[Cirrus]

Thanks to Pedshed.net (http://pedshed.net/) for the head's up.

Bus rapid transit service begins in Eugene, Oregon on Sunday, January 14, 2007. The service is called EmX (short for Emerald Express) and it features custom-designed hybrid-electric vehicles, and stops with raised boarding platforms and real time route information. The route will run four miles from downtown Eugene to downtown Springfield with two and a half miles in exclusive bus-only lanes.

Eugene Emerald Express

http://www.ltd.org/admin/dynpage/_i3/images/emx/EmX-dads-gates2.jpg

http://www.ltd.org/admin/dynpage/_i3/images/emx/franklinmapemxBIG.gif

For more info visit the Lane Transit District (http://www.ltd.org/search/showresult.html?versionthread=6eec24bb231297a66d73fb145404cef2).

[glowrock]

Those look like some really interesting buses... I like the color/paint scheme!

Aaron (Glowrock)

[fangorangutang]

Sweet, I've been waiting for this, although I thought the buses were going to look much different.

[WonderlandPark]

Very nice, seen the line U/C for a while now, nice to see it up and running. I really like the busses.

[Justin10000]

I was following this system for a few years now.

I thought that there was going to be grade seperated transitways?

[pdxstreetcar]

I'll have to check this out soon.

[MSPtoMKE]

Looks pretty nice for little Eugene. I remember reading about this a while ago, then forgot about it.

[WonderlandPark]

From what I noticed, a good part is seperated by a small curb, the busses are only allowed on that section, so it is grade seperated. I don't know where this photo was taken, but there was real infrastructure built for the busses and they are exclusive, so it is a true BRT system, IMO.

[mcbaby]

hmmm.. i live in portland and haven't heard diddly about this. i thought it was still in the planning phase.

[martarider]

Very interesting to see how this one turned out.

FWIW, this was the original concept for this project back in the late 1990s:

http://www.nc3d.com/albums/Eugene-SpringfieldBRTPilotProject/123_02a_20.sized.jpg

http://www.nc3d.com/albums/Eugene-SpringfieldBRTPilotProject/123_03_24.sized.jpg

These renderings (and a video) are still online at the site of the marketing firm that did them:
http://www.nc3d.com/gallery/Eugene-SpringfieldBRTPilotProject

As an aside, it seems these graphics found their way onto the "BRT stock photos" collection that apparently was sent to every transit agency and consulting firm in the country, because I've seen them used countless times in various plans, presentations, etc. for proposals all over the US. This wouldn't bother me, if only the pics weren't so often used to over-sell relatively modest BRT projects that bear little resemblance to what is pictured. For one thing, the renderings clearly suggest a physically-guided O-bahn type system, which is hardly ever considered as a serious alternative for BRT studies in the US.

Anyway. I don't mean to knock what did get built in Eugene, which actually looks pretty decent. I'm impressed they kept the 60 ft. artics as part of the concept -- based on my experience w/ BRT planning that is often the first thing to go when its time to cut corners. And good that they at least got a majority of it in a dedicated ROW (something else that is often promised and then not delivered).

[Doady]

From what I noticed, a good part is seperated by a small curb, the busses are only allowed on that section, so it is grade seperated. I don't know where this photo was taken, but there was real infrastructure built for the busses and they are exclusive, so it is a true BRT system, IMO.

Umm, no... a grade-separated BRT would mean that it would not operate on the street, it would operate on a seperate road that does not intersect with other roads at all.

Nonetheless, this is still a true BRT, just not the ultimate BRT, and still quite impressive for such a small city.

[der Reisender]

glad to see its finished now, i think they had originally slated it for a fall 06 opening, to match with UO starting the year. wish they had had the BRT when i was at school, but oh well, guess i'll just have to make a trip and try it out. anyone on here live in eugene? pictures?

[Justin10000]

I would not consider it True BRT. But I would say that it is an vast improvement over a regular bus route.

