John Bonsall, the former head of the Ottawa-Carlton Transportation Network in Canada, sang the praises of bus rapid transit (BRT) and busways yesterday to officials in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Busways, fixed guideways for what amounts to rubber-tired trains, are perfect for Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Bonsall told the assembled local officials. And for only about $3.5-$16 million per mile.
I met Bonsall in December of 1999 when I accompanied a group from the Triangle who flew to Pittsburgh and Ottawa to see busways in person. The going rate for a mile of busway, as it was related to us by the experts more than five years ago, was $30 million, with stations, walkways, barriers, etc.
The experts who spoke with us in 1999 said a major problem is getting riders to forsake light rail for buses. In fact, Ottawa’s bus ridership has decreased since 1999. Still, Bonsall travels the world touting the method. Here’s how one critic, admittedly a light-rail advocate, put it:
Since the retirement of the General Manager of OC Transpo (The Ottawa-Carleton Regional Transit Commission ) and his metamorphosis into a worldwide busway consultant, T-2000 Canada has had requests for information from Charlotte, North Carolina; Auckland, New Zealand; Bristol, U.K.; and Brisbane, Queensland. Each time, the plaint is the same: “We thought we had a chance of advancing on a light rail project, but a consultant from Ottawa (John Bonsall) has come here and enchanted our decision-makers with tales of major economies and booming ridership on the Ottawa ‘Transitway’.
Nothing against bus rapid transit. Just cautioning that there’s always another view.
