Image is important to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). Sleek looking vehicles, rail-like stations, advanced technologies and a strong brand identity are just a few of the features that help communicate the message: This is not just a regular bus service.
With any public investment people want to know what benefits they will get for the cost, that is their tax dollars, and rightly so. One could certainly argue the benefits from investments in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to a community as being reduced congestion, less stressful and less expensive commute options, improved air quality and better access to education and employment.
We just recently attended the Bus Rapid Transit World 2010 Conference in Boston. From the presentations we saw, there’s no denying that the developing world is still far ahead of the U.S. when it comes to high-end BRT. We still have a lot to learn here, but we also have much to share. These are exciting times for BRT. Even CNN has taken notice in a recent video of the Las Vegas ACE.