GRT Operational Plan
Guangzhou's BRT operational plan has been devised to ensure that the existing low level of transfers and good bus route geographical coverage is maintained.
Flexible BRT routes
BRT buses will operate both in mixed traffic and also on the special BRT corridors. Under this approach Guangzhou's bus passengers, currently accustomed to a low volume of transfers, will not be forced to make more transfers with the introduction of BRT, and large transfer terminals will not be needed.
Guangzhou's bus routes are well-adjusted to meet demand, and major changes to bus routes will not be necessary for the BRT implementation.
In identity, performance, capacity, and speed the system will be like the world's best BRT system, TransMilenio, though metro integration and other innovations will be unique to Guangzhou. But in operations, unlike in TransMilenio, TransJakarta, Beijing or Hangzhou BRTs, the Guangzhou BRT buses will operate both inside and outside the BRT corridors. The concept is illustrated in the figure below.
Bus routes in the BRT will be based on the current routes. However (unlike in 'open' systems such as Seoul, Brisbane, Kunming or Sao Paulo), only the BRT routes will be allowed to use the BRT infrastructure.
This operational plan has the advantage of meeting the current passenger demand and providing a high capacity service while not forcing passengers to transfer from trunk to feeder routes.
BRT route selection
Routes have been selected for inclusion in the BRT based on the frequency of service (buses per hour per direction; the x axis on the chart below) and the percentage of the route in the BRT corridor (y axis on the chart below). The results of this analysis are presented in the chart below for both the Phase I and proposed Phase II BRT, and includes the 22 routes in Zhongshan Av which have been selected for Phase I. These routes generally have a peak frequency of more than 6 buses per hour (in one direction) and more than 30% of their length inside the BRT corridor. The other routes shown below relate to the possiPhase II BRT corridor along Dongfeng Road, Huangpu Avenue, Jiefang / Jichang Rd, and Sanyuanli Avenue.
BRT route coverage
Passengers could transfer at any BRT station onto any BRT bus. BRT buses can be accessed both inside and outside the BRT corridor.
Transfers to and from the Metro will also be possible from within a BRT or Metro station at three stations (Shipai Qiao, Gangding and Chebei).
Phase I BRT routes 
