June 26, 2024

The Midwest is On a Roll with Bus Rapid Transit

Breaking free from traffic, increasing ridership, and reducing pollution! Here's why Chicago needs to get on board

By Lillian Eig, ELPC Intern 2024

Public transit is an essential piece of our transportation system. Reducing pollution and increasing the efficiency of dense city streets while providing a mobility option for those who either cannot or prefer not to drive. Nearly half of all transit trips in Chicagoland are served by CTA buses alone, accounting for 5x more trips than all of Metra. But too often, our buses get stuck in traffic, making them slow and unreliable for riders. To fix this problem, cities worldwide are starting to rethink the typical city bus and break away from the congestion.

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a solution: a high-capacity bus-based transit system delivering fast and efficient services. It offers many benefits of trains, including dedicated lanes, bright and inviting stations, express service, and level boarding. It can be built out more quickly and affordably than traditional rail. On top of increased reliability, speed, and access, BRT can have a big impact on reducing carbon emissions. Not only does public transportation lower one’s carbon footprint, but many BRT systems are also implementing electric buses, further lowering carbon emissions. By increasing ridership, BRT allows for an even larger impact.

The Midwest is home to many BRT systems in Cleveland, Ohio; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Columbus, Ohio; Gary, Indiana; Indianapolis, Indiana; Kansas City, Missouri; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota. As Chicago considers a new Bus Rapid Transit corridor on Western Avenue, it can help to see how other cities have benefited from this innovative approach to transportation.

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, Ohio launched the “Healthline,” BRT system in 2008. It connects the largest two regional employment areas with a 2.3-mile transit zone downtown. It runs 24/7 with buses arriving every ten minutes. Healthline saw a 48% increase in ridership in 1 year and has served more than four million customers yearly. The buses are hybrid electric vehicles and have 90% fewer emissions than standard buses. Healthline has been named the ‘best’ Bus Rapid Transit in North America by The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy and has become a model for many other communities to follow. The Healthline was also the first, and so far, only BRT to sell the rights to its name, giving another income stream.

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids launched its 9.6-mile-long “Silver Line” in 2014. It runs along the Central Business District which includes the three highest employment concentrations in the area, serving 2,300 customers daily. In addition to its accessible boarding platforms, the Silver Line offers snow-melting sidewalks, bike racks, camera surveillance, and free Wi-Fi on all buses. It has decreased travel time from 47 minutes to 27 minutes and the Silver Line has seen increased daily ridership by 40%.

Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis launched its BRT line “Red” in 2019 and has started on “Blue” in 2022. The Red line is 13 miles long, stretching through the heart of the city, and the agency plans to go to the airport and further with the blue line. IndyGo uses zero-emission buses and standard amenities such as bike storage, accessible boarding, cameras, and pre-boarding tickets. The first line of IndyGo had 1.1 million riders in 2023 and has seen significant in recent years after covid. The line has seen its fair share of troubles due to the covid and pavement not being strong enough for new buses. They have continued to persevere and adjust and still plan to extend with more lines. The blue line is said to be finished by 2027 and they are seeking more funding for a purple line. Indianapolis has shown perseverance in pursuing rapid transit even after the Indiana State Senate fully banned light rail trains and even attempted to ban dedicated bus lanes.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee launched its BRT “Connect 1” in 2023. It runs for 9 miles east-west with 33 platforms and utilizes electric buses with off-fare collection, and accessible platforms. The buses charge overnight and at layovers and offer charging ports for riders to charge devices. The stations have snow-melting concrete, security cameras, and a warning field for when the bus is arriving. It has seen increased ridership from 300 riders daily to 700 riders daily. After seeing such success with “Connect 1,” the Milwaukee County Transit System is now pursuing the “Connect 2” north-south line for 18 miles along the 27^th street corridor, one of the system’s most-used routes. The new line will connect Milwaukee with four surrounding cities, providing access to 2,500 businesses and 50,000 jobs.

Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota

Minneapolis-St. Paul’s METRO system launched BRT with the “Red Line” in 2013 and since has added 4 more lines, the “A Line” in 2016, “C Line” in 2019, “Orange Line” in 2021 and “D Line” in 2022. Metro Transit is also in the construction and planning phases for 7 additional lines. Stations have light, on-demand heat, and emergency phones and cameras. Most BRT lines run on dedicated lanes for the majority of the route, while some do “bus-on-shoulder” rides on local highways to bypass traffic jams. Metro runs up to 25% faster than local buses. Ridership has increased 115% from 2022-2024, with 7.2 million rides.

This list is just a glimpse into some of the most successful BRT lines in the Midwest, offering a formula that has been successful in a handful of mid-sized cities. As the largest city in the Midwest, with an already extensive public transportation system, Chicago is a great candidate for BRT. Western Avenue would benefit tens of thousands of people daily by connecting riders across nearly every train line, connecting the north, west, and south sides.

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago attempted to implement bus rapid transit on Ashland Avenue just over a decade ago, but it was shut down after a vocal contingent of business owners feared the new traffic patterns. Since then, the CTA has installed some segments of dedicated lanes and bus transit stations, such as on Chicago Avenue and the Jeffrey Jump, and the suburban bus agency Pace has unveiled two new Pace Pulse lines with express service and bright, inviting stations. But the city has not seen the benefits of a full BRT line yet. There was little aldermanic support for Ashland in 2013, but things are different with Western Avenue now. As of May 2024, 16 of the 17 Alders that represent wards along Western have signed a letter asking Mayor Brandon Johnson, CTA president Dorval Carter, and Department of Transportation commissioner Tom Carney to create a study on how a Western bus rapid transit route would work. This study would be the first step in achieving much-needed connectivity and transit speed across the city. You can send a letter to your Alder showing support for Western BRT as well.