Measures of success [my bold & underlining]
4.1 Adjustment/removal of ineffective bus lanes will improve traffic flow and reduce congestion at these locations, which in turn will improve air quality at these locations.
4.2 If the peak periods bus lane trial is successful and the proposals are made permanent, there would be a single operational category for approximately 90% of the city’s bus lane network. This would reduce any confusion over when bus lanes were operating, improving compliance and possibly removing the need to investigate additional bus lane signage.
Ineffective bus lanes
3.34 The adjustment or removal of ineffective bus lanes will improve traffic flow by reducing congestion. Ineffective bus lanes in the context of this report, are bus lanes where one of the two following conditions exists:
3.34.1 Locations where buses, taxis and cyclists receive marginal or no advantage and which also cause localised congestion (solution – remove bus lane); and
3.34.2 Signalised junctions where there are heavy right turning traffic flows and which also suffer from regular congestion. In these instances a potential solution is to curtail bus lanes further back from the junctions, thus improving traffic flows while still maintaining an acceptable level of bus priority.
3.35 As part of the review process a first tranche of five locations were identified (refer to background paper 2 for further details) and TRO procedures were subsequently undertaken, to remove/amend the bus lanes at these locations.
No objections were received to these proposals and these changes are in the process of being implemented.
3.36 There is an ongoing programme to identify further ineffective bus lanes and implement the appropriate changes. Consideration will be give to providing reasonable alternative cycling facilities in locations where a bus lane is being curtailed or removed.
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/download/meetings/id/44353/item_72_-_bus_lane_network_review
From my reading of it, of the 2 measures of success, one is about ineffective bus lanes - of which there are 5 locations.
The other is to reduce confusion - which could have just as easily done by making them 24/7 bus lanes...
I get the point about some bus lanes being ineffective. I think they have recently removed the ones at Gorgie Rd heading East towards Chesser Ave and Lanark Road heading East towards Craiglockhart Ave, which both got clogged by queuing right turning vehicles so buses couldn't access them.
But they only talk about this in 5 locations, but they are looking for more. Unless they are claiming that all the full time ones are ineffective, it can't be a success to change them to part time.
This does leave the only reason that they are making this change is to reduce confusion <sigh>
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