Tracking the proposed East End BRT

Via Off the Kuff, Intermodallity looks at proposed alignments for the East End not-rail line, noting that Metro has proposed four options and is avoiding the catfights taking place along the proposed University line on the west side. The proposals for the Bus Rapid Transit line:

• Harrisburg Boulevard, a major route through the residential areas of the East End and, west of 65th Street, through a commercial center. The alignment would run through neighborhoods that would contribute to ridership and would end at the Magnolia Transit Center, a good point for bus transfers. The drawback: Harrisburg is narrow in parts.

• Use the Union Pacific tracks two blocks south of Harrisburg, which would serve the same areas and end a block from the Magnolia TC. The line is already grade-separated at Wayside and 69th, but using it would require the approval of Union Pacific and the UP freight line would have to stay in service.

• An abandoned rail line north of Harrisburg, which has the advantage of already being torn up, so no cooperation with a railroad is needed. Problem is, this alignment would take the line past a lot of back yards and the BRT would share the old trackbed with an existing bike path.

• Navigation Boulevard, which is far north of most East End residential areas — unless there was a Ninfa's station, we can't imagine a Navigation alignment would get a lot of riders. But it would be easy: Navigation is wide and has a median that could be converted to a BRT line without having to tear up traffic lanes.

As Christof notes, East Enders at a recent Metro forum didn't argue about whether a transit line should come through their area — instead, they agreed the East End needs one and discussed how to put it where it would get the most use, quite a change from other parts of town. Metro will suggest an alignment in May, which will then be discussed at another public meeting and voted on by the Metro board.