Istanbul Starts Bus Priority Road Project to Ease Traffic Congestion

The megacity Istanbul, which is on the agenda with traffic problems, has initiated the bus priority road project covering a 120-kilometer route. The project, which will ease public transportation, will be implemented for the first time this year as a pilot application.

Prof. Dr. Mustafa Ilıcalı, former Head of Transportation Department of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), and Director of Istanbul Commerce University Transportation Systems Application and Research Center, provided information about the “Bus Priority Road” project, stating that after the necessary analysis and planning, the project could be implemented all over the city.

Ilıcalı also spoke about his tenure as the head of the department regarding the traffic problem in Istanbul. He mentioned the metrobus, which significantly facilitates traffic in Istanbul:

“During President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s term, I was also the Head of Transportation Department. We couldn’t get approval, couldn’t do it. When Kadir Topbaş became the mayor, we proposed it, it drew his attention, and it was implemented. Today, the metrobus carries 1 million out of 9 million passengers. This is a significant figure. However, they are now operating beyond capacity. There is a security risk. Besides that, it is troublesome in terms of comfort.”

Ilıcalı, who has been involved in transportation for over 40 years, stated that studies were conducted during Kadir Topbaş’s term for the new project, and UKOME decisions were made. Ilıcalı announced the plan for a 120-kilometer bus priority road that will speed up public transportation in the city.

He explained that they made a presentation to the municipality, indicating that a separate lane was reserved for buses in the preferential bus lane, while other lanes were for general vehicle use. Furthermore, Ilıcalı emphasized that the preferential lane triples the speed of buses, saying:

“The metrobus speed is at least 30 kilometers per hour. The speed of adjacent vehicles drops below 10 kilometers. The public will make their choice here. While everyone has a car in Europe, they avoid public transportation because it is very strong. Therefore, with more comfort and faster movement here, there will also be a reduction in traffic.”

“WHAT MATTERS IS A LARGE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS PASSING THROUGH”

Emphasizing that what matters is not the passage of a large number of vehicles in a short time but a large number of passengers passing through, Ilıcalı stated that the bus priority road could be implemented on two-lane roads, where one lane is for buses and the other is for mixed traffic.

Ilıcalı provided the following information:

“If it’s a three-lane road, it can be implemented easily. This can be planned for right turns and left turns very comfortably. A shared lane application is in place. The 80 kilometers determined by IMM, 40 kilometers are very limited. It can be implemented all over Istanbul. For example, in front of Istanbul Commerce University, Imrahor Street, if necessary, an analysis is made here, the geometry of the road, how many lanes, 2 lanes, can be easily implemented. Beşiktaş Ayazağa, 3 lanes, can be easily implemented. Integration with other systems can also be provided. When we look at it practically, I think the decisions taken by IMM in the past have decreased significantly in terms of kilometers. In Istanbul, which has thousands of kilometers of main arteries, it can be implemented on any road with at least 2 lanes. As long as we plan well, conduct a good analysis, demand analysis, good geometric planning, and a good electronic monitoring system control, you can implement it everywhere. Violators are instantly detected by EDS cameras.”