Bus Rapid Transit: Easy to Build, Easy to Destroy

[thelakelander]

An interesting read from Americancity.org considering BRT is planned for our streets.

Planners often promote bus rapid transit (BRT) as cheap to build and more flexible than rail transit. But that flexibility also makes it even cheaper to dismantle. A stroke of the pen can completely destroy a BRT line.

Even the highest quality BRT systems run in lanes that could just as easily serve regular drivers. All it takes is one government decision to allow private cars on a BRT busway, and then blam: What you have isn’t really BRT anymore.

full article: http://americancity.org/daily/entry/bus-rapid-transit-easy-to-build-easy-to-destroy

[Lunican]

BRT does seem to be a good way to convert transit money into highway money.

[tufsu1]

Miami is considering converting the South Dade Busway to a toll and/or HOV facility

[Ocklawaha]

Miami is considering converting the South Dade Busway to a toll and/or HOV facility

In which case it's a great way to convert a railroad, into a busway, into a highway...  Rather like a game of Mass Transit Faro and we, the citizens, are all Punters.

The other factor in Bus Rapid Transit that is just starting to come into focus is the discovery that BRT can easily become more expensive then streetcar/light rail over the life cycle of the system. Higher O&M costs, equipment replacement at roughly 3x that of rail, and pavement rehabilitation every 10 years, can ad up pretty fast.

[thelakelander]

I assume the South Dade Busway is considered to be a successful example of BRT?  How has it fared in terms of stimulating transit oriented development at its stations?

[thelakelander]

I don't see any TOD along Miami-Dade's busway but it does have a pretty wide multi-use path running beside it for pedestrians and cyclist.  It would be nice if we could incorporate bike and pedestrian infrastructure into our own BRT projects, especially in downtown.

[tufsu1]

Here's a follow-up artilce from Next American City

http://americancity.org/daily/entry/do-bus-rapid-transit-right-and-it-wont-get-killed