Type 2 and 3 TIAs involve the analysis of a study area using either micro-simulation and/or high-level models or both. The micro-simulation models applied should include all road public transport (PT) details. For example, public bus services that ply in the study area, along with their service frequencies. It should be able to simulate the form of conflict(s) that is/are observed on site between general traffic and the PT services. This allows the simulation and analyses of the proposed development traffic impact on the PT service performance in the study area. The Consultant will include the analysis in the TIA report and propose or recommend improvement(s) if the analysis show worsening PT service performance for the scenario(s) that are tested.
In analysing the traffic performance of future year scenario(s), the Consultant is to make a request to the LTA for information on planned or future PT services and /or PT schemes. The schemes can be in the form of planned new bus services or routing, bus lanes, PT priority and/or etc.
For Type 2 and 3 TIAs, the Consultant will undertake the following:
Collect PT related information during stage 1 of the TIA. This may include but may not be limited to bus service routes and frequencies in the study area, travel times, bus lane information if any, dwell time at stops, etc and to ensure that these information are incorporated in the model calibration stage;
Confirm with LTA on possible PT schemes to be included in the TIA analysis and the performance measures for them ; and
The Consultant is to incorporate in the simulation models any PT plans/schemes that the LTA requires to be included in the scenarios for the TIA. Where there are planned/future PT schemes, the Consultant is required to assess the trade-offs between private vehicles and buses for the study area if the scheme is implemented
When there is no planned/future PT schemes, the existing schemes for public transport services will remain in the models for future year(s) scenario tests and analysis, but the Consultant is to then propose PT-priority schemes/measures based on the observed conflicts/bottlenecks. Effort is to be undertaken to show preferential treatment to PT movements and reduce factors attributing to PT delay, such as the following but are not limited to,
Weaving friction near to road junctions between buses and cars
Interrupted flow of buses due to development traffic accesses
The Consultant is to mitigate these factors and evaluate the traffic impact, with appropriate traffic schemes/signal interventions.
Analyse the PT service performance in terms of speed and travel time, and make comparisons of the scenario(s) that are tested. The Consultant is to propose/recommend improvements where PT performance for future year scenarios are worse off than the existing year.
For areas where there is a high volume of public buses, when required (for example, key transport nodes or Integrated Developments) or due to strategic interests, LTA may request more stringent traffic performance criteria to facilitate and safeguard the efficiency of the public transport mode, i.e. public bus movements.