> One thing that article didn't mention was the additional cost of
> collecting money on busses: if people could just board (by using both
> the front and rear doors!) and sit down, the bus can leave the curb
> sooner. A LOT of time is spent on people putting the right fare into
> the box, etc. And if the bus misses the light, more people can try to
> get on the bus, causing cyclic behavior. I've spent three light cycles
> at busy corners before due to this phenomeonon.
Yep. One innovation of the bus system in Curitiba, Brazil: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rede_Integrada_de_Transporte>
was to make it so that you pay the fare before getting into enclosed tube bus stops so when the bus stops people just get on without paying.
It also made it unnecessary for busses to have wheelchair lifts and the attendant extra weight -- you have them on the platforms instead.
-- Andy