SPRUCE

Strategic Priority for Buses, Trams and Emergency vehicles.

What is SPRUCE?

SPRUCE is a bespoke traffic signal priority system, developed to give buses, trams and emergency vehicles reliable, network-wide priority at signalised junctions. It works alongside existing UTC systems such as SCOOT and MOVA to deliver targeted, strategic priority strategies rather than simple local requests.

SPRUCE strategies have been deployed on networks across the UK, supporting bus punctuality, tram recovery, fire engine green waves and network-wide congestion management.

Bus Priority

Bespoke strategies that give scheduled and real-time priority to bus services at individual and networked junctions.

Tram Priority & Recovery

Strategic priority and recovery strategies to keep tram services running to schedule, including delay recovery after network disruption.

Emergency Vehicle Priority

Green wave strategies for fire engines and other emergency vehicles, reducing response times across a signalised network.

SPRUCE Strategies in Action

Real-world examples of SPRUCE priority strategies deployed on live networks.

Bespoke Bus Priority

Bespoke bus priority strategies designed around individual routes and network timetables.

Bespoke Tram Priority – Princes Street

Strategic tram priority through Edinburgh's Princes Street corridor, balancing tram, bus and general traffic.

Bus Priority – Individual Junctions

Local junction-level bus priority strategies to reduce delay at key pinch points.

Fire Engine Green Wave

Green wave priority strategy for fire engines, cutting emergency response times across a signalised corridor.

Network Linking – Hillsborough, Sheffield

Network-wide linked priority strategy validated using ANPR journey time data.

Tram Recovery – Edinburgh

Recovery strategies to bring Edinburgh Trams back to schedule following network disruption.

Zero Delay – Shalesmoor

A zero-delay strategy applied at Shalesmoor, minimising public transport wait time at signals.

Zero Delay Theory

The underlying theory and modelling approach behind BRH's zero-delay priority strategies.

Publications

Papers written and presented on SPRUCE and strategic priority.

SPRUCING Up Your Bus Priority

JCT Conference — 2015

A conference paper introducing the SPRUCE system and its approach to strategic, network-wide bus priority.

Strategic Priority – Buses, Trams and Fire

2014

An overview of strategic priority strategies developed for buses, trams and emergency (fire) vehicles across signalised networks.

ICT Paper

2007

An early paper on intelligent traffic control and priority approaches, laying the groundwork for later SPRUCE developments.

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