Since "MythBusters" is already taken by the Discovery Channel...
__Myth: Bus Rapid Transit is Just Like Rail but Cheaper to Build!
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Proponents of bus rapid transit say that BRT is just like rail but cheaper. BRT emulates light rail service with its dedicated lanes, prepaid boarding (even turnstiles in some South American cities), and level boardings. Buses running in the dedicated transitways run at speeds close to those of light rail. BRT, however, does not provide the capacity as does rail. GoBRT says "there are several BRT systems that carry more than 10,000 passengers per hour in the peak direction. most US light rail systems carry between 1,500 to 3,000 passengers per hour in peak directions." But, GoBRT is comparing apples with oranges.
(Photo: Silver Line BRT in Boston. Photo by Flickr user nautical2k. Used under the Creative Commons License.)
It is comparing the overcrowded, four-lane BRT systems of South America to underused light rail in the United States. The Boston Silver Line Washington BRT has 14 buses per hour during the morning peak. If an articulated bus carries 150 people, then the Silver Line can carry 2,100 passengers per hour. Boston's B train (Green Line light rail) runs with 12 trains per hour, but has a capacity of 5,600 passengers per hour with two-car trains. With light rail, there is the flexibility of adding additional rail cars when the ridership calls for it. But with BRT, transit agencies can only add buses, causing congestion within the transit lane (and higher operating costs). American transit agencies look at Curitiba's effective BRT system, but recently, a "Metrô lêve," or light-metro in English, has been suggested to replace one of the busiest lines and to add extra capacity. The major benefit, though, about bus rapid transit, is the fact that it is cheaper to build. Also, buses can exit the transitway and serve more destinations than can rail systems. There's no doubt that BRT provides a major improvement over a traditional bus system, but BRT would work best for corridors that do not have a super high ridership.
