Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) provides passengers easy access to transit vehicles and quicker travel on highways, bus lanes, and established streets. Metro St. Louis is taking serious consideration of employing BRT on local highways and on Grand Avenue; this kind of transit expansion would eliminate long waits, missed transfers – all the while keeping construction costs low. Stops would function similar to train stations, providing riders with consistent locations and solid scheduling. The BRT vehicles are not buses, they’re Rapid Transit Vehicles, and they would operate by stopping every 6-8 blocks while running every 15-20 minutes. Hybrid technology has allowed the creation of environmentally-friendly BRT vehicles that run longer and use less gas – creating low environmental impact and high economic impact. Tracking Progress presents a rundown of BRT worldwide and, ultimately, providing a picture window into the possible future of Saint Louis public transit.
The BRT Healthline in Cleveland has been an overwhelming success, leaders in the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority have been gushing about their achievements; The first BRT on the globe was built on the streets of Curitaba, Brazil, and it continues to carry 85% of the local population - check out the BRT tube stops; The first in the US was the El Monte Busway near Los Angeles, which continues to run since 1974; The Port Authority of Alleghany County has a great section on the effectiveness of BRT in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area; The National Bus Rapid Transit Institute has tons of information on funding and building BRT, including a list of all the systems in the US; Kansas City, MO has a BRT line – The MAX – and the local transit system has provided a handy overview; Finally, your own public transit system has supplied an awesome summary of possible local BRT, check it out.
