Jose Luis Moscovich: Let BRT Study Get the Facts

Over the past several months, the SF County Transportation Authority has heard the opinions of many residents, transit users, merchants and interested people about a possible Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system on Geary.

BRT gives the buses a dedicated lane with traffic signal priority, and stations with real time information about bus arrivals. It closely matches the reliability and speed of rail service, but delivers a project in under five years and at an affordable fraction of the cost of rail.

The AAA, Sierra Club, SF Chamber of Commerce, SPUR and others have expressed support for studying BRT on several corridors in the City.

Some merchants and Geary residents are already opposed to the project, even before analysis results are available, because of fears about potential construction, parking and traffic impacts. Still others believe we should be planning for a light rail line instead of BRT.

It is not surprising that there are differing views about Geary BRT. Although we are a good part of the way through the conceptual planning study, questions remain. I encourage people to track the study as it proceeds into the evaluation stages, to get answers about benefits, costs and impacts.

As we weigh BRT on Geary, let's separate facts from myths. Consider: BRT is a proven concept, applicable to San Francisco: Buses operate slowly and unreliably in mixed traffic. BRT lines have operated successfully in other cities since the '70s. Many U.S. cities are turning to BRT for its low cost, consistent benefits, and fast implementation timetable. Congress just created a new funding program to help pay for BRT projects. On-street parking impacts would be minimal.

Rumor has it that all parking will be removed with BRT. This is not true. In fact, some alternatives will actually add net parking to the corridor because moving local buses to the center busway frees up current bus stops for conversion to parking spaces.

The BRT construction period would be short: Building BRT is more comparable to resurfacing a street than to building a surface or subway light rail project, which the City cannot afford. Because buses are flexible to operate on any lane (unlike trains) we can implement the BRT system in short segments and keep buses and traffic moving all the while.

The decision to build BRT has not been made yet: If the current study finds that the project is feasible, there will be an environmental review phase starting later this year. Thereafter, it will be another two years before a go/no-go decision is made. The earliest a Geary BRT project could be delivered is 2010 or 2011.

Some merchants are demanding an economic impact analysis. We are open to working with the mayor's office on examining the possibilities of such an analysis. However, our research finds that the commercial lease and land market on Geary is healthy and that land values are on the rise. Some businesses that are leaving, such as Cala Foods and Cafe Riggio, are doing so for larger economic reasons that have nothing to do with BRT.

It is the City's long-held view that investing in infrastructure is a major benefit to a neighborhood. BRT works around the world to improve mobility and enhance neighborhood vitality and livability. The BRT study is making good progress - let's continue the process to see if BRT could work on Geary for the 50,000 transit riders and many neighborhoods that access it every day.

Jose Luis Moscovich is the director of the SF Transportation Authority.