Media
Media beginning with the most recent:
Oakland Tribune, July 17, 2012
My Word: Prevent low-income neighborhood from being run over
Oakland Tribune, July 10, 2012
My Word: Planned bus rapid transit will hurt businesses badly
http://www.insidebayarea.com/opinion/ci_21037548/my-word-planned-bus-rapid-transit-will-hurt
East Bay Express, May 9, 2012
Bus Rapid Transit Is Not a Done Deal
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/bus-rapid-transit-is-not-a-done-deal/Content?oid=3198379
Oakland Tribune, April 27, 2012
AC Transit approves bus rapid transit project in Oakland and San Leandro
Oakland Tribune, March 6, 2012
My Word: AC Transit report did not consider other options for its buses
And I don’t seem to have the URL for this one:
Oakland Tribune
June 23, 2010
My Word
By Joyce Roy
AC Transit Painted Into Corner on BRT
Today, AC Transit will vote on a proposal that would dedicate two out of four lanes for bus only and remove most street parking along the Telegraph/International/14th Street corridor. This proposal, called Bus Rapid Transit, has failed to get buy-in from any of the three cities along the route, Berkeley, Oakland and San Leandro. The agency has painted itself into a corner with an environmental impact report for the project that has only one other alternative, the old stand-by—no-build.
Planners claim that BRT must have dedicated lanes to qualify for Federal Small-Starts funds. ($15 million of the $75 million requested has been received). Dedicated lanes are encouraged but not required. If it were, very few projects would qualify. Some cities have created dedicated lanes by adding lanes but only one in the U.S. has removed two out of four existing lanes—Cleveland, Ohio, on Euclid Avenue.
Cleveland’s Euclid Avenue is used as a role model, but its story is entirely different. A bus agency did not foist it on the city and then request its approval. The whole corridor was part of a redevelopment project with years of public participation involving comprehensive planning including zoning updates and all modes of travel.
Most Oaklanders have probably not even heard of BRT; there has been so little public outreach. This past January, the City finally held public meetings. The one in Fruitvale was poorly attended. The one in north Oakland was well attended but neither the council member nor any member of her staff attended. The council only agreed on a study of the dedicated lanes alternatives after being assured numerous times by staff that they were only voting for a study and not a project.
They also wanted a curbside BRT studied, which would not remove traffic lanes and parking.
Berkeley has been studying BRT for years with lots of public input, so one can say theirs was a more informed decision—they voted to reject the dedicated lane BRT.
The San Leandro City Council voted reluctantly to study dedicated lanes on a few blocks although their Planning Commission had unanimously opposed it.
AC Transit told the cities that only the alternatives in the draft EIR could be studied. For new alternatives, they would have to find separate funds for a study apart from the EIR. But an inadequate EIR will leave them open to a lawsuit.
Other cites are studying various curbside BRT alternatives that do not have such negative impacts on pedestrians, parking, and vehicular traffic. Los Angeles is proposing a BRT on Wilshire Blvd that operates in the curb lane.
San Francisco’s Geary Boulevard includes a curbside alternative with bulb-outs in addition to dedicated lanes in the center. The center one will probably be preferred because they have three lanes in each direction and a wide median. Since the lead agency is the San Francisco County Transportation Authority and not a bus agency, all modes have been considered; pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles as well as transit.
One AC Transit board member’s response to complaints about impacts on traffic and parking was “that isn’t our concern. We’re a bus agency; our job is bus transit.”
But cities are interested in the complete street, and they have final say. If no acceptable build alternative is offered, the only choice will be no-build. I repeat, AC Transit has painted itself into a corner.
The board of directors meeting is held a 6 p.m. today, second floor board room, 1600 Franklin St., Oakland.
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Joyce Roy is an Oakland retired architect and transit activist who has studied BRT for years and attended the three cities’ council meetings at which they voted on BRT.
AC Transit WATCH 
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