Trolleybus, tram, bus: Which is fastest from ZhBI?

There are now more ways to leave the ZhBI (Zhelezobetonny Izdeliya) microdistrict of Yekaterinburg — a trolleybus was recently launched in this densely populated area. Now you can reach the center on three different types of public transport. E1.RU journalists conducted an experiment and set out from this district at the same time by tram, bus, and trolleybus to compare the different routes.

The experiment involved correspondents Roman Maryanenko, Daniil Rumyantsev, and Irina Porozova. We traveled to the center on the new number 25 trolleybus, the number 49 bus, and the number 15 tram, respectively. At 08:00 we were already at the stops, aiming to reach the editorial office at 10 Sheinkmana Street by 09:00. Find out if we succeeded in our report.

We should note right away that the comparison of routes is not entirely accurate, as the tram, trolleybus, and bus start from different points in the district, and their routes only coincide from Malyshevsky Bridge to the intersection of Malysheva and Mira streets. Moreover, the tram has an obvious advantage: it does not get stuck in traffic jams, so the goal of the experiment was not to determine the fastest way to the center, but to show the pros and cons of the three routes.

Below are the impressions of the experiment participants from their trips.

Roman: By trolleybus

Trolleybus route number 25 was extended to ZhBI to give the district another direct route to the center. Before this innovation, bus number 25 operated in the district, but its route only went along Vysotskogo Street, as the route ran to the University Technopark towards the Novo-Sverdlovsk TPP (Novo-Sverdlovsk Thermal Power Plant). It was a very long-haul trip that, while going to the center, had long intervals and did not go deep into the district.

Trolleybus number 25 was routed along 40-letiya Komsomola Street, where high-rise residential buildings have been built — but this route definitely does not qualify as the main transport to the center. It is rather an additional route covering the eastern edge of ZhBI.

The key point is this: buses were replaced with trolleybuses with autonomous mobility, but the problems of route 25 essentially remained the same. We are talking about long intervals and a path through traffic jams on Vysotskogo and Malysheva streets. During the morning rush hour, I stood at the final stop waiting for the trolleybus for 27 minutes, then it took another 20 minutes to get from ZhBI to the Malyshevsky Bridge exit. And all this time the cabin heaters were not working. They only turned on when the vehicle reached the overhead wire network.

From ZhBI to the Alatyr shopping center, the trolleybus took exactly one hour, even though there are dedicated lanes for public transport in places on Malysheva Street. Taking the tram from ZhBI is much more advantageous in terms of time savings. The trolleybus is not a competitor.

Irina: By tram

My journey to the city center began at the tram loop of the 40 let VLKSM (40 Years of the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League) station. Of all the routes that stop there, two were suitable for me — numbers 13 and 15. I didn«t have to wait for them at all. One of the cars was already at the terminus, and the second arrived a couple of minutes later, so I didn»t even have time to get cold.

I got an old Tatra tram. At 08:05 I boarded the tram, and three minutes later it set off on its route. Before that, I managed to chat with other passengers. They said that at this time of day, the trams run quite frequently, and if there are no breakdowns or incidents on the tracks, you usually don«t have to wait longer than five minutes.

At first, the car was spacious, and some seats remained empty, but after a couple of stops the tram became crowded. Not packed to capacity, so overall it was comfortable to ride.

The main advantage of the tram is its independence from traffic jams. As we drove along Syromolotova and Vysotskogo streets, I noticed that cars were standing in dense traffic, but we quickly covered that section.

While Daniil on the bus got stuck in a traffic jam on the dual carriageway of Sibirsky Trakt (Siberian Highway), and Roman was still waiting at the stop for the trolleybus, I had already left ZhBI and soon found myself on Lenin Avenue.

At no point during the entire journey did my tram get stuck in a traffic jam, and I arrived at my stop, Ploshchad Kommunarov (Communards Square), five minutes later than the navigation app suggested. The time was 08:47, and I even managed to stop by a store on the way before the workday began. As expected, I was the first of the experiment participants to reach the office. The total travel time was about 50 minutes.

I enjoyed traveling by tram. In my opinion, its advantages over the bus and trolleybus are speed and frequency of service. The only downside I can note is the cold in the cars. I was sitting by the window and halfway through the journey I felt my hands and feet starting to get cold.

Daniil: By bus

The number 49 bus was a pleasant surprise — it arrived at the stop early and waited for me. Several passengers took seats in the cabin. The route uses brand new articulated Volgabus buses that appeared in the city last summer. I had never ridden in one before, so I was happy to see the new display screens, payment terminals, and the spacious interior, which had free seats for new passengers throughout the entire trip.

I talked to fellow passengers, who said they regularly use this route and have no complaints about its operation. The bus waited for passengers at the terminus with a cold cabin — there was even a frozen puddle on the wheelchair platform. It thawed as the bus crawled through the traffic jam on the dual carriageway of Sibirsky Trakt. The front part of the cabin was warm for most of the trip. The same cannot be said for the rear section of the articulated bus — I felt the cold as soon as I moved to the back.

It wasn«t the worst ride of my life: the Volgabus covered nearly nine kilometers in just over an hour. It left the ZhBI stop at approximately 08:10 and arrived at Ploshchad Kommunarov at 09:12. I paid 42 rubles (less than $1) for this, didn»t freeze at the stops, wasn«t packed like a sardine, and in the half-empty cabin felt not like a herring in a barrel, but like a leisurely whale in the ocean of Yekaterinburg»s roads. I recommend route number 49 for passengers who have time to spare and want to leave the microdistrict in comfort.

Summing up the experiment, we can say that those in a hurry should choose the tram; those who like to ride without crowding and in a spacious cabin should choose the bus. The trolleybus is better suited for those who have a long walk to the tram terminus.

We remind you that we reported on the progress of our transport experiment in an online broadcast.

More materials on how E1.RU journalists get out of different districts of the city can be found in a special section.