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Grand Rapids invests in first BRT in Michigan

Mar 15, 2016 | by Active Trans

Bus rapid transit (BRT) has gained momentum in the United States, especially in Midwest cities like Cleveland and Chicago. Detroit is looking to be added to the list, but it won’t be the first city in Michigan to adopt BRT. Grand Rapids has held that title since 2014. The Silver Line is a BRT corridor running 9.6 miles north-south through the center of the city on Division Ave. between Michigan St. to 60th St., connecting downtown Grand Rapids to the South Suburbs. Features include 34 sheltered bus stations, off-board payment kiosks, 15-inch raised platforms, transit signal priority, Wi-Fi and designated bus-only lanes where cars are prohibited during rush hour, except to make right-hand turns. The Silver Line -- which is...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Planning, Walking

San Francisco gets first BRT project off the ground

Feb 10, 2016 | by Active Trans

Like Chicago’s, San Francisco’s bus system for years has struggled to gain riders due to slow, unreliable service. As leaders in both cities have begun to invest in bus improvements, it’s helpful for Chicagoans to look at how San Francisco is attacking the problem. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Authority (SFMTA) has prioritized frequency and reliability on its most heavily used routes in launching the Muni Rapid Network. One of the Rapid Network improvement projects breaking ground this year -Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) – is a great example of the city’s approach Van Ness Ave. is a north-south arterial road that’s a continuation of Highway 101 and is often congested, making it dangerous for everyone walking, biking, and...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Walking

Chicago commits to more progress on Vision Zero

Jan 26, 2016 | by Active Trans

Since adopting a Vision Zero goal in 2012 to eliminate all traffic fatalities by 2022, the City of Chicago has taken many steps to make our streets safer and save lives.Unlike peer cities in the U.S. and around the world, this initial progress has been achieved without a multi-year action plan or more dedicated funding for safety improvements in the city budget.Now it appears city leaders may be prepared to take these next critical next steps.On Tuesday, the Vision Zero Network announced that Chicago will participate in the Network’s inaugural Focus Cities Program. Chicago and nine other U.S. cities were selected based on their commitment to Vision Zero and willingness to work together to achieve further progress.Sign our petition to...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago Central, Chicago North Side, Chicago South Side, Chicago West & Southwest Side, Chicago West Side, Walking, zero vision

Study finds BRT leads to economic development

Jan 22, 2016 | by Active Trans

Many cities across the United States are adopting bus rapid transit (BRT) as a cost-efficient way to improve their public transportation system.A new study by Arthur C. Nelson from the University of Arizona and published by the National Institute for Transportation Communities (NITC) at Portland State University, found that there are many economic benefits in areas where BRT is implemented.Nelson analyzed real estate trends, commercial rents and the expansion of multi-family homes in cities with high-grade BRT, such as Cleveland, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.The study says from 2000 to 2007, areas located within a half-mile of BRT corridors experienced stimulated office space growth. New multi-family residential development increased and premium rents gained foothold for office spaces within the corridors...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Walking

NYC’s Select Bus service leads way to BRT

Jan 4, 2016 | by Active Trans

New York City buses are notoriously slow and some, like the M66 crosstown route in Manhattan, are slower than the average turtle. The NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) are changing this through Select Bus Service, the city’s version of bus rapid transit (BRT). Since 2008, nine routes have been added in all five boroughs and bus speeds increased by 15-23 percent. There are a mixture of BRT features varying upon each Select Bus route, such as camera-enforced visible bus only lanes, minimum bus stop spacing, off-boarding payment kiosks and signal priority. Some Select Bus-only lanes have designated times where cars are prohibited, allowing buses to move quickly in rush hour traffic. Payment kiosks at...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Planning, Walking

Chicago’s first BRT to speed up east-west travel in Loop

Dec 14, 2015 | by Active Trans

Service will begin in the Loop Link corridor – Chicago’s first bus rapid transit project – on Sunday, December 20, the City of Chicago announced today. The Loop Link is an exciting improvement for the thousands of Chicagoans who ride the bus, bike and walk across the Loop every day.The addition of dedicated bus lanes rightly gives transit riders priority downtown while freeing up space for protected bike lanes and people walking.We urge the city to continue to improve the corridor by adding more features like prepaid boarding that will further speed up service.In addition to red dedicated bus lanes on Madison St. and Washington Blvd. connecting Ogilvie and Union Stations to Michigan Ave., the project includes eight new downtown bus...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago Central, Planning, Walking

Three biking myths debunked

Dec 4, 2015 | by Active Trans

Post image: You encounter it regularly. A friend, co-worker or even a family member makes a disparaging remark that turns all cyclists into scofflaw adrenaline junkies with little concern for the safety of others. Or cycling gets painted as an antisocial activity that infringes on the basic rights of drivers. “Roads were built for cars!” is a common — and false — refrain. Next time someone takes aim at cyclists, don’t just stand there steaming from the ears. Instead, take a moment to set the record straight. If we don’t politely insist that people get the facts right, these myths will continue to spread. Let’s take a look at a few of these statements and see how they stand up...

Tags: Bicycling

CTA plans to remove local bus stops on Ashland, Western

Nov 9, 2015 | by Active Trans

As part of an ongoing effort to speed up bus service on two of most popular bus routes in the city, CTA is preparing to remove some of the least-used stops on the #9 Ashland and #49 Western buses.The agency says 85 percent of all trips in the corridors will be unaffected by stop consolidation, and that the changes will save riders up to 7.5 minutes per trip. (See a map of the stops proposed to bemaintained and discontinued.)If approved by the CTA board, the changes would take effect in late December. Riders are encouraged to provide feedback on the proposal by email at [email protected] or phone at 1-888-YOUR-CTA.Speeding up local service is a worthy goal and the majority of...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago West & Southwest Side, Planning, Walking

Bus Rapid Transit can be successful in the USA

Nov 2, 2015 | by Active Trans

Take note, Chicago, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority’s HealthLine is the highest rated BRT line in the United States and a prime example how it can be successful. The HealthLine runs more than 6 miles along Euclid Ave., connecting to other buses and major job centers between downtown and and University Circle. The 24-hour line uses dedicated bus lanes, has its own traffic signals and has a few stations located on road medians. People can easily connect to jobs, schools, hospitals and major cultural institutions. And their average commute times are reduced by 10 minutes. More people are able to explore car-free transportation options.The project made streetscape improvements to sidewalks and crossings and added bike lanes. Since its inception in 2008, Cleveland...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Walking

Kinzie Street protected bike lane will stay!

Sep 2, 2015 | by Active Trans

In a big win for Active Trans members and supporters, Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) officials confirmed the Kinzie Street protected bike lane will remain in place. Earlier this year, 42nd Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly introduced an ordinance that would require CDOT to temporarily remove the lane, which was Chicago's first protected bike lane and one of the most popular bike routes in the country. This much-loved bike route connects the North and West Sides of Chicago to downtown. Citing concerns about traffic congestion associated with the Wolf Point development, Ald. Reilly proposed installing a new bike lane on Grand Ave. as an alternative to Kinzie. However, that Grand Ave. bike lane never materialized, and it’s clear that people would continue...

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycling, Chicago North Side, Planning, transit, Walking

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