What is Transit Priority?

Transit priority can include road design and traffic enforcement to help transit vehicles avoid traffic congestion, reduce delays, and move more predictably. 

Lanes dedicated exclusively for transit vehicles, either full-time or during days/times with peak traffic congestion. 

Lanes dedicated to transit vehicles and other high-occupancy vehicles, either full-time or during days/times with peak traffic congestion.

Modified traffic signal timing so transit vehicles encounter a green light or reduced wait times at intersections with traffic lights/signals.

Lanes exclusively for transit vehicles and HOVs to bypass traffic queues at intersection approaches or freeway on-ramps. Queue jump lanes are often paired with Transit Signal Priority.

Locations for transit stops that minimize delay and optimize stop frequency (to balance convenient stop access with efficient operations). Examples of improved locations might be the far side of intersections with traffic lights, or the near side of intersections controlled by a stop sign. 

Designing stops to reduce delays to transit vehicles (such as using boarding islands or bus bulbs/curb so buses do not have to pull in and out of the traffic lane during passenger loading/unloading).

Regulations to speed transit travel (including turn restrictions for non-transit vehicles, tow-away zones and other curb management along transit routes), paired with automated or manual enforcement to ensure effective transit priority (such as on-bus cameras that can cite vehicles blocking transit-only lanes or bus zones).