Planner: Forget the shiny buses and fancy names; BRT is about reliability
BUSINESS RECORD STAFF Oct 14, 2016 | 3:50 pm
1 min read time
231 wordsAll Latest News, TransportationCorey Pitts, a planner with VHB, writes in Mobility Lab that we in the press focus too much on the speedy trips, shiny buses, special names and fancy shelters associated with bus rapid transit lines.
The Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority’s latest long-term plans call for “enhanced corridors” that could include BRT-style services along University, for example.
Pitts argues that the sales pitch for rapid transit should be this: It’s more reliable than other options. And that’s because of perks such as devices that keep traffic signals green longer, special lanes and mobile ticketing.
“While the media, transit agencies, and planners often focus on the flashiest individual elements that each system provides, the biggest benefit — reliability — gets lost in the details,” Pitts wrote. Mobility Lab, backed by Virginia transportation interests and the U.S. Department of Transportation, seeks to examine the advantages of various ways to get around town.
“The reality is that no amount of swoopy bus design and new branding is going to convince people, particularly those with other options, that BRT is a more reliable option than a regular bus or a car,” Pitts wrote.
The point is to describe the options in terms of what riders will like, such as the fact that using smart cards to pay for fares in advance gets hundreds of people on the bus faster, and that saves trip time, he added.