Bus Rapid Transit on Ashland - should I like this?

The proposed Bus Rapid Transit strikes me as wrong, but maybe I don't understand. What I don't get is how buses can be faster if they run at surface level with all the intersections.

Also, I don't see drivers smacking their foreheads and exclaiming, "Gee, I could be riding that bus, I'm leaving the car home tomorrow!"

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Permalink Reply by Kara B on December 10, 2013 at 8:53am

interesting point, thanks.

Adam Herstein (5.5 mi) said:

I've given up on making Ashland more bike friendly. I feel like BRT is already asking for a lot and adding bike lanes will just give opponents more to complain about. I'd rather see nearby protected lanes on already bike-friendlyish streets, like Damen or Racine.

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Permalink Reply by Reuben Hussmann on December 10, 2013 at 10:14am

I am 100% for BRT for multiple reasons, some simple - others complex.

Mainly- a BRT system in place along the most heavily-used bus line that connect both "sides" of town within relatively close proximity of downtown, while crossing over 5 different train lines (Pink, Brown, Orange once each, while the Green and Blue lines cross Ashland twice each) essentially works as an express bus with local service.

Many of the climate reports I've read show that the average speed of travel on this bus, including all of the various stops it will make along the way, make this an incredibly viable and speedy option for people using this line.

To add to the "speed" factor, this BRT line would act as a great option for those trying to commute to/from the north from/to the south while bipassing all of downtown. For anyone that is familiar with various bus routes and train lines, many times it is actually faster, under the current local systems, to take a bus depending on the area. This type of system allows faster movement of people over longer distances WITHOUT having to further congest downtown.

In terms of amount invested compared ot what is returned on said investment, BRT is much more efficient and effective than light rail or other forms that effect infrastructure and street design (with the exception of bike lanes which are highly effective and super cheap).

While a lot is being made out of "hurting" businesses along Ashland Avenue for limiting or eliminating parking spaces for the development of the BRT, the ease of use of the bus along with the speed involved should offset the occasional person who doesn't want to travel down or shop along Ashland because parking is more difficult. Besides that, the same climate studies show that these types of moves towards BRT - or buffered bike lanes for that matter (which also take away parking spaces sometimes) - have not historically hurt the business community, with some stating there is actually more consumer traffic within closer proximity to many businesses due to these BRT and bike lanes than there would be for cars passing by.

Here are a few articles about Chicago and other cities that show the same things, over and over again. We'd like to think Chicago is so unique for so many different reasons, but the reality is- we aren't all that different from a modern city planning point of view that would make BRT (as well as sustained buffered bike lanes as another example) unsuccessful.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2013/09/15/bus-rapid-transi...

http://www.suntimes.com/news/transportation/23868274-418/study-pred...

http://www.transitchicago.com/ashlandbrt/

http://la.streetsblog.org/2012/09/25/economic-review-of-6th-street-...

http://walkeaglerock.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/addressing-concerns-w...

http://takingthelane.com/2013/05/07/breaking-bike-infrastructure-de...

http://wearemodeshift.org/buffered-bike-lanes-two-way-conversion-co...