Why BRT Can Benefit Cities More Than Rail

In an article in Governing, Aaron M. Renn makes the case for bus rapid transit (BRT), arguing that the approach is a cost-effective way to improve transit service without the high costs and extensive timelines required to build new rail lines.

BRT offers other advantages, too. “Because they typically run on city streets, BRT systems also offer the chance to perform badly needed street and sewer repairs during construction. Sidewalks can be rebuilt or added. Traffic signals can be replaced, along with new features such as prioritizing buses over auto traffic and additional pedestrian safety measures.”

Renn points to the Red Line in Indianapolis as a successful example of BRT, noting that the entire project cost less than $100 million (whereas an Austin, Texas rail project is expected to cost $500,000 per mile), and the city benefited from a federal grant that funded 80 percent of the project. “That means the local funds essentially went to fix streets that already needed to be repaired, and the city got a BRT line for free, courtesy of the federal government.”

For Renn, BRT is a clear solution for many cities, offering a way to make transit service better and more reliable while making other infrastructure improvements.