Dear Chairman Kalikow and Director Lapp:

We write to request that a substantial amount be allocated for a "Bus Rapid Transit" construction fund in the upcoming 2005-2009 Metropolitan Transportation Authority's capital plan.

As you know, New York City has the slowest local bus speeds in America, a truly unenviable position. Slow bus speeds increase operating and maintenance costs, degrade service, discourage ridership and exacerbate air pollution.

Across the country, "Bus Rapid Transit" initiatives have greatly improved bus service and attracted riders. BRT holds the same promise for New York, a view we know that both the MTA and the City Administration share. As Mayor Bloomberg noted in 2001, BRT - which he has called "subways-on-the-surface" - provides a key way to reduce bus travel times.

Among the options for BRT here are: double-width bus lanes at congested points, as on Madison Avenue; distinctive marking of bus lanes and bus stops; bus-mounted cameras to enforce the lanes (which requires legislative approval); "bulb out" bus stops that reduce conflicts for curb and pedestrian space; pre-boarding fare payment at congested points; signal prioritization; changes in bus design; satellite dispatching of buses to provide more regular service and real-time information on arrivals/delays (already in the MTA capital plan in its early stages); and route specific improvements that address choke points.

We are encouraged by recent improvements to bus service that MTA New York City Transit and the New York City Department of Transportation have made. To date, products of this partnership include faster express bus service on the Gowanus High Occupancy Vehicle lane and the Church Street bus way, a bus lane on Fordham Road in the Bronx, and joint surveys with the New York Police Department to address problems on local bus routes.

BRT in New York City is poised for a big leap forward, as New York City Transit and City DOT prepare to hire a consultant to study BRT options for five corridors around the city. But to make BRT happen, it is critical that there be clear funding sources.

The MTA's 2005-2009 capital plan is one appropriate place to look, acknowledging both the many other worthy priorities, as well as the challenges in winning state legislative approval to finance the plan. A monetary commitment by the MTA would enhance your ability to seek additional BRT funds from federal, state and local government.

Costs will vary depending on the BRT elements selected. We ask you to consider an initial set-aside fund of between $75 million and $100 million. We have endeavored to estimate a reasonable amount of funding that would support an effective range of options, assuming a base cost of $3.5 million to $4 million per mile.

We look forward to hearing back from you and to progress on BRT.

Yours truly,

Beverly Dolinsky
New York City Transit Riders Council
347 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017

Gene Russianoff
Straphangers Campaign
9 Murray Street
New York, NY 10007

Jon Orcutt
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
350 West 31st Street
New York, NY 10001

John Kaehny
Transportation Alternatives
115 West 30th Street
New York, NY 10001

Rich Kassel
Natural Resources Defense Council
40 West 20th Street
New York, New York 10011

James T.B. Tripp
Environmental Defense
257 Park Avenue South
New York, New York 10010

Robert Yaro
Regional Plan Association
4 Irving Place
New York, New York 10003

cc:

Hon. Michael Bloomberg
Hon. Dan Doctoroff
Hon. Iris Weinshall
Lawrence Reuter
Millard Seay
Douglas Blais
Susan Kupferman
Mark Page