Berkeley BRT (Bus Rapid Transit)

Berkeley Bus Rapid Transit

I attended the neighborhood comment meeting with the City and Neighborhood activists last week about the "neighborhood preferred alternative," for AC Transit's proposed Rapid Trasit system.

The service sounds incredible and because I am a "Green" I support ways to get more ridership and better access to transit.  The problem is how to accomodate a new system in a town the is already full to the brim, with busses, cars, bicycles, and pedestrians (in no particular order.)

This conversation has been going on far a decade, but the process appears to be in imminent danger of moving forward.  If you are a stakeholder and have thought, I recommend that you jump in to the conversation.  Arm yourself with ammunition at the website.

Love Your Berkeley Neighborhorhood? ~~ Get Involved!

On Thursday, September 24, 7:00 PM, the Willard NA is coordinating a meeting along with the Le Conte, Claremont-Elmwood, Halcyon and Bateman neighborhoods at the Willard Middle School Cafetorium to discuss the “Locally Preferred Alternative” (LPA) for AC Transit’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) proposal.

 

The BRT is AC Transit’s plan to improve bus service by providing dedicated bus lanes on a route stretching from San Leandro to Berkeley. In our neighborhoods, this will entail (among other things) replacing two auto lanes on Telegraph Avenue with bus-only lanes. 

 

The City has come up with a "Locally Preferred Alternative" and wants input as to the bus route, where the stops are, and to hear neighborhood concerns and suggestions for implementation of the BRT.  At the end of this process, the City may decide not to implement the BRT at all.  This meeting, however, is designed to answer the question --"if this BRT is to be implemented, what do you think of this plan to do it?" 

 

We are currently preparing a list of questions for the City staff so that they can be answered in advance. If you have a question, please send it to me at georgebeier@hotmail.com. We will also try to collate any comments you have regarding the plan (for, against, suggestions, etc.) provided they are brief. :)

 

This is an important meeting about a controversial topic. Please come and participate. For our part, we’ll try hard to make sure every voice gets heard.

 

For more information about the LPA, please see this link on the City’s website:

 

http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=43568
 

See you on the 24^th!