BRT in the East Bay
“Better Rapid Transit”
BRT is not only Bus Rapid Transit, it is Better Rapid Transit. It is the best option available to restore high quality transit service, attract people out of their cars, and fight global warming. BRT can be built in phases, providing almost immediate relief and offering cost-effective future expansion options. It also attracts transit-oriented development.
The Planned Route
North to south, the route is planned to connect downtown Berkeley and the Berkeley BART Station with the south side of the UC-Berkeley campus, then follow Telegraph Avenue to downtown Oakland. From there, the route will follow 11th and 12th Streets to International Boulevard and proceed through East Oakland. At the city limit with San Leandro, it continues along East 14th Street to downtown San Leandro, and then along Davis Street to San Leandro BART.
The East Bay Bus Rapid Transit Project has the following corridor-wide projections when it opens (2016):
- Increased corridor ridership–From 24,000 to 42,000 patrons per day!
- Faster travel speed
- +25 percent faster during the middle of the day
- +28 percent faster during the afternoon rush hour
BRT supports Transit-Oriented Development–Smart Growth! Here’s how:
- According to the Association of Bay Area Governments forecasts (Projections 2009) the population within the BRT corridor is projected to increase by nearly 30 percent by 2035!
- All portions of the BRT route are considered “Priority Development Areas” within each city
- High quality public transit along the planned BRT corridor benefits existing land use and zoning policies. Linking transportation and land use helps relieve regional traffic and is good sound transportation planning policy
BRT makes conditions much more favorable for pedestrians and bicyclists. Pedestrians will be positively impacted in the following ways:
- Single through lane calms traffic and reduces crossing distances and “multiple threat” conditions
- BRT station platforms act as crossing refuges
- Concentration of bus passengers at BRT stations adds to pedestrian-supportive atmosphere
Bicyclists will be positively impacted in the following ways:
- Bus/bicycle conflicts eliminated or substantially reduced because they will be in separate lanes
- BRT stations allow easy level boarding of bicycles, and BRT buses will have hooks inside the vehicles where 2 to 4 bicycles can be hung in each vehicle
- Higher frequency buses will provide more opportunities for bicyclists to use transit for a portion of their trip
By 2035, BRT will reduce auto travel by 7,700 single trips per day, 42,000 miles per day and reduce fuel consumption by 1,200 gallons per day. These reductions also lead to reduced emissions and greenhouse gases. BRT will lead to the following air quality and environmental benefits:
- Reduce NOx (Nitrogen Oxide) by 13 pounds per day
- Reduce CO (Carbon Monoxide) by 78 pounds per day
- Reduce CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) by 23,650 pounds per day