Tonight 6-830, Give Snyder's Transit Point Man an earful at TRU Meeting

[Dexlin]

Just some observations on this so-called BRT that Snyder is proposing, because no one worth their salt in the media nor even in the transit community is calling BS...

- What is being called a BRT can not possibily be any such thing. At 83 miles [[not the 110 miles posted), and only 34 stations at $500 million, there is no way this is legitimate BRT [[i.e. dedicated lanes, priority, legitimate stations, etc...). What this sounds like, to me, is a regular, old express bus system, more than a legitimate rapid transit system [[BRT). It takes more than the ordering of a few fancy buses to make a legitimate BRT.

- On the high end of things, Lansing is proposing an 8.45 mile, 28 station, $194 million BRT. This is legitimate BRT. It's proposed to have a dedicated center lane, level boarding platforms, fare collection kiosks at the stations, etc...and 6 minute peak time service. It's currently applying to the FTA's Small Starts program to help fund its capital costs.

- On the low end of things, Grand Rapids is proposing the Silver Line, which is called BRT-lite. This is barebones BRT. None of the bells and whistles of the Lansing plan, the 9.8 mile, 19 station, $37 million line will be curb running [[which means no need for raised platforms) with no kiosks, a curb lane dedicated only during peak hours of operation, 10 minute peak service. Many transit experts don't even consider this legitimate BRT. It's currently applying to the FTA's Very Small Starts program for funding.

Now, there are no details of Detroit's Metro Connection Tri-County Triangle, mostly because no plan actually exists, but just looking at the cost per mile, it's looking like it may be slightly more than Grand Rapids lite system, but given the length of the lines in Metro Detroit, this will only be a glorified express bus, at best.

If all they are proposing is express bus for $500 million, they might as well just pump that money back into improving regular bus service in the region. There is no need for extra bus transit. This is one of those things where you do it big or you go home. I support light rail if only or mostly for the economic development benefits of it. But, if we're looking to upgrade bus service, that money could go way further in investing it in merging the routes of SMART and DDOT [[if even keeping the actual bodies independent), and simply upgrading traffic signals to give them priority. But, pawning off a $500 million express bus with far less economic development potential as a legitimate BRT or rapid transit system is simply dishonest.