Bus Rapid Transit wins in Cleveland

Railway Age, Nov, 2004

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which is being touted as a low-cost alternative to light rail, is breaking new ground in Cleveland. A ceremony last month marked the official beginning of construction on seven miles of BRT along Euclid Avenue, a $200 million project with an $80 million assist from the Federal Transit Administration. There will be a dedicated transit lane in each direction, with 36 bus stations dotting the median strip. These stations will be served at five-minute intervals by a fleet of 60-foot, hybrid-electric, articulated buses, which are being called "Rapid Transit Vehicles."

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority said the project is "historic" because (1) "it is the first BRT project in the nation to be funded from the Federal New Starts pot--a much sought-after pool of money that usually goes to fund rail construction," and (2)) "it is the first project in the nation to utilize all the features of BRT."