Raise the Hammer

Using standard peak hour calculation models, if the B-Line route currently gets 30000 passengers a day then, the one way peak hour passenger volumes of this line is between 1850-2600 passengers per hour per direction. Well within the normal tolerances of a LRT or a BRT right of way.

Keep in mind the advantage for LRT is that, just using single car trains (each car is 30m long if Bombardier Flexity 5 section LRV's are used),which is what is planned for the beginning of Hamilton's system, with a 5 minute frequency, using a total of 10 trains on the entire system, with surface on street stations platforms measuring 60m, the system has a maximum peak hour capacity of about 2900-3000 passengers/hour/direction. Simply changing from 1 to 2 car trains keeping everything else the same (doubles the fleet size but requires no extra train operators just maybe a few extra maintenance people for the extra trains) the overall total line peak hour capacity doubles to 5850-6000 but still only has to operate 10 trains on the entire system.

To have a BRT system with the same peak hour capacity requires a fleet of no fewer than a fleet of 22-23 full sized 18 metre, articulated buses (110 passenger crush capacity). At a 3000 passengers/hour/direction peak flow. Due to bus crowding norms and the extra depth space at stations needed to have buses look around slower buses that have stopped at stations as well as the need for bus bays not a strait platform edge, a fleet of no fewer than 48 to 50 full sized articulated buses are needed to have a total peak hour capacity of 6000 passengers/hour/direction.

The number of buses increases dramatically if you use standard sized 12 metre buses instead of the largest available single articulated models. These passenger flow assessments also assumes you have use a closed BRT system right of way operation model, if you use a open modeled system the number of transfers drops significantly and there is a slight to moderate decrease in most peoples total travel time but the number of buses needed goes up as well and therefore the total system operating cost. A more precise assessment of BRT operating models including a form of mixed use model would include the need to have accurate information regarding route lengths and types using the BRT right of way.