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MTA (NYC) and bus rapid transit (BRT)?

shishi

shishi

Cyburbian
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So I have been following the planning of the BRT system that will be put into place in the near future with 5 test routes.
http://www.mta.info/mta/planning/brt/projectupdate.htm

While I am not a BRT expert, it seems that these new lines are just enhaunced express buses, and will have little change in the climate here if a few things are not done:


1. Dedicated lanes that are blocked from car traffic
2. Pre-paid boarding
3. Right of way/Green lights
4. Need highway/expressway access.
5. All are routes within the one Borough.

Any thoughts if the BRT will actually improve the NYC transit.

Thanks.
 
Last edited:
shishi said:
Any thoughts if the RBT will actually improve the NYC transit.
Click to expand...

It's BRT not RBT, and of course it will improve NYC transit. If you look more closely at the corridor studies (http://www.mta.info/mta/planning/brt/profiles/bx_ford.pdf), the recommendations include exclusive peak-hour bus lanes, signal priority, specialized stations and other amenities.

I wish Boston and other US cities would finally get on board and implement some of these features (the surface portion of the Silver Line consists of nothing but broken promises).
 
I'm curious which of the 15 will be selected as demonstration corridors... Seems that the cross-borough ones would look best on paper (because some of the others parallel subway lines.) However, I know that some of those subways are over capacity, so it might be better to start there.

Also, I noticed that most of the lines will not have 100% dedicated ROW... I'd be interested to see how that turns out given NYC's propensity for gridlock, even during off-hours.
 
njm said:
Also, I noticed that most of the lines will not have 100% dedicated ROW... I'd be interested to see how that turns out given NYC's propensity for gridlock, even during off-hours.
Click to expand...

As a bus rider, I can tell you: anything is better than the status quo. Any improvement in speed and reliability is worth it.
 
Right of Way

BRT will work to the extent that space is given over exclussively to bus transit. The Flatbush Ave route could be really efficient if all the dollar vans and double parkers are moved out of the way. The route would pay for itself in recovered driver productivity in no time.
 
Nicolo Macchiavelli said:
BRT will work to the extent that space is given over exclussively to bus transit. The Flatbush Ave route could be really efficient if all the dollar vans and double parkers are moved out of the way. The route would pay for itself in recovered driver productivity in no time.
Click to expand...


Has any place in the US actually created a 100% exclusive bus transit line? I know Boston's silver line is a disaster (I live along it). There are some parts of it where there is an exclusive lane, but cars travel and double park in it. Other parts of the line have no exclusive lane (where the traffic is the worst!). I believe LA's new line has a lot of street crossing.
 
njm said:
Also, I noticed that most of the lines will not have 100% dedicated ROW... I'd be interested to see how that turns out given NYC's propensity for gridlock, even during off-hours.
Click to expand...

That is my worry. NYC drivers are pretty bad and enforcement is a huge joke.
 
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