The Purple Line Debate * USA - Light Rail vs. Bus Rapid Transit
The Washington area has neither light rail nor bus rapid transit, the two modes of public transportation under consideration for the proposed Purple Line
Here's a look at how the two systems compare
Light Rail
- Construction cost: $1.2 billion- Annual operating and maintenance costs: $25 million
TRAVEL TIME BETWEEN . . .
- Bethesda and Silver Spring: nine minutes
- Silver Spring and University of Maryland campus center: 25 minutes
- Silver Spring and New Carrollton: 50 minutes
- Daily boardings: 62,600
- Pros: Route seen as more permanent. Often viewed as better at promoting economic development around stations. Attracts more riders because it is considered faster and more reliable than buses.
- Cons: More expensive. Competition for federal construction money is strong, and state transportation funds are extremely tight.
Bus Rapid Transit
- Construction cost: $580 millionAnnual operating and maintenance costs: $17.3 million-. TRAVEL TIME BETWEEN . . .
- Bethesda and Silver Spring: 19 minutes
- Silver Spring and University of Maryland campus center: 30 minutes
- Silver Spring and New Carrollton: 55 minutes
- Daily boardings: 51,800
- Pros: Less expensive. Can be established quickly because it is easier to implement in pieces. Buses can use designated lanes on local streets but have flexibility to change routes.
- Cons: Less proven track record on attracting development around stations. Developers are often more reluctant to invest because a bus route is viewed as less permanent than a rail line. Attracts fewer riders because it is sometimes viewed as a second-class system.
Labels: LR vs BRT
posted by Unknown @ 5:42 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home