The hotly contested Bus Rapid Transit proposal, if approved by the city, will mean big changes for mass transit in Berkeley. While there are plenty of quiet skeptics of the plan, there is a relatively small but vocal group of concerned citizens who argue that the general public is not sufficiently informed about the proposed plan and its potentially crippling drawbacks.

The hotly contested Bus Rapid Transit proposal, if approved by the city, will mean big changes for mass transit in Berkeley.

Backers of the proposal welcome it as an innovative environmentally friendly bus system that will provide quicker and more efficient mass transit down Telegraph Avenue into neighboring Oakland and San Leandro while also improving traffic conditions.

While there are plenty of quiet skeptics of the plan, there is a relatively small but vocal group of concerned citizens rising up to argue that the general public is not sufficiently informed about the proposed plan and its potentially crippling drawbacks.

“The big concern is the effect on the health and vitality of Telegraph itself,” says George Beier, the runner up in the 2006 district 7 city council race – whose opposition to the BRT was a central campaign theme.

Beier worries that the plan itself and its inherent pitfalls, which include increased traffic congestion that could potentially lead to adverse environmental effects are virtually unknown to the general public. He plans to change all that, and now heads an organization made up of Telegraph Avenue merchants and neighborhood leaders called Berkeleyans for Better Transit Options, which is dedicated to getting the word out about the plan’s faults.

Principal Transportation Planner for the City of Berkeley, Matt Nichols, argues that ample opportunities have indeed been available for the public to get informed on the matter. “It’s not like people have been kept in the dark,” Nichols said referring to the various informational meetings since the plan was introduced over three years ago.

While Nichols says that the city and AC Transit could stand to do more educational outreach about the plan’s details, he points out that plan could be very positive for the city and there is in-fact significant evidence that traffic conditions would improve as indicated in the AC Transit environmental impact report.

Beier and other dissenters grudgingly agree, to some extent.

“The truth is, its not a bad proposal,” Beier says, referring to some intriguing features such as fewer stops with real-time arrival information, ticket kiosks where you can buy pre-paid tickets, and automatic transponders in the buses that would switch an on-coming traffic light to green allowing relatively non-stop travel. “I really wanted to like it, but for all the environmental reasons at the end of the day I don’t think there is going to be enough switchers from the cars to the bus, and in that effect, traffic is going to get worse.”
AC Transit, on the other hand, touts the new plan as a revolutionary approach to public transit that will increase the speed and convenience of bus service. But in order to accomplish such ambitious goals the project intends to eliminate a lane of traffic and a lane of parking in both directions along Berkeley’s bustling Telegraph Avenue in favor of designated bus lanes.

If the city eliminates these lanes and people do not leave the comfort of their cars, Beier’s grim predictions could ring true.

Yet, many city officials and other backers such as the Sierra Club and the Transport and Land Use Coalition TALC, have high hopes that the upgraded service will ultimately draw commuters out of their cars and into the new rapid buses leading to the desired effect of lowering of greenhouse gas emissions.

“The key to having people to make the switch is frequency and reliability,” says Joel Ramos, a Community Planning Associate for TALC. “The only way you can get frequency is with dedicated lanes.” Ramos adds. “If you make an alternative to transportation that can go just as fast if not faster than a car and less expensive for that matter because you don’t have to pay for parking then people will be inclined to take it.”

Ramos, however, also agrees with opponents like Beier that there might be a lack of information out there, but worries that some opponents of the plan may be spreading inaccurate information based on unfounded opinions. He urges doubters of the BRT to research cities around the country and around the world where rapid transit bus systems have flourished.

However, it is not that simple according to some long time community members who argue that Berkeley has its own unique set of transportation and traffic needs, and one standard does not fit all.

Carol Lipnick, a 27-year resident and owner of The Berkeley Hat Company on Telegraph Avenue, contends that businesses along Telegraph as well as the small town feel of Berkeley are both at stake. Lipnick is quick to explain that she is not opposed to buses and sensible mass transit, but the current BRT plan does not match that criteria. She fears that businesses along Telegraph Avenue will be crippled and face possible bankruptcies due to new traffic congestion and lack of parking.

Taking it one step further, Lipnick believes the project as a whole is a complete waste of the cities time, money and effort.

At 5 O’clock in the afternoon, Lipnick’s store is packed with students and local hipsters alike fashioning hat after hat in her cramped mini warehouse of unusual headwear. Located on the corner of Telegraph Avenue and Dwight way, she walks outside to illustrate her case and points toward the street. “Look at this bus, its empty… and this is rush hour,” she says. Lipnick argues that the new plan can only create problems where there are none. Her store window dons a “No BRT” sticker and she has been known to go door to door to other merchants in the area lobbying them to get informed and involved on the issue.

The city council’s next meeting is on October 23, where the transportation and planning commission will present their recommendations about AC Transits’ colossal development project. District 7’s city council member, Kris Worthinton – who beat out Beier in the 2006 election – is not sure what exactly will happen at the up coming meeting, but is trying to take a more broad approach to the debate.

“I’m in a funny position,” said Worthington from his offices. “The neighborhood associations are passionately opposed to BRT and they think it is an evil horrible idea and should never happen and the AC transit people are like this is the greatest thing in town and we need to make this happen or else.” But Worthington believes the devil is in the details and that a compromise is possible. He has recently written a new proposal pushing for an alternate BRT plan that will allow for easy connections to the train station, the ferry and the other rapid bus on San Pablo Avenue, of which the current BRT plan does not.

As the decision making process barrels ahead, Worthington is also concerned with the lack of public information. He says if the people are not getting sufficient information that he will take responsibility and start making phone calls from his offices himself.

In the meantime, Lipnick, Beier and other dissenters of the plan are regenerating their efforts in hopes of winning the hearts and minds of Berkeley residents to oppose the current plan. “We are moving into this advocacy role and we are going to have a forum next month, but we don’t have much time,” says Beier.