Metronit

The Metronit (Hebrew: מטרונית‎), also spelled Matronit, is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Haifa, Israel.

Metronit
Overview
Native nameמטרונית‎
LocaleHaifa and the Krayot
Transit typeBus rapid transit
Number of lines3
Number of stations143
Daily ridership92,000 (May 2015)
Annual ridership30 million (2014-2015 year)
Websitehttp://www.dannorth.co.il
Operation
Began operationAugust 2013
Operator(s)Dan Bus Company (Northern branch)
Number of vehicles90
Technical
System length60 km (37 mi)
Inside the Metronit

One Metronit line, the Red Line, operates during the weekend, or Sabbath, i.e. on Friday and Saturday,[1] which is almost unique in Israel - as of 2019, only in Tiberias do public buses also offer service on Sabbath.

Overview

Name

The name, Metronit, was among some 500 suggestions submitted by the public in a prize-winning competition.[2] Metronit was chosen for several reasons. The name itself was deemed to be easily expressed, catchy and unique.[2] The Hebrew word, "Matronit" - meaning "respectable woman" or "lady" in Hebrew[3] - was felt to convey a feeling of elegance and respectability. The prefix "Metro-" implies an efficient metropolitan rapid transportation system; the trailing "-it" is in line with Haifa's existing Carmelit funicular subway and the Shkhunatit internal neighbourhood minibus system.[2]

Vehicles

The Metronit consists of 90 18.75-meter long high-capacity buses on three routes, with a capacity of 120-140 passengers per bus. Some of the buses operate with hybrid engines (six Phileas buses manufactured by APTS) and are currently being evaluated for more widespread use. The rest of the buses are conventional MAN Lion's City GL Diesel powered buses. The network is a total of 60 km (37 mi) in length - of which 40 km (25 mi) are dedicated roadways.[4]

The Metronit is unique in Israel in that it uses bi-articulated buses on specific routes. The choice of this mode of transport was due to the advantage of limited damage to the environment during construction, increased capacity on existing roads, and reduced operating costs compared to a standard bus or light rail line.

Construction

The Metronit project was developed by Yefe Nof, a company owned by the City of Haifa which is involved in planning public transportation, infrastructure, and other building projects in the Haifa metropolitan area. A tender for its operation was published in September 2009 with the original intention that the system be completed by Fall 2012. On August 4, 2010, it was announced that Dan won the tender to operate the system for 12 years. The cost of the system is estimated at 1.5 billion NIS (approximately $400 million US).[5]

Commencement of operations
Metronit station in Sprinzak neighborhood

The Metronit began testing on August 2, 2013, and passenger operations commenced on August 16, 2013.[6] As the first BRT system in Israel, there were initially many operational problems, caused mainly by a lack of priority at traffic lights, insufficient bus drivers and more passengers than anticipated. To promote the service, there was initially a period of free ridership[7] that ended on December 23, 2013.

In May 2015, the daily ridership on the Metronit was 92,000 - with a total of 30 million passengers using the system in the first year.[8]

Lines

There are currently three Metronit lines. The first operates from the Krayot Central Bus Station to Hof HaCarmel, the second from Kiryat Ata to Bat Galim Central, and the third from Kiryat Yam to Hadar HaCarmel.

Line Length Towns served Route description Number of stations Frequency Approximate journey time (end to end)
Red Line (Line 1) 25 km Kiryat Motzkin, Haifa From Krayot Central (in north Kiryat Motzkin), via Route 4, Histradrut Way, HaMifratz Central, and Downtown Haifa to Hof HaCarmel 38 Every 4–8 minutes during daytime hours (06:00-20:00), every 10–20 minutes at night (20:00-05:00) and on Shabbat. Operates 24/7 65 minutes
Blue Line (Line 2)) 18 km Kiryat Ata, Haifa From Kiryat Ata to Bat Galim via Route 4, Histradrut Way, HaMifratz Central, and Downtown Haifa 33 Every 6–10 minutes during peak hours, every 12–30 minutes during off-peak (no night or Shabbat service) 52 minutes
Green Line (Line 3) 16 km Kiryat Yam, Kiryat Haim, Kiryat Shmuel, Haifa From Krayot Central, via Kiryat Yam, Kiryat Haim, Kiryat Shmuel, Histradrut Way, HaMifratz Central to HaNev'im Street in Hadar HaCarmel 30 Every 10 minutes during peak hours, every 12–60 minutes off-peak (no night or Shabbat service) 50 minutes

See also

References
  1. , accessed 1 May 2019
  2. מי יודע מה זה 'מטרונית'? בחיפה יודעים [Who knows what 'Metronit' is? Haifa knows]. ערוץ 7 (in Hebrew). 2006-09-05. Retrieved 2015-10-25.
  3. Eyadat, Fadi (2007-12-17). בין אוטובוס לרכבת קלה התפשרו על "מטרונית". הארץ (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2015-10-26.
  4. "Haifa to get new 'Metronit' Bus Rapid Transit system by 2011". Jpost.com. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  5. "Dan Wins Tender for Operating the Haifa Metronit". Calcalist.co.il (in Hebrew). August 4, 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
  6. "Haifa Launches 'Metronit' System". Calcalist. August 16, 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-28.
  7. "המטרונית בחיפה החלה לפעול, הנסיעה בה - ללא תשלום - וואלה! חדשות". News.walla.co.il. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  8. "Metronit Closes First Year: 30 Million Passengers". Ynet (in Hebrew). May 31, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
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