BRT

It looks like some reporters are having trouble wrapping their heads around the city’s forward-thinking proposal to build Bus Rapid Transit on Western and/or Ashland. A DNAinfo.com write-up of a recent BRT meeting includes a few inaccurate statements and implies that the CTA and Chicago Department of Transportation are intent on removing large amounts parking on these streets to make way for bus lanes. In fact, the scenario that would yield the biggest improvement for bus riders and pedestrians would also retain almost all of the on-street parking. But since the wide range of potential BRT scenarios seems to be confusing the press as well as the general public, it's time for the agencies to choose the best option and move forward with it.

As planning advances for Chicago's first full-fledged Bus Rapid Transit routes, public officials and advocates are starting to make the case that new, high-quality bus service is about more than getting people from point A to point B quickly and reliably. Those mobility benefits will be significant, but if BRT succeeds at improving transit trips for Chicagoans, it can also bring about a range of other benefits, spurring development and adding new housing choices where people can live without the financial burden of car ownership.