Across the United Kingdom and the United States, cities and communities are grappling with the challenge of keeping their bus networks reliable and attractive amid mounting congestion, shifting travel patterns, and passionate public debate. In December 2025, a flurry of new measures, investments, and controversies have thrust public transit—and the humble city bus—into the spotlight, revealing both the promise and pitfalls of efforts to get people out of their cars and onto mass transit.
In Salt Lake City, Utah, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) announced a sweeping plan to overhaul transportation in the popular Little Cottonwood Canyon (LCC), home to the famed Alta and Snowbird ski resorts. According to TownLift, the state agency’s blueprint will roll out over the next two years and aims to tackle the notorious winter traffic jams that have become a rite of passage for powder-hungry skiers and snowboarders.
The effort begins with a new mobility hub near the mouth of Big Cottonwood Canyon, where travelers will be able to park and transfer to buses bound for the resorts. UDOT’s plan calls for a dramatic increase in bus frequency—every 10 to 20 minutes during peak times—and the construction of new, winter-hardy bus stops at both Snowbird and Alta. "We’re dealing with challenges that have been building for a long time and have reached a point where action is needed now," said Devin Weder, a UDOT project manager, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
But it’s not just about more buses. UDOT is also moving forward with an electronic tolling system for the canyon road, designed to kick in during periods of heavy congestion. The tolls will vary in price depending on demand, and drivers won’t need to stop at a booth—everything happens automatically. At the same time, the agency will eliminate winter roadside parking near the resorts, a move intended to keep traffic flowing and improve safety.
Construction is expected to begin soon, with the expanded bus service and demand-management tools slated for completion within two years. Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson praised the plan as a set of "practical, near-term solutions," noting that it avoids waiting decades for more ambitious projects—like the much-discussed (and still legally challenged) gondola system—to come to fruition.
While Utah’s approach has focused on carrots—better service, modern infrastructure, and incentives to shift to transit—the Scottish city of Aberdeen has leaned heavily on the stick. Since 2023, Aberdeen’s city center has been reshaped by a network of so-called "bus gates"—designated stretches of road where only buses and authorized vehicles can pass, enforced by cameras and hefty fines. As Aberdeen Live reports, these restrictions on Bridge Street, Guild Street, and Market Street have generated more than 105,000 enforcement notices and cost drivers £3.7 million in fines since their introduction.
The measures, which began as an experiment in 2023 before being made permanent in early 2024, have become a lightning rod for local controversy. Shop owner Norman Esslemont took the council to court, arguing that the bus gates were unlawful and harmed business access. However, in December 2025, the Court of Session dismissed the case, ruling that there was "no merit in any of the grounds of appeal."
Scottish Conservative MSP Liam Kerr has been a vocal critic, describing the bus gates as "deplorable" and accusing the city council of using them as a "cash cow" to compensate for failed projects elsewhere. He argued, "Aberdeen should be a welcoming and inclusive city but banning vehicles with bus gates just diverts congestion to other routes that are already gridlocked. Rather than punishing drivers and cutting off businesses, these draconian measures must be dropped to give people the comfort they need to return to our city centre." The council, for its part, points to improved bus journey times and increased passenger numbers as evidence of success.
Indeed, the struggle between private cars and public buses is playing out across Scotland. According to BBC News, congestion and insufficient bus priority measures are causing journey times to creep up in cities like Edinburgh, where the average bus speed has fallen from 14.9 mph two years ago to just 11.3 mph in 2025. The Number 38 route, operated by Lothian Buses, is emblematic of the problem: it crosses eight major roads and is frequently delayed by traffic pinch points and roadworks.
Passengers like shop worker Nico Reverie and stores worker Francis Boyle voice frustrations that will sound familiar to commuters everywhere. "It is frustrating when there are delays as I need to make a connecting bus so you're sometimes not sure if it is going to happen," Reverie told BBC News. Boyle added, "There can be congestion, though I'm lucky I'm using it at times when it is not always the busiest, but they always seem to be up against the vagaries of roadworks no matter where you are in the city."
Paul White, director of CPT Scotland, explained the stakes: "When a bus or coach is stuck in traffic it lengthens the passenger journey time, increases the costs of operation, and ultimately makes bus less attractive, potentially resulting in reduced bus use, cuts to services, or higher fares." Yet, there is hope. The CPT study found that Aberdeen’s controversial bus gates improved journey times by up to 18.8% and boosted ridership. If bus speeds in congested urban areas could be raised from 7.8 mph to 13.2 mph, the study projects an additional 11.3 million journeys each year and a 38% reduction in operator costs.
To address these challenges, Transport Scotland is investing £20 million in 2025-26 to build new bus lanes, install cutting-edge signaling, and create better transport hubs. Artificial Intelligence is also being tested at over twenty junctions in Glasgow to prioritize buses and reduce delays—a sign that technology may yet offer some relief.
Meanwhile, in Brighton and Hove, England, the launch of the 3X limited stop bus service has sparked its own set of debates. The 3X, which began running in September 2025 between Hangleton and Falmer, serves several schools, two railway stations, and the Amex Stadium, with buses every 15 minutes. The service is partly funded by Brighton and Hove City Council’s Bus Improvement Plan, which also subsidizes fares.
Despite its goals—delivering fast journeys, reducing car trips, and cutting air pollution—residents in Nevill Avenue and Clarendon Road have raised concerns about the route, frequency, and lack of notification. Some worry about privacy from double-decker buses passing by homes, while others question whether the service is justified by passenger numbers. A petition to reroute the 3X from Clarendon Road to Ellen Street, which has fewer houses, was deferred for further debate in January 2026. Councillor Trevor Muten, the council’s cabinet member for transport, defended the service, saying, "The 3X does provide an excellent and welcome option. It’s attracting new passengers, reducing car journeys and air pollution in a busy corridor including along Nevill Avenue."
From the snow-packed canyons of Utah to the bustling streets of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Brighton, the story is the same: cities are experimenting with new ways to make buses faster, more reliable, and more appealing. Whether through expanded service, infrastructure upgrades, priority lanes, or even controversial enforcement measures, the message is clear—public transit is a battleground, and every second counts.
As communities weigh the trade-offs between convenience, fairness, and sustainability, the humble city bus remains at the heart of the debate—reminding us that moving people efficiently is as much about politics and public will as it is about wheels on the road.
