Bus Rapid Transit and pedestrian safety - Is there cause for concern? (Community Voices)

Published on Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Last updated on 08:54AM, Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Dallas rapid bus riders have level boarding - Why not Oakland?

Dallas rapid bus riders have level boarding - Why not Oakland?

This is the second in Oakland Local's series of the most common misconceptions about BRT heard in Oakland. Look for more next week.

Myth: BRT duplicates the BART route

The original route, from Downtown Berkeley BART to Bay Fair BART, runs along an existing BART route. Why build another system that just replicates an existing route?

Fact: Not everything is near a BART station, which is proven by the 21,000 people already taking the 1/1R every weekday. There are as many as three miles between BART stations on the BRT route. The proposed BRT system would have a stop roughly every four blocks. Much like how cars are built to drive on freeways and local roads, the East Bay needs a comprehensive and reliable transit system that can move people across a large area quickly or meet them in their neighborhood.

You wouldn't tell a senior citizen or a person with disabilities just to hoof it to the nearest BART station. Which brings us to …

Myth: Stops will be too far for seniors and people with disabilities

Fact: The BRT system proposes having a stop every four blocks along Telegraph and International Boulevard. 80 percent of riders will use the same stop. Compared to the current stop alignment, people could have to walk one to two blocks further or their stops could be one to two blocks closer. It depends on the stop.

Myth: BRT is bad for seniors and people with disabilities

You know what is unequivocally good for seniors and people with disabilities? Level boarding. A person in a wheelchair boarding an AC Transit bus today has to wait while the bus stops, endure an ear-splitting warning noise, suffer the glares (intentional or not) of other passengers and be restrained. This is a degrading process. People with less visible disabilities, strollers and carts are forced to step up onto the bus, avoiding the spectacle, but often injuring themselves in the process.

Fact: The proposed BRT system brings platforms for level boarding to all of Telegraph and International Boulevard. No BRT passenger would endure the sirens, stares or high steps. Is that worth potentially walking another block or two? Seniors and people with disabilities need to focus on more than stop distance - they deserve level boarding.

Myth: BRT is dangerous for pedestrians

Consider the current state of the corridor. International Boulevard has more vehicle/pedestrian collisions per mile than any other street in Oakland (Telegraph is fifth). Five of the 10 most dangerous intersections for pedestrians are on the BRT corridor. People need a safer way to cross these streets.

Fact: The BRT project will bring substantial improvements to every fourth intersection in the corridor. The intersections with bus stations will see:

  • More visible crosswalks and lighting - To help drivers see people crossing the street
  • Pedestrian-activitated crossing signals - More of the crosswalk signals that people can press to get a "walk" signal
  • Safe places to wait in the middle of the street - Because stations will be in the middle of the street, AC Transit will build large waiting areas, safe from traffic, where people can wait if they only get halfway across the street between lights.

Fact: If you are hit by a car, the car's speed is the greatest determining factor on your chance of survival. Someone hit by a car at 45 mph has a 15 percent chance of surviving, compared to a 55 percent survival rate at 30 mph (and 98 percent at 20 mph). Seniors suffer the highest rates of fatality from vehicle collisions. Note that in Alameda County, people of color are hospitalized or killed while crossing the street 2.5 times more frequently than Caucasians (all statistics are from the Oakland Pedestrian Master Plan).

Along most of the BRT corridor, dedicated bus lanes would remove a lane of traffic in each direction. An undisputed principle of traffic engineering is that people drive as quickly as they sense the conditions allow. Drivers will slow down when they're forced into fewer lanes. BRT means that people will be safer from cars.

But what about the buses? Unimpeded by other traffic, BRT buses will be free to speed down the corridor, not threatening the lives of pedestrians.

Fact: At the end of the day, bus drivers are more trained and regulated than people that drive cars. Buses are also required to follow the posted speed limits. New crosswalks will make pedestrians more visible and give them a safe refuge in the middle of the street. Anyone concerned about the safety of pedestrians should demand the full BRT system.

What have you heard about the proposed BRT system?

 

 

 

 

About Ruth Miller
Ruth Miller is a masters student in the UC Berkeley Department of City and Regional Planning. Her primary interests include travel, cartography, and food.