly direction on this route. [7]
- Route 34A operates at frequent intervals during peak hours (5am to 9am & 4pm to 7pm) on business days & Saturdays with only a few odd services operating outside of peak hours across the separate parts of the line. [7]
Route Statistics, one direction only, west to east. [7](Source; Municipal Transport Authority of Istanbul (IETT) bus timetables)
Route Route Termini No. of
StationsDaily Trips
Business DaysDaily Trips
SaturdaysDaily Trips
Sundays & Holidays34G Avcılar - Söğütlüçeşme 33 30 10 11 34 Avcılar - Zincirlikuyu 26 1,824 1,732 1,012 34T Avcılar - Topkapı 15 1,284 174 70 34A Edirnekapı - Söğütlüçeşme 16 326 150 0 34Z Zincirlikuyu - Söğütlüçeşme 8 570 566 631 Total 4,034 2,632 1,724 Stations & Route Stopping Patterns.[7]
Shaded boxes indicate route operates from the station.
Stations & Route Stopping Patterns Station Route 34G 34 34T 34A 34Z Söğütlüçeşme Fikirtepe Uzunçayır Acıbadem Altunizade Burhaniye Mahallesi Boğaziçi Köprüsü Zincirlikuyu Mecidiyeköy Çağlayan SSK Hastanesi Perpa Okmeydanı Halıcıoğlu Ayvansaray Edirnekapı Vatan Caddesi Maltepe Topkapı Cevizlibağ Merter Zeytinburnu İncirli Bahçelievler Şirinevler Kuleli–Yenibosna Sefaköy Beşyol Cennet Küçükçekmece İETT Camp (Resitpaşa) Şükrübey Avcılar
Campus of Istanbul UniversityInterval Between Buses
The Interval Between Buses (frequency)for major sections of route [7] described as a bus every minutes:seconds. Statistics are for one direction only, west to east. The east to west interval between buses is similar[7].
Section of Route >> Söğütlüçeşme -
Boğaziçi KöprüsüZincirlikuyu -
EdirnekapıTopkapı -
AvcılarNumber of Stations 7 9 15 Routes running in this section 34A, 34G & 34Z 34A, 34G & 34 34T, 34G & 34 Day of Week >> Weekday Saturday Sunday Weekday Saturday Sunday Weekday Saturday Sunday Number of Trips / Day 926 726 642 2,180 1,895 1,023 3,138 1,919 1,093 Average Frequency
over 24 hours1:33 1:59 2:15 0:40 0:46 1:24 0:28 0:45 1:19 Highest Frequency
in an Hour
During Day0:42 1:05 1:15 0:17 0:24 0:40 0:14 0:24 0:36 Lowest Frequency
in an Hour
between 6am to 1am8:34 6:40 6:40 4:17 2:51 6:00 2:00 2:51 6:00 In peak hours, headway at Avcılar can be as low as 14 seconds & at Avcılar 40 seconds [7]. However, since off-board fare collection systems are not active in some of the stations, and since passengers boarding at these stations have to use the front most door for boarding (on-board fare collection systems are installed only in front of the driver), queues three to four buses long occasionally form in those stations[citation needed]. This fact disrupts the headways and forms a number of distinct "fleets" along the line. This phenomenon can even create the illusion for observers that the line is operating at headways of less than 20 seconds, since the headway within the fleets is less than 20 seconds.
Fleet
Metrobus Fleet Vehicle Length (meters) Number of seats Passenger Capacity Number of Axles Mercedes Citaro [3] 18m 42 150 3 Mercedes CapaCity [3] 19.54m 42 193 4 Phileas bi-articulated diesel–electric buses 26m 52 230 4 Phileas Failures
Phileas buses have proved to be underpowered and not strong enough to carry heavy passenger loads and climb steep hills typical in Istanbul.[8].There have been many breakdowns and mass groundings of the Phileas vehicles. The one-way Metrobus lanes become blocked whenever a bus breaks down causing delays for the buses in that direction. [9].
The Phileas buses were planned to use an electronic guidance system. .[10] The Istanbul Phileas buses do not currently use the guided bus system.
The makers of the Phileas buses’ APTS’ were taken to court in 2010 by IETT over failures of the Phileas buses including[11].
- differential failures,
- steering failures,
- tire wear,
- cracking chassis,
- air conditioning failures,
- Premature wear of brake pads,
- Oil and air leaks are
An official investigation was launched by the government over the Phileas contract with the Dutch company[citation needed].
See also
References
- ^ "Istanbul - Metrobus, A Solution That Scales". http://www.embarq.org/en/project/istanbul-metrobus. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
- ^ "IETT 2009 Faaliyet Raporu (IETT 2009 Annual Report)". http://www.iett.gov.tr/iett_2010_faaliyet_raporu.pdf. Retrieved 2011-11-06.
- ^ a b c "BRT in Istanbul: Mercedes-Benz CapaCity highly effective and popular as a comfortable rapid transit bus with a high capacity". omnibusarchiv.de. 2009-08-22. http://www.omnibusarchiv.de/include.php?path=content&mode=print&contentid=531.
- ^ "Metrobüs ilk deneme seferini yaptı". Ntvmsnbc.com. 2007-09-17. http://arsiv.ntvmsnbc.com/news/420108.asp. Retrieved 2011-01-06.
- ^ İETT Metrobüs Hatları
- ^ İETT Metrobüs Genel Bilgi
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Metrobus Statistics from IETT". IETT. http://www.iett.gov.tr/en/metin.php?no=58. Retrieved 2011-09-17.
- ^ "Expensive buses head to the garage". Hurriyet . 2009-04-21. http://arama.hurriyet.com.tr/arsivnews.aspx?id=11474078.
- ^ "Happy with Metrobus, when there is no better alternative.". Hurriyet Daily News. 2009-07-22. http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=happy-with-metrobus-when-there-is-no-better-alternative-2009-07-22. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
- ^ "50 metrobusů Phileas pro Istanbul.". busportal.cz. 2007-12-07. http://www.busportal.cz/modules.php?name=article&sid=4124. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
- ^ "Phileas’lar mahkemelik oldu". Yerel Haber. 2010-10-09. http://www.yerelhaberim.net/teknoloji-bilim/phileaslar-mahkemelik-oldu.htm.
External links
Bus İETTSubway M2 (Shuttle)Trams T1 • T2 • T3 • T5Light Rail M1 • T4Commuter Rail B1 • B2Funiculars F1 • F2Metrobus 34 (34A, 34G, 34T, 34Z)Ferries Aerial Tramsways TL1 • TL2Miscellaneous Akbil • MarmarayCategories:- Transport in Istanbul
- Bus rapid transit
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