Bus Rapid Transit--The Eugene-Springfield, OR, USA, Experience

Bus rapid transit (BRT) can be a good public transportation solution for medium-sized cities that might lack the resources for more ambitious public transit systems. This paper describes the BRT system developed for the Eugene-Springfield, Oregon, metropolitan area. The BRT system was originally proposed in 1996 and the first BRT line will open in December 2006. The proposed BRT system comprises high-frequency, fast transit service along major corridors, with smaller buses providing access from neighborhoods to BRT lines and nearby retail and employment centers. The BRT system will feature exclusive transit lanes, transit signal priority systems, barrier-free fare collection, real-time passenger information systems and limited stations with improved facilities. Because the first BRT corridor is located in an existing built-up area with limited right of way and high levels of congestion, unconventional solutions were needed for designing the high-capacity transit system. The design is based on light rail transit principles, but modified to include the use of transitways; single-lane, two-way BRT operations; and block-traffic signaling.