Bus rapid Tranist or Light rail?

Elden Dedon: Bus rapid transit, though cheaper than light or heavy rail, moves less people within a specific time frame. If demand is high, bus rapid transit systems prove to be inadequate. The bottom line is, how many riders will the line attract and will the service type adequately serve demand. All the rest, while significant, are really sidebars. For example, some bus rapid transit system are made to "look" like light rail - i.e. sexier - to attract more riders. Some bus rapid transit lines have their own right of way, meaning fewer delays and faster service, which translates to higher ridership. But, only if the potential for ridership exists to begin with. So you are back to the bottom line.The same thing applies to light rail vs heavy rail. And, as in the above example with BRT, you have to consider the "kind" of light rail. For example, many north American light rail systems are very close to heavy rail, by which I assume you mean a subway or metro vs. a commuter ! line. Look at the C-Train and Edmonton's light rail, one of which has a small central city subway section, vs. the Toronto street cars. Both are considered light rail. The Skytrain in Vancouver is considered intermediate rail by some and light rail by others. Still more have dubbed it a "light metro". Another category perhaps?Transit afficianados have been debating the finepoints of the definitions for many years with no resolution. There are too many gray areas, so rather than allow yourself to be limited by undefinable definitions, I'd suggest you review your project strictly from an economic perspective. I would look at how to predetermine the potential ridership per hour/day, etc. How does one determine that ridership from a marketing standpoint? What about existing numbers? Remember that just like light rail, there are many types of bus rapid transit, some of which, like that in Adelaide, run in part on their own fixed guideway. Each system has a different capacity, ba! sed on the market - existing and potential - and technological! capacity....Show more