Does New BRT Reduce Freeway Congestion?

"The first attempt to determine if the new Orange Line busway has eased rush-hour traffic has found an improvement in the morning commute on the 101 Freeway â€" although one so small that most harried commuters probably haven't noticed.

The study of the freeway, conducted by researchers at UC Berkeley on behalf of The Times, determined that traffic through the south San Fernando Valley from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. has sped up about 7% â€" from an average 43 mph to 46 mph. And since the 14-mile busway opened Oct. 29, the amount of time that morning commuters waste being stuck in congestion â€" defined as traffic slower than 35 mph â€" has declined about 14%, the study found.

It also found that congestion on the heavily traveled freeway is now beginning about 11 minutes later than before the Orange Line opened, with the onset of the morning slows shifting on average from 6:55 a.m. to 7:06 a.m."

Thanks to David Jacot