tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897399702782425261.post4580767325467136913..comments2021-09-13T03:33:56.852-07:00Comments on oakland space academy: Bus Rapid Transit 001Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897399702782425261.post-42541749305242410672008-10-20T21:43:00.000-07:002008-10-20T21:43:00.000-07:00Glad someone finally commented on how ugly the BRT...Glad someone finally commented on how ugly the BRT system stations are. It's like some bad architecture from the 60s.<BR/><BR/>I'm curious about the head-on collision scenario, too. How many buses have collided in Curitiba? Scary. Can't we get a physical separation barrier in there, and then do away with cars altogether?<BR/><BR/>Just gimme a physically-separated bike lane and we'll all be happy, and we won't have heart attacks until we're in our 60s, at least.<BR/><BR/>Also, no sane human wants to be chased by a gargantuan bus through the streets of Oakland and Berkeley.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897399702782425261.post-52458883013350459352008-10-20T20:30:00.000-07:002008-10-20T20:30:00.000-07:00Finally, after reviewing AC Transit promo video Be...<I>Finally, after reviewing AC Transit promo video Becks linked to, it seems like they are looking at differentiated the individual stops, though the designs still don't look promising.</I><BR/><BR/>You read my mind Raymond - I was stopping by to point that out. Also, remember that these are just initial ideas for the bus stops. And I happen to think that some of the models look pretty neat.<BR/><BR/>You've probably seen it by now, but if not, V Smoothe wrote an <A HREF="http://www.abetteroakland.com/why-put-brt-on-telegraph/2008-10-20" REL="nofollow">excellent post</A> today explaining why this particular route was chosen and why it's not redundant to BART.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897399702782425261.post-11162507902587084942008-10-20T00:02:00.000-07:002008-10-20T00:02:00.000-07:00Eric, You touch on another of my concerns, that pa...Eric, You touch on another of my concerns, that part of the appeal of BRT is the glam factor, when the system might benefit much more from smaller, incremental changes spread across the system. This money from Washington is apparently only available for BRT, which I think is part of that, it is a lot harder for our reps there to take credit for those kind of changes.<BR/><BR/>Chris Kidd, I like your idea of planters and trees replacing parked cars as psychological barrier. It is just not clear to me there has been much thought given to this yet. I'm not sure that the opportunity has been missed to have young, creative architects work on this project, but I'm not hopeful it will happen. I've got to disagree on narrowing the sidewalks though. Pedestrian traffic will only be increasing in this area, and since we may be moving the psych barrier onto the sidwalks, we'll need the extra room.<BR/><BR/>Finally, after reviewing AC Transit promo video Becks linked to, it seems like they are looking at differentiated the individual stops, though the designs still don't look promising.Raymond Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09798706297063377413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897399702782425261.post-2464804296905914832008-10-17T16:00:00.000-07:002008-10-17T16:00:00.000-07:00Phenomenal writeup. You bring up issues that are ...Phenomenal writeup. You bring up issues that are actually substantive and don't smack of backwards NIMBYism, which is something I hadn't yet seen from any viewpoints opposing BRT(not that I've been looking that hard...).<BR/><BR/>I especially appreciated the points made about the effects to pyschic space for people on the sidewalk. Creating those "buffer zones" between streets, sidewalks and buildings (along with reducing curb cuts for driveways) are absolutely essential to encouraging walkable, populated street scenes(envigorating neighborhoods, reudcing crime, all that jazz). By pulling out all street parking, BRT would be stripping away that barrier between pedestrians and cars. <BR/><BR/>Even so, I don't think it's an insurmountable issue. Using planter boxes, trees, greenspace or public art can help create just as an effective pyschic space between sidewalk and traffic as street parking currently does. In fact, you could incorporate local artists in a bidding process to do just that, since they missed out on getting to design the shelters(per your awesome suggestion). If my memory serves me, most of the sidewalks in the Temescal are certainly wide enough to convert some space. Actually, considering the low heights of the buildings and how wide Telegraph is down there, limiting the sidewalk space might actually have a positive effect on pedestrian perception of the street.<BR/><BR/>The bicycle issue doesn't bother me that much either, but for different reasons. I've seen a perfectly workable solution in Alameda. Park Street can be comparable to the College Ave in its hustle and bustle. There is NO room for bikes on that street. But to accomodate bicyclists who want access to the same stores on Park Street, Alameda created bicycle lanes on the two streets that parallel Park Street to the north and south. I've always been of the mind that secondary streets work better for bicycles anway. There are fewer cars and they move more slowly, making it a much safer place to bike.<BR/><BR/>As a final aside: yes, the costs to get BRT started is expensive, but have you seen the per-mile expense estimates to build overhead BART track? BRT costs pale in comparison.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897399702782425261.post-85913141901660431772008-10-17T14:17:00.000-07:002008-10-17T14:17:00.000-07:00I think BRT as implemented in Curitiba is brillian...I think BRT as implemented in Curitiba is brilliant, but I am also very skeptical of the AC Transit proposal. I didn't know about the AC Transit proposal until I stumbled upon the A Better Oakland blog two days ago, so besides what I have read there and on the AC Transit website, I admit I don't know all the details. <BR/><BR/>What I find most off putting is the cost. In Curitiba, one of the chief planning dictates is cheapness. The AC Transit BRT proposal has an estimated cost of $250 million. To put this in perspective, this is almost equivalent to the entire annual budget for AC Transit, and about 13 times the annual amount spent on capital improvements. To spend this amount on one bus line when the rest of the system is suffering from route closures and poor service is ludicrous. <BR/><BR/>One of the other design features of the transport system in Curitiba is that it is a comprehensive system which provides reliable point to point transport throughout the region. Besides the express buses which use the trinary road system (what AC Transit is calling 'BRT'), there are eight other types of routes including feeder lines, inter-neighborhood routes, and even inter-hospital buses. The entire system is designed to work efficiently as a whole. Express buses are a part of it, but the system would not work without the other parts also working efficiently.<BR/><BR/>The AC Transit system becomes less comprehensive each year. Until several years ago, there was a bus stop two blocks from my house and I would often take the bus. That route was closed due to budget constraints, and the nearest bus stop was then about 0.25 of a mile from my house. I still rode the bus, but less often. Now the nearest bus stop is 0.8 of a mile from my house, and because of this and other route closures it takes me an hour and twenty minutes to go by bus the five miles from my house to work. Or it would if I ever rode the bus. From talking to others, this is a pretty common experience. At this point AC Transit only seems to be working for the people who live along a still existing route and travel that route without having to change buses, or for those without other options.<BR/><BR/>AC Transit really needs to concentrate money and attention on improving the entire system before spending a quarter of a billion dollars on a 'Moon Shot' or 'Hail Mary Pass'. Ideas like moving pament off the bus across the system would shave a few minutes off every route, allowing resources to be redeployed to new routes or increase frequency on existing routes. This is the type of incremental change that isn't as glamourous as BRT, but yields big improvements for the investment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com