Abstract

This study explored safety impacts of a new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system that was built in the Haifa metropolitan area, Israel, and began its operation in August 2013. Using accident data for Haifa city during the first two-years of the BRT operation, the study examined accident changes on roads with the BRT routes, related to comparison sites, and safety performance of streets with various BRT configurations. In spite of concerns related to the complexity of BRT settings and high traffic volumes, the BRT operation did not lead to a worsening in road safety, while decreasing trends were observed in some accident types and irregular shares of severe or pedestrian accidents did not appear. Such results were judged as successful and supporting the appropriateness of the design solutions adopted in the BRT system. The findings did not indicate significant differences in safety performance of streets with various BRT configurations, thus, leaving space for continued use of various forms. The major safety problem is seen in pedestrian accidents at BRT junctions for which new engineering solutions are needed.