The City of Fresno is moving forward with plans to develop its own bus rapid transit system. The city council approved a $1.1 million expenditure for a company to design the proposed system. While some propose a light-rail system, others lean toward BRT for its greater operating flexibility and potentially lower costs.
According the Sacramento Bee, a cost estimate of the first route including buses is around $48 million. Eighty percent is supposed to come from the federal government, and the city hopes to get all or most of the 20 percent match from the state.
Original proposals included having 28 stations on the combined two corridors with average spacing between stations of a half-mile; upgraded station amenities such as real-time bus arrival information and ticket vending machines; service every 10 minutes during peak period and every 15 minutes midday; and road lanes designated for the transit line.
For more, visit www.sacbee.com.