Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems encourage transit-oriented development
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems encourage transit-oriented development (TOD), a new study for the Bus Rapid Transit Policy Center suggests. The Center’s newsletter, Transport Innovator, reported in its March-April issue on a draft study of TOD in six cities: Boston; Cleveland; El Monte, California; Ottawa and the York region of Ontario, Canada; and Brisbane, Australia.
“The case studies make clear that BRT is capable of attracting high quality transit-oriented development and gaining the support of the real estate development community,” the Transport Innovator editors wrote. Approximately half the developers who were questioned said proximity to BRT increased their property value by 3 to 5 percent, compared to similar properties not close to BRT. BRT typically offers faster, more comfortable service than ordinary bus lines.
“Although the types of BRT service and level of infrastructure investment differs among these cities, all have experienced significant development interest” along their BRT routes, the newsletter said. Transport Innovator offered few details, and said the report is currently out for review, with a final version expected to be released this summer.
The Bush Administration has advocated BRT as a cost-effective alternative to rail transit. Some proponents of transit-oriented development maintain, however, that rail is a superior, more permanent form of public transportation and is therefore much more likely to generate significant concentrations of development at stations along its route. The 3 to 5 percent increase in property values cited for BRT systems seems unimpressive when compared to the rise in property values near popular rail transit stops, like some of those along Metrorail in the Washington, DC, region. The free bimonthly newsletter is available online at www.gobrt.org.
