New bus rapid transit system to support urban development in growing city

19.09.2018

A new BRT (bus rapid transit) system, Denmark’s first, will help boost the city of Aalborg and support future urban development. The system is expected to be ready in 2023. COWI will assist Aalborg Municipality in the design of the new system.

New construction projects such as New Aalborg University Hospital and a high inflow of residents are putting pressure on the infrastructure in Aalborg, Denmark 4th biggest city. Traffic congestion is increasing and public transit is struggling to keep up with demand.

To meet the challenges, the municipality has decided to invest in a bus rapid transit system (BRT) , a climate- and user-friendly public transit solution that – just like light rail – runs in a separate or congestion-free alignment. A BRT bus can fit 150-200 persons. The line will run from the racetrack in the west to New Aalborg University Hospital in the east.

Not only will the line help solve the traffic challenges by offering a great alternative to car traffic; it is also a vast urban development project that will boost the city considerably by creating cohesion between urban development and public transit.

"Up to 50,000 residents will live less than 500 metres from a BRT station, which will provide unseen flexibility and mobility and fundamentally change the city's coherence. This will be the first real BRT system in Denmark, but we have solid experience with light rail projects in other cities. In many ways, we're using the same competencies and solutions to design a BRT line," says Thomas Sørensen, Project Manager in COWI.

In many cases, BRT is considered a viable transportation solution to create better mobility in growing cities around the world.

Aalborg Municipality has split the 12-kilometre BRT section into 13 construction packages and six station front areas. This split makes it possible to work on different parts of the section, while maintaining a sensible traffic flow in the city.

The call for tenders for the construction works will commence in October 2018.