China may have found an environmentally friendly and creative ways to save money while easing congestion on city roads.Instead of spending millions to widen roads, the Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment company is developing a "3D Express Coach" (also called a "three-dimensional fast bus") that will allow cars less than 2 meters high to travel underneath the upper level carrying passengers.
China Hush, which has nicknamed the project "Straddling Bus" has details:
The model looks like a subway or light-rail train bestriding the road. It is 4-4.5 m high with two levels: passengers board on the upper level while other vehicles lower than 2 m can go through under. Powered by electricity and solar energy, the bus can speed up to 60 km/h carrying 1200-1400 passengers at a time without blocking other vehicles' way. Also it costs about 500 million yuan to build the bus and a 40-km-long path for it, only 10% of building equivalent subway. It is said that the bus can reduce traffic jams by 20-30%.
According to Engadget, construction of the first 115 miles of track will begin in Beijing's Mentougou district at the end of 2010. Updates: China 3D Bus goes into construction by end of 2010.
The Straddling Bus technically is a Wide-body three-dimensional fast bus elevated subway function, low investment, simple, low cost, "three-dimensional fast bus" into a comprehensive cost per km is 10% of subway, bus operating costs compared with buses of various fuel reduction about 30%.
宽体高架立体快巴
综合现代快速公交BRT及地铁机车的原理，车辆加高架空到2.1-2.2米高，车体总高度4.4-4.5米，横跨二条行车道，在车体下面可并行2辆小轿车，利用右侧路边黄线及第二条行车道左边行车线位置铺设钢轨，与其它小车辆在一条路面上同行并不会影响到其它车辆的正常通行，如同穿过移动隧道一样。普通单向三条以上行车道的路面条见均可使用，在路边设有架高与“立体快巴”同步高度的路边公交站台，天桥式站台及配有自备式车梯，在停靠站上下行人时不会影响其它车辆的通行(属于无障碍停车)。
“立体快巴”的发明是全世界地面公共交通领域的一次革命， 开创了城市交通道路上空间再利用的新方式，为解决城市交通拥堵，空气污染及目前公共交通能耗高、效率低、投入高(地铁) 、营运亏损等问题找到了新的出路。其创新点主要是：充分利用城市现有交通干道立体的空间，综合利用路面行驶中小轿车2米(轿车高度为1.6)以上，及立交桥人行天桥4.5米以下的空间，来减少现有道路的拥堵。
Related links:
* China Hush - “Straddling” bus–a cheaper, greener and faster alternative to commute
* Shenzhen Huashi Future Parking Equipment company - 宽体高架立体快巴
If you like this informative post, then please subscribe to my full RSS Feed.