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Congress gets on bus for USF unit

A sizable appropriation will help the university study the possibilities and practicalities of BRT, bus rapid transit.

By MICHAEL VAN SICKLER
Published July 30, 2005

TAMPA - Congress is betting that speedier buses will usher in a new era of mass transit, and that the University of South Florida will point the way.

Tucked inside the $286.4-billion highway and mass transit bill that passed Congress Friday is $7-million to USF for a new program called the National Bus Rapid Transit Institute.

"Bus rapid transit" is an emerging transportation trend first popularized in Brazil that's designed to reduce bus travel times. Its boosters say faster commutes will make buses more convenient and popular with an American public, which, in turn, will make mass transit more profitable and roads less congested with cars.

The money Congress approved for USF will be spent on research to help communities consider if and how they want to adopt a transit option that's dubbed by some as "light rail on rubber tires."

"I'm thrilled beyond belief," said Gary Brosch, chair of the National Center for Transit Research at USF. "This concept has caught on like wildfire around the nation."

Other local projects included in the bill are $1.4-million to widen the two-lane portion of Cross Creek Boulevard in New Tampa; $2-million each for Kennedy and Busch boulevards; $2.4-million for the Platt Street Bridge; and $3.2-million for Columbus Drive Bridge.

HARTline received nearly $6-million to buy buses and renovate the second floor of its new Ybor City headquarters. But it was the BRT money to USF that eclipsed them all.

Every year, about six new communities adopt a BRT system, the U.S. Transportation Department estimates. Boston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Orlando and Phoenix have all started some type of rapid bus service.

Each system can vary according to a community's needs, but basic BRT characteristics include Global Positioning System, or GPS, communications that trigger longer green lights for approaching buses and lanes reserved for buses that allow for faster speeds.

Another common feature includes bus stations where passengers pay before boarding, eliminating the time it takes for passengers to dig into their pockets for a pass or loose change. Electronic screens at the stations tell the passengers when the next bus will arrive.

BRT buses tend to be longer than the typical bus, with sliding automatic doors at the front and the middle of the vehicle, reducing the time it takes for passengers to stream on and off the vehicle.

Brosch and USF officials spent two years lobbying Congress for the money. Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Bartow; Rep. Jim Davis, D-Tampa; and Republican Sen. Mel Martinez were key in obtaining the money, he said.

"Really, what's important to a customer is how long will it take to get to their office from their home," Brosch said. "Just think how many more people will ride buses if it means they get to work faster."

Communities should consider BRTs not as a cure-all, but just one more option in a transportation network, Brosch said. USF's new institute would study BRT systems and figure out which ones work best. Faculty members will consult with officials from communities considering BRTs.

Because the technology is still new, it's not clear if BRTs are cheaper than light rail. But Carter & Burgess, an architectural and engineering firm based in Fort Worth, Texas, estimates BRTs aren't necessarily bargains.

Capital costs for BRTs are between $30-million and $35-million per mile, according to a study by the firm. Trolleys and streetcars can cost between $25-million and $30-million a mile, while light rail can cost between $25-million and $60-million, the study stated.

But rail is politically dead in Hillsborough County, which has steered most of its transportation money into road projects.

The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority is investing federal money in its own possible BRT system. Pinellas County is considering a BRT system in St. Petersburg.

Included in Friday's transportation bill was more than $700,000 to improve HARTline's more popular routes on Florida and Hillsborough avenues, a precursor to a BRT program, said its spokesman, Ed Crawford.

The bus agency already has $10-million to spend on communications technology to trigger traffic signals for buses. The next step will be to improve bus shelters and reduce the travel times for those two routes, he said.

"We're moving from a system where the bus stops at every block to where we're getting the bus to perform like rail," Crawford said. "Going through signals without stopping, prepaid fares, making buses more competitive to cars. That's the holy grail. We have a long way to go."

Michael Van Sickler can be reached at 813 226-3402 or mvansickler@sptimes.com

[Last modified July 30, 2005, 01:09:17]