Tucson is planning one of the first bus rapid transit lines in the state to serve one of the city's busiest transit corridors.
Bus rapid transit, known as BRT, is faster than a standard bus service. It serves more people and runs more often with buses having their own dedicated lanes separate from the rest of traffic.
There are no bus rapid transit systems in Arizona currently. Both Tucson and Phoenix are working to bring the service to their cities.
Ian Sansom is a transit administrator in Tucson.
"It's a 5-mile corridor and there will be about eight stops or stations along this 5-mile stretch, including at Pima Community College at their downtown campus," Sansom said.
Tucson's plan is for the rapid bus line to run between the Ronstadt Transit Center downtown and the Tucson Mall every 10 minutes.
Tucson BRT will use larger buses with unique branding distinguishing it from the city's current buses, level boarding similar to a train platform, traffic signal prioritization and fare collection prior to boarding.
Sansom said BRT has several advantages over its current bus service.
"A traditional bus may take about 30 minutes to travel that corridor because there's so many frequent stops," Sansom said. "BRT would be pretty competitive with driving, so much closer to about 20 minutes."
Sansom says the project is still in its planning phase, and is awaiting federal grant funding from the Federal Transit Administration.
Federal funds will make up around 60% of the total project cost of approximately $140 million, with the local match funded through the Pima County RTA Next transportation plan, which was approved by voters in March.
Tucson's BRT service is expected to begin service around 2031.
Phoenix is planning similar BRT service from the former Metrocenter Mall area to downtown along 35th Avenue and Van Buren Road, which is also expected to begin service in the early 2030s.
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