London’s ‘Superloop’ Buses Seek to Speed Suburban Commutes
The UK city is rolling out new Bus Rapid Transit routes to connect a ring of Outer London riders — and perhaps pave the way for future Tube trains.
Transport for London’s new “Bakerloop” line boasts all-electric double-decker buses running an express route — a rare thing in this rail-centric city.
Source: TfL
New bus routes rarely attract great attention in London, but the BL1 service, which launched in September between the central and southeast parts of the UK capital, stands out — not so much for where it stops as where it doesn’t. It’s an express bus that makes only three stops along its main 4.5 mile stretch (roughly a third of the typical number). That makes the service example of a public transit solution that, while common globally, is rare in London: Bus Rapid Transit.
BRT is a system where express buses cross long routes with few stops, sometimes using special infrastructure like separated lanes and station-like shelters that resemble those of a light rail system. Pioneered in the Brazilian city of Curitiba in 1974, BRT is often a solution adopted by big cities whose budget constraints make fixed-rail connections like subways or light-rail lines unrealistic. Globally, Asian cities host the largest number of BRT systems — the most extensive is in Jakarta — but heavily suburbanized North American cities like Indianapolis and Brampton, Ontario, have also seen success with the model.