It's simple, according to this Washington Post column: better buses make a better city.
"Imagine being at almost any major corner or commercial center of the region and knowing a fast and reliable vehicle will soon arrive to whisk you in the direction you want to go for a low cost," begins an article by David Alpert, writing for The Washington Post.
Not everyone—namely, those who don't live near rail stops—have "that kind of freedom" says Alpert. But they could. "[A] certain technology can provide this: the bus. All it takes is the political will to modify our streets and traffic signals to make the bus frequent, attractive, reliable and speedy."
Alpert notes the big bus projects at various stages of planning and implementation in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including Virginia's Metroway, the District Department of Transportation's 16th Street S Line, plans for a Bus Rapid Transit line in Montgomery County, and planning efforts in Prince George's County [pdf], Howard County [pdf], and the cities of Alexandria and Fairfax.
Alpert goes on to cite a lack of political will as the largest obstacle to doing what it really takes to improve bus transit, in addition to laying out a variety of arguments for why bus transit should be a central consideration in the future of mobility.
FULL STORY: Better buses make a better city
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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