Pilot Project for Dedicated Bus Lane on Saina Street in Almaty Completed

A pilot project for a dedicated bus lane on Saina Street in Almaty has been completed. The city's administration confirmed the effectiveness of prioritizing public transportation and decided on further development within a comprehensive framework for dedicated lanes. This was reported by the city's department of road traffic management and passenger transportation.

The dedicated lane on Saina Street was organized in a pilot mode to assess the prioritization of public transportation on one of the city's most congested arteries.

Post-implementation monitoring indicated positive dynamics in key performance metrics for public transportation.

The most notable improvements were recorded during peak hours. In the morning peak, the speed of public transportation on the routes increased from 26.2 to 31.8 km/h—a rise of 21.37%. In the evening peak, the average speed increased from 25 to 30.4 km/h—an increase of 21.6%.

Simultaneously, there was an improvement in the regularity of public transportation. The average interval for the entire day reduced from 13.6 to 12 minutes—nearly 12%, and during the morning peak, from 13.6 to 11.6 minutes—14.7%.

Passenger flow also showed positive dynamics, with the number of daily passengers rising from 42,396 to 44,515, a 5% increase.

The growth in passenger numbers, coupled with an increase in speed and regularity, indicates heightened demand for public transportation along this route.

Thus, the pilot results confirmed the efficiency of the dedicated lane as a tool for increasing the speed and regularity of public transport, particularly during peak hours.

However, the pilot demonstrated the need for further development not as isolated segments but as an interconnected system providing public transportation priority on the city's key routes.

In this regard, Saina Street is viewed as part of a comprehensive plan, which includes a circular route encompassing Al-Farabi Avenue - Saina Street - Ryskulov Avenue - East Bypass Road, ensuring priority for public transport.

From August 31, 2026, the dedicated lane on Saina Street will be revoked. This shift is part of moving from the pilot phase to the next stage—preparing other network segments and establishing the necessary regulatory conditions for implementing the comprehensive plan.

This will require step-by-step preparations of other network sections and amending existing standards and regulatory documents of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of traffic management.

Once the necessary regulatory decisions and infrastructure are in place, the priority movement on Saina Street is planned to be implemented as part of a comprehensive scheme with integrated dedicated lanes on the city's key arteries.

The Almaty Akimat will continue developing public transportation and create conditions for its priority movement on city roads.

reported by ЖКХ24 referencing the Almaty Akimat's website.

Photo: gov.kz