Davehogan,
It would be nice to have express buses down Powell now. The buses that skip stops, however, would often be just as slow as the local buses during the morning and evening commutes.
I think what is more at issue here is not whether BRT would work, but how slow it might be during peak traffic, and how worthwhile it is then to create a ROW for them. If we find it necessary (after solid evidence is found to support/not support our opinions) to create a ROW anyway (I'm thinking from 33rd to 17th), then it seems logical to also consider a MAX.
Here's what I was thinking if you didn't catch it on a previous post:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/101004589@N07/9657053996/