Bus Rapid Transit vs. Commuter Rail III

[Metro Jacksonville]

Bus Rapid Transit vs. Commuter Rail III

<BR /><BR />A Photo Essay: Las Vegas BRT vs. Dallas Trinity  Railway Express Bus Rapid Transit vs.  Commuter Rail – Part 3 of a 5 part series<BR /><BR />Full Article<BR />http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/74

[Ocklawaha]

If BRT is "rapid" anything, it is quick at eating the transportation budget. Why is it the people of The Republic of Colombia, are ashamed of their new BRT in Bogota? At the same time the people are equally proud of the Heavy Rail and Hybrid Rail systems of Medellin and Cali repsectively.

I have watched the State-of-the-Art BRT system in Bogota, and wondered what happens at an intersection. Imagine one with turn lanes and traffic light control, when some local fool squeezes past the yellow light. He just has to be the last one across the intersection before the red light. Now our local discovers the traffic is backed up for blocks and he is now stuck behind an 18 wheeler blocking half the roadway. He is sitting square in the middle of the bus lane and the other lanes are jammed packed. What happens to the buses waiting when the light turns green? NOTHING! Nothing happens because they can´t move and in Colombia, that is grounds for setting off a city wide horn honking incident.