This Thursday, come hear about proposals for bus rapid transit in Connecticut and learn about BRT success stories throughout the nation. The Tri-State Transportation Campaign, Regional Plan Association, Capitol Region Council of Governments, Transit for Connecticut and the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy at Central Connecticut State University are hosting a Bus Rapid Transit Symposium on October 15 from 9am-12pm at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, CT.
The symposium’s keynote speaker will be Joseph A. Calabrese, Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA). The RTA oversees the HealthLine, the recently opened and acclaimed BRT system that runs along 6.8 miles of Euclid Avenue from downtown to East Cleveland and has generated over $4 billion in investment.
The symposium will also feature presentations on bus rapid transit projects in the tri-state region by a panel of BRT experts and officials including:
- Richard Bashoo of CCSU,
- Dennis Hinebaugh of the National Institute for Bus Rapid Transit,
- Naomi Klein of the Westchester County Department of Transportation, which is planning a BRT line on Central Ave.
- Craig Lader of the South Western Regional Planning Agency, who managed a Greenwich/Norwalk BRT study.
- and Michael Sanders of ConnDOT’s Office of Transit and Ridesharing.
A response panel of elected officials will include State Rep. Antonio Guerrera, State Sen. Donald Defronzo, and State Sen. Toni Boucher.
To register, send an e-mail to TSTC’s Ryan Lynch at rlynch[at]tstc.org.
I know there isn’t a lot of BRT news going on in NYC and its immediate environs right now, but in my neck of the woods in the NW Bronx, MTA has begun to employ new low-floor hybrid buses. The buses are quieter, smoother, and just all around nicer than the old ones. It’s a little taste of the kind of superior experience that a more fully funded MTA could provide. Perhaps the new buses are worth a posting on this blog?
Secondly, I’m curious, what does TSTC consider to be its sphere of operation? Hartford is outside of the Tri-State area and is actually more in the orbit of Western Massachusetts than New York City.
Of course many of the proposed BRT operations would be more cost effective and get more riders if done as light rail, streetcar or regional rail. The latter can be especially cost effective if existing trackage can be used with some upgrading. Convincing the commuter rail systems that ALL day service that connects the local communities and has a fare structure integrated with the buses and coordinated scheduling would do wonders in the area. Also BRT is in the eye of the beholder.