An experiment started several years ago to introduce dedicated lanes for public transport in Moscow did not bring the desired result. Therefore, the city authorities decided to eliminate the special lanes and dismantle the corresponding signs.
The first dedicated lane appeared on the Volokolamskoe highway in Moscow in the summer of 2009. By 2012, there were already 15 such special lanes in the capital. They were designed to increase the speed of public transport, as well as improve the conditions for boarding and disembarking passengers.
But the experiment with highlighted lanes was not to the taste of motorists. On the highway with "dedicated lines" the transport situation has deteriorated sharply. This was due to a decrease in the number of lanes for conventional cars, which made traffic much more difficult. And motorists, contrary to forecasts, were in no hurry to change to public transport.
In addition, claims were made that buses running on dedicated lanes duplicate metro lines, so passengers are not fully used.
To optimize traffic, proposals were made to allow the use of leased lines for taxis and private cars, in which, in addition to the driver, there are three or more passengers. But the innovations were never implemented. The project was recognized as unsuccessful and decided to curtail.
The Moscow authorities have allocated 52 million rubles for the elimination of the allocated lanes. To begin with, 9 lanes out of 15 were removed, and by the end of October 2012 the remaining ones should be eliminated. It was also decided to demarcate the lanes that have not yet been commissioned.
To unload the roads, a new plan was developed, according to which they are going to launch high-speed buses and trams, light rail transport.
It is assumed that, first of all, they will be launched along the Dmitrovskoye highway to the village of Severny, as well as along the Entuziastov highway to Balashikha. 12 such routes are going to be introduced in total.
Further introduction of dedicated bands is planned, but they are going to approach this more carefully, weighing all the pros and cons.
