Benefits of BRT (Bus Rapid Transit)

Bus Rapid Transit

In November of 2016, Wake County voters approved a plan for focused investment in public transit which puts the implementation of the Wake County Transit Plan in motion. The plan calls for building approximately 20 miles of transit lanes along four (4) Bus Rapid Transit corridors within Wake County (Wake BRT).

Video Highlight - City Council Tours the New Bern Avenue Corridor: 

On Tuesday April 9, City Council took their work session on the road to tour the New Bern Avenue corridor via a GoRaleigh bus. They made several stops along the way to meet with staff and discuss the possibilities for the Transit Overlay District, sometimes referred to as "TOD." The tour helped Council members better understand the 744 properties along this route and proposed changes in the rezoning for this corridor. 

The video below will take you along the tour with City Council and explain how this supports growth and density around the places that buses run. The goal is to make it easier for people to walk to bus stations and local amenities. 

Traffic Signal Priority at Intersections

BRT buses can coordinate with traffic signals along their route, receiving a longer green light if running late. This increases efficiency and allows the buses to stay on schedule. 

Frequent On-Time Service

With dedicated lanes and less frequent stops, BRT buses can stick closely to their schedules.  BRT buses also will have GPS tracking, so stations can display live, accurate updates for bus arrival time. The goal is to have BRT buses running approximately 15 minutes all day.

Specialized Vehicles

The BRT system will have its own custom buses. These larger buses will be able to accommodate more passengers than conventional bus services. The buses will also have doors on both sides and lower floors, for easier loading and unloading.  

Why do we need BRT?

The addition of Bus Rapid Transit to Raleigh’s existing network of public transportation will allow the system to better meet transit demands, take more cars off the road, and get riders where they need to go faster. Raleigh already has a successful network of traditional bus routes serving the downtown and surrounding areas. Because BRT is a bus-based rapid transit solution, it can seamlessly supplement the existing system by expanding the reach and capacity of bus service along strategic corridors. Other cities who have implemented BRT have seen successful integration it into a multimodal transit network.