[WonderlandPark]

I consider it true BRT when at least a curb keeps it out of the flow of auto traffic. Which, in places, it does. The LA Orange line, considered a model BRT system, still runs along a street, Chandler Blvd, and is seperated by a planted median. Once there is a curb there, than it is running seperate from traffic flow.

1,000 :banana:

[Justin10000]

The Orange Line may be considered a "true" BRT. But that is by FTA standards. And you know how much the FTA is behind BRT. I think the Orange Line, and the Eugene system are part of the FTA "showcase" BRTs.

Don't get me wrong. What Eugene has done is amazing. But I cannot call it BRT. The only true BRT system, or one that is extremely close, is OC Transpo's system in Ottawa.

I have lived in Ottawa, for a number of years, and you have to experience it for yourself. Most of the city is connected by grade seperated roadways. You do not need a car in that city!

[zilfondel]

I saw them running in Eugene a few weeks ago, and should probably post some pictures on here. FYI, the buses are really weird looking and are articulated, and are hybrid/electric - extremely quiet and very little black smoke.

However, the route downtown is really convoluted... would have been much better to actually dedicate 2 bi-directional lanes instead of the current configuartion, which has small passing "sidings" (just like trains!) every 1/4 mile or so, with the rest of the ROW shared. And buses are scheduled for every 10 minutes, both directions.

[queetz@home]

As much as I dislike BRTs, I gotta hand it to Eugene for using conventional buses as oppose to that dreadful Irisbus Civis crap that you see in the CGI renderings! Their choice of conventional technology (which I pointed out in the July 2004 Translink Board Meeting) helped Vancouver's Translink to decided to remove guided buses from its BRT proposals now and forever! :tup:

[Doady]

^ What's wrong with guided buses? Don't some European cities use them?

[queetz@home]

^^ Yeah, in Nancy, France. Guided buses are a waste of money. If you don't want to build a rail system, why make your bus look like a train? Transit authorities should just openly admit it to people that what you have is an ordinary bus and should not sugarcoat it in a futile attempt to fool people. Buses are never substitute for rail, no matter how much you enhance its looks or feel. If you want to build something right, do it properly.

Eugene made the right decision by openly admitting that their BRT vehicle is a bus, no more no less, and chose a conventional vehicle that is more than enough to meet their needs. If people like it, fine. But they should not have the impression that their system is nothing more but an improved bus service, not an LRT on rubber tires (as what guided bus proponents try to make it to be).

[lamborghini]

i see them going by the Downtown Athletic Club a lot but only a few people ride in them at a time. it was about a billion dollar project and the rides are free, so how does eugene expect to make money off of it??? :shrug: :shrug:

[der Reisender]

about a billion dollar project? where did you find that one? offer a little support for those kind of numbers. the Register-Guard article says it was $24 million, thats a lot of rounding up. as for being free the first few years, that's true, as they are hoping to generate ridership. don't know if that will work, but i would imagine a lot of riders would be UO students and thus free anyway.

[lamborghini]

i guess i read wrong....

[zilfondel]

I don't think the Eugene buses are guided... I didn't see any devices that might guide them, and only a couple of blocks out of a 5 mile route has even a median to separate it from auto traffic. And it's only 1-lane, which has to share buses going both directions.

[Justin10000]

I think it is just busways.

[mcbaby]

any more pics?

[Ex-Ithacan]

Whatever ya call it, I like it. Good to see a smaller city like Eugene getting involved in a project like this. I know there's a bit of a built-in ridership with all the U of O students, but that's cool too. It has a better chance to succeed. Good stuff.

[pdxtex]

i wonder if you can bring bikes on it......

[SpongeG]

ah cool

Me and my friends were in eugene - we stayed one night on the way down to cali - and saw those platform things and some construction and wondered what they were for

looks good - eugene was a cool little city

[lamborghini]

the busses are run by humans and they only take a few minutes off the trip (depending on the trafic)
at least they look cool

[mcbaby]

are there more pics?

[Inkdaub]

Those are cool looking busses. Good for Eugene.