Impact of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on Traffic, Built Environment, and Environmental Sustainability in a Travel Corridor: Ogden Express (OGX) Before-and-After Study

Details

• Creators:
  Kalantari, Hannaneh A. ; Tuffour, Justice Prosper ; Ewing, Reid
• Corporate Creators:
  University of Utah. Department of City and Metropolitan Planning
• Corporate Publisher:
  Utah Department of Transportation
• Corporate Contributors:
  Utah. Department of Transportation. Research and Innovation Division ; Utah Transit Authority
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Bus rapid transit
  • Ridership
  • Traffic volume
  • Travel time
  • Land use
  • Trip generation
  • Parking
  • Traffic safety
  • Pollutants
  • Built environment
  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  UT-26.06
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; Utah
• Edition:
  Final Report, Oct 2024-Jan 2026
• Description:
  Public transportation projects like Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) are often hailed for their potential to enhance urban accessibility and environmental quality (Ewing et al., 2014). Previous research has demonstrated that the introduction of Utah Valley Express (UVX) led to significant improvements, including reduced traffic congestion, lower crash rates, decreased emissions, and boosted development activity and property values in adjacent areas (Kim & Ewing, 2024).With these promising results in mind, the Ogden Express (OGX) was introduced in August 2023 to address the growing demand for efficient, high-capacity transit in Weber County, particularly between key locations such as Ogden Central Station, McKay-Dee Hospital, and Weber State University (WSU). However, Weber County's unique sociodemographic, geographic, and traffic characteristics introduce uncertainties regarding whether OGX will yield benefits similar to those observed with UVX. The absence of such evidence could challenge the perceived legitimacy of BRT implementations and undermine future public transportation initiatives. This study seeks to address these uncertainties by thoroughly assessing the impact of OGX on various aspects of the local environment, including traffic patterns (e.g., traffic volume, travel speed, crash rates), land use and market dynamics, and climate-related factors (e.g., potential emissions). Drawing on the methodology used in the UVX study, this research will employ time series analysis to monitor and evaluate the effects of OGX over time. Given the potential for Salt Lake City to host future Olympic Games and the associated emphasis on environmental sustainability, understanding the impact of OGX is not just critical for local transit planning but also for broader regional strategies. The findings from this research will provide essential evidence to support the continued development of BRT systems and contribute to sustainable transportation planning efforts, ensuring that future projects maximize positive outcomes for traffic, the built environment, and climate.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  25-8472
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/94083/dot_94083_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.71 MB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:0da6324bf61ffcf32c8b9b72fd1fa117d63a76779ed2de049a9372cab354e1c4ae42c9c26a8e7c06908079c791f127f3c6e71ffdaaeeef35f823a1cea3096ae8