Bus Rapid Transit: A near-term strategy to help build a globally-competitive local economy

Multi-modal transportation options are fundamental to the city’s, and the region’s, economic vitality. To compete in the 21^st century, Cincinnati must adopt cutting-edge, cost-effective transit strategies that connect residents to jobs. Key among those strategies is a multi-modal transit system that includes Bus Rapid Transit (rapid transit or BRT) as a means to efficiently and effectively transport commuters along major corridors to large employment centers.

FTA administrator Peter Rogoff recently praised rapid transit as an important step that cities should aggressively pursue, saying, “It turns out that busways are cheap . . . paint a designated bus lane on the street system. Throw in signal preemption, and you can move a lot of people at very little cost compared to rail.”

Benefits of Bus Rapid Transit

Incorporating rapid transit in the city’s major corridors will enhance the city’s ability to retain and attract jobs and support neighborhood revitalization by:

Re-establishing historical connections to West Side city neighborhoods that were cut off from the transportation network by the construction of the current highway system, providing a catalyst for economic development in those neighborhoods, and providing speedy connections for West Side residents to the city’s employment centers;
Supporting priority elements of MSD’s Communities of the Future Lick Run project, and the new Revive Cincinnati 50-year plan for the Mill Creek Valley;
Alleviating the parking shortages in Downtown that hinder the city’s ability to attract new jobs;
Reducing the parking congestion and costs to major employers and the city for parking facility construction in the Uptown area;
Providing transportation options for commuters to reach the city’s two largest employment centers, Downtown and Uptown; and
Preserving rights of way for future light rail development.

Overview of BRT

Rapid transit combines many of the best features of light rail with the flexibility and cost advantages of roadway transit. Rapid transit, like light rail transit, uses dedicated lanes or corridors, and also features similar platforms, access and speed. It is designed for commuters. Because the conversion to rapid transit is faster and cheaper than light rail development, it is an important interim step that helps build transit ridership and provides a functional, useful service in the near term.

Rapid Transit Has Proven, Successful Results

Rapid transit has proven, successful results

Rapid transit has been successfully implemented in Australia, South America and Europe and is now gaining popularity in North America. New rapid transit lines have opened in Los Angeles, Boston, and Oregon, and new systems are being planned or built in, San Francisco, Houston, and Seattle. Pittsburgh has used dedicated busways for more than 25 years; its three busway routes have combined daily boardings of 51,000. Learn more

Rapid Transit Funding is Available for Local Projects

The federal government has supported BRT through the New Starts program as a part of the Federal Transit Administration’s Section 5309 Capital Investment program. The Small Starts fund of the New Starts program is intended to support lower-cost transit investments such as BRT.

Cities with Existing and Planned BRT

Click title link above to view a chart of the existing cities in the United and abroad with existing and planned Bus Rapid Transit.