Bus rapid transit: a potential key to density

New Urban News Article with images and sidebar, 10/1/2005

Mixed-use projects are rising near bus stations in Boston, Seattle, and elsewhere.

Can public transit’s ugly duckling — the lowly city bus — be transformed into a swan that large numbers of Americans will love?

Yes, say Bush administration officials and other backers of bus rapid transit (BRT). In Boston, Cleveland, and other cities, the federal government is helping to build BRT lines, which run faster, more frequently, and more comfortably than ordinary buses. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta contends that high-quality bus service is an effective alternative to rail transit projects, which are sometimes extremely costly to construct.

If the advocates of BRT are right, not only can buses attract a broader ridership than they currently do; they can also encourage concentrations of pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use development at certain points along their routes. One place where a spurt of development has materialized is Boston, at some locations along the Silver Line operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Agency (MBTA).