MACROPLANNING APPROACH TO THE ASSESSMENT OF REGIONAL BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEMS

Bus systems provide the major public transportation services in the Seattle area. System viability has become a matter of increasing concern in recent years, in many urban areas, as ridership has fallen and operating deficits have increased. There is considerable sentiment, however, that public transit should not be allowed to collapse, because this would leave many people with no economical means of transportation and place even greater reliance than at present on the private automobile and freeways. An approach to the problem is bus rapid transit, which would provide a different route structure and operating philosophy than present bus systems. A bus-based system has merit because it offers the possibility for relatively high-speed movement of people on existing arterials, highways, and freeways without the very high capital investment required for a rail system.