Bus Rapid Transit Project
Livable Berkeley supports Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and has been working with the Friends of BRT to advocate for the system in Berkeley. Now that the voters of Berkeley rejected Measure KK, the City Council will take up the merits of the BRT project proposal and will be selecting a “local preferred alternative” at the beginning of next year to guide AC Transit’s completion of the Environmental Impact Report. Once that’s in place, the city can finally vote to approve, downgrade or deny the actual project.
What is BRT?
Imagine light rail without the tracks. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) uses dedicated lanes, efficient boarding platforms, and signal priority to keep green lights green. Essentially, BRT combines the best features of rail with the flexibility and cost advantages of roadway transit.
BRT has been successfully implemented in Australia, South America and Europe and it is implemented or being implemented in more than 25 cities in North America. Across the country (Los Angeles, Boston, New York, San Francisco), people are realizing that providing improved public transit can reduce the number of cars on the road and help reduce greenhouse gases.
For an informational video on BRT systems click here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZl1N6bTp_M
The City of Berkeley is now working on developing "locally preferred alternatives" for Berkeley's BRT routes so that AC Transit can complete the Final Environmental Impact Report. Check the Livable Berkeley website for important public meeting dates for the BRT project.
For more information, visit AC Transit's Bus Rapid Transit webpage :