Telegraph Ave. – International Blvd. route alignment chosen for East Bay’s initial Bus Rapid Transit project

Press Releases
08/03/2001

(Oakland, CA) Bus service on Telegraph Avenue and International Boulevard that’s as fast and comfortable as light rail, but built much sooner and at a fraction of the cost. That concept was adopted by AC Transit’s Board of Directors Thursday (August 2) night following the recommendation of a committee that spent two years studying mobility needs and transit options in the Berkeley-Oakland-San Leandro corridor. Envision riders buying tickets in futuristic Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stations, rather than fumbling with cash at a bus farebox. From the station platform, passengers step directly into ultramodern express buses through any of two or three doorways. The low-floor bus lets passengers step on and off quickly, speeding boarding and reducing the time spent idling at bus stops. Between stations, the expresses rely on bus-only lanes to keep moving through traffic. The buses also have a built-in ability to extend green lights at major intersections, minimizing time wasted sitting at red lights. This form of rapid transit was recommended by a committee of elected Berkeley, Oakland and San Leandro officials who studied ways to expand mobility options for residents of their cities. AC Transit and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission also participated in the study, which found that BRT can be created relatively quickly and economically. BRT does not require miles of track, special right-of-way and high-cost rolling stock. Instead, BRT employs state-of-the-art buses that are operated in a manner that imitates streetcar service in many important ways. Unlike heavy and light rail projects, many BRT features can be introduced in stages and at comparatively low cost. AC Transit is already searching the market for ultramodern low floor buses, to be powered by environmentally-friendly low-emission or zero-emission engines. Another important improvement already on the drawing board is increasing the frequency with which buses would serve BRT stations. Frequent service means less time waiting for the bus and quicker cross-town trips: that combination is a proven winner when it comes to attracting people out of their cars and into transit. This proposed BRT route extends from Berkeley via Telegraph Avenue through downtown Oakland, and along International Boulevard and East 14th Street to BayFair in San Leandro. In this busy corridor, today’s Line 40, 43 and 82 buses carry more than 40,000 daily passengers. BRT improvements are expected to quickly attract up to 20,000 new riders, reducing traffic congestion and auto exhaust emissions. The estimated $350 million capital cost for bus rapid transit in this corridor is just 38% of the projection for light rail construction. The decision for BRT does not rule out reintroducing light-rail someday. But BRT’s low cost and potentially quick implementation time make the concept particularly appealing. Getting BRT actually in place hinges initially on arranging funding – likely to be more workable than financing a light rail project.