BUSWAY VERSUS RAIL BRANCH: ANALYSIS OF ATLANTA'S TUCKER-NORTH DEKALB CORRIDOR (ABRIDGMENT)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate comprehensively the costs, operational effects, and partronage aspects of busway versus rail rapid transit in the Tucker-North Dekalb (T/ND) corridor in Atlanta. Two transportation alternatives were considered: a rail branch providing direct, no transfer service and operating as a separate radial line; and a busway alternative operating a feeder service route. A discussion of passenger attraction, capital costs, operating cost, and quality of service factors for both the rail and busway alternatives is included. It is concluded that for the study corridor, capital costs of busways will be lower than those for rail branches; rail service into a branch corridor will invariably be of a higher quality than will a busway feeding a main rail line; and operating costs will not be as costly to operate as a busway feeder system. For these reasons, a rail branch will attract a substantially greater number of riders than will be busway alternative.