Sound Transit 2
Sound Transit 2

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Did Sound Transit compare the advantages of light rail with those of bus rapid transit (BRT)?

Answers

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Did Sound Transit compare the advantages of light rail with those of bus rapid transit (BRT)?

    • Light rail and BRT can both be very effective high-capacity transit modes. Each has its place in a regional transit system.
    • Light rail works best in the most heavily-traveled corridors.
      • BRT can get stuck in traffic. The HOV lanes suffer slowdowns and congestion due to heavy traffic, weather and accidents.
      • Absent costly capital investments, HOV lanes used by BRT don't continue through major highway-to-highway interchanges or on arterials in congested population centers. This restricts buses to the constantly worsening speeds of rush hour traffic.
      • One articulated bus can carry up to 80 people. A light rail vehicle carries up to 200 people. It would take 10 articulated buses to carry the same number of passengers as one four-car train. That requires 10 times as many operators, including their salaries and benefits.
    • There is no room on the streets of downtown Bellevue or Seattle for hundreds of additional buses.
    • The costs of increased labor and maintenance of hundreds of new buses, in addition to purchasing those vehicles, is usually not included in assumptions that claim BRT is less expensive than light rail.