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I think bus system are a bit undervalued in the urban world, even in places with heavy rail systems they still move a lot of people, which cities have done the best job of beefing up service in the last decade and who has the most planned for the next decade.
Please only consider solid plans. Not "Vision 2050" stuff.
Surprised this thread hasn't generated info yet. Are busses becoming less and less relevant?
I will add something, Pittsburgh's system has not been expanding and rather has contracted due to funding. But the Port Authority has a new BRT plan to link Downtown and Oakland, and other nearby hoods. It is fairly extensive, and will also connect into the light rail/subway system at several stations. Pgh already has the most extensive BRT system in the US (I think ?) with ROW busways to the east, south, and west. As well as HOV divided highway lanes to the north on I 279 and 579.
I think bus system are a bit undervalued in the urban world, even in places with heavy rail systems they still move a lot of people, which cities have done the best job of beefing up service in the last decade and who has the most planned for the next decade.
Please only consider solid plans. Not "Vision 2050" stuff.
I have a great recent example of how Bus systems are overlooked.
I've been taking the Green line (LRT) into downtown San Diego to work for nearly a year. It never occurred to me to even check the bus schedule-on Friday I learned there is a bus that leaves 9 minutes later than the trolley, and drops off five blocks closer to work. This will save like 20 minutes a day.
Of the US cities with decent transit ridership, Seattle is the most bus-dominated. It's also been growing ridership the most lately. That's about reasonable frequency and lots of HOV and transit-only lanes. It's also a result of lots of new funding, both for Metro Transit (King County) via a funding package in-city voters passed to augment existing funding, and through a piece of the $54 billion in Sound Transit regional transit package voters also supported.
Of the US cities with decent transit ridership, Seattle is the most bus-dominated. It's also been growing ridership the most lately. That's about reasonable frequency and lots of HOV and transit-only lanes. It's also a result of lots of new funding, both for Metro Transit (King County) via a funding package in-city voters passed to augment existing funding, and through a piece of the $54 billion in Sound Transit regional transit package voters also supported.
I know of large cities LA has a pretty Bus-Heavy system as well.
I'd take a city with a good bus system that can get me places in reasonable time over some light rail trolley bs designed to make suburbanites and tourists feel like they're in a "European" city.
I'd take a city with a good bus system that can get me places in reasonable time over some light rail trolley bs designed to make suburbanites and tourists feel like they're in a "European" city.
This. When I lived in Boston, I had a choice of commuting by Green Line trolley or bus. The bus was almost always faster. Rail is only preferable to bus when it’s faster and more efficient OR when train stations protect riders from the elements (i.e. subways).
We're building 3 BRT lines in Indianapolis. Red Line is under construction now, blue and purple are starting construction over the next couple of years. Right now, the lines are not planned to go into the suburbs unless they decide to fund the project.
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