SANDAG and the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) will be launching a new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service in the San Diego region. BRT will run on dedicated bus-only lines and bring frequent and better-connecting service. It will not require a large amount of new infrastructure as underground subway systems would, and should only cost a fraction of that. Rather, it will rely mostly on existing roads and freeways.
The first three BRT lines will open between 2012 and 2014: the I-15 Corridor BRT, the Mid-City BRT, and the South Bay BRT. These lines will terminate in downtown San Diego, providing quicker travel downtown without driving and parking. To make way for the new services, some existing local bus services will be rerouted off Broadway to improve the spacing between local and BRT buses. Broadway has been chosen as the BRT corridor due its proximity to employment areas and entertainment destinations.
Successful BRT systems have been running in Curitiba (Brazil) and Guangzhou (China). The addition of BRT as an alternative transport mode to San Diego’s transportation system will serve growing travel demands and help meet the region’s sustainability goals.
Lead photo The Gangding BRT station in Guangzhou, China. photo by Karl Fjellstrom, transportphoto.net.
Downtown Transit material courtesy SANDAG.
