The L.A. Metropolitan Transportation Authority's successful rapid bus service combines high-tech and low-tech solutions to deliver better transit service.
The MTA launched Rapid Bus in 2000 with two routes, modeled after the bus system of Curitiba, Brazil. The buses utilize electronic gear that make traffic signals hold green lights longer, and supervisors along the route aid drivers and assist passengers. "The result? Faster service: Rapid Buses complete their routes up to 30% faster than normal buses. And more riders: The buses are so popular--jammed, actually--that overall ridership along Wilshire is up 40% in two years."
Thanks to Christian Peralta
FULL STORY: Putting the Rapid Back in Rapid Transit
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research