Eugene BRT

Not light rail, but these two 1999 Newlands & Co. photo simulations of Eugene, Oregon's "Bus Rapid Transit" (BRT) have been widely used to promote BRT in other cities. A visit to Eugene last week gave me the opportunity to compare the image with the finished reality.

These depicted the European CiViS bus design, not the New Flyer articulated buses actually used. Grass between pavement strips was done in the Franklin median (next photo), but narrower.

(Click any image to enlarge)

About 0.8 miles of the 3.8-mile route is in the median of Franklin Blvd. (left). Another 0.9 miles is in bus lanes on 11th and 10th Avenues. These are predominantly single-lane, with passing at stations and a two-lane median section.

The majority of the route is in mixed traffic. Here a westbound bus from the Springfield station begins the dedicated lane on Franklin Blvd. at the Walnut St. station.

This detail shows the station platform curb and pedestrian ramp.

Westbound buses must wait here in the station for an eastbound bus to clear the single-lane section.

These special 63-foot articulated buses have two doors on their left sides as well as the standard three on the right. This also shows the wing station canopy design.

The westbound bus now proceeds on the single-lane median section toward downtown Eugene.

Here is a typical station on 11th Street, showing concrete bus lanes but not the landscaping of Franklin's median.

Lane Transit District's EmX Green Line buses are scheduled to run every 10 minutes on weekdays, 3.8 miles in 16 minutes between the Springfield and Eugene bus stations, a 14 mph average. This photo is from the good signage in the station.

Pasadena Gold Line opening

Today is the 5th Anniversary of the July 25, 2003 public opening of the Pasadena Gold Line. This is the Construction Authority's poster.

Here are some photos from opening weekend and pre-opening testing. (Click photos to enlarge)

MTA Board members spoke before this huge banner in Union Station's ticketing hall for the Friday preview opening. (7/25/03)

At Union Station I helped direct some of the over 70,000 people who rode both Saturday and Sunday. (7/26/03)


It was remarkable, such a cross-section of Los Angeles: all races, and families with all ages, from babies in strollers to seniors with canes or in wheelchairs, all waiting patiently to ride the trains. (7/26/03)

After an aerial section the next station is Chinatown, shown here during pre-opening testing. (4/03)

A test train crosses the new Los Angeles River bridge. The maintenance yard is out-of-frame to the left. (4/03)

This is the half-mile section along Marmion Way in Highland Park where trains run at 20 mph with signal priority. The rest of the line is 55 mph with gated crossings or grade separations for a high 28 mph average speed for this 13.7-mile line. (4/03)

Families with kids at the Highland Park station on opening day. (7/26/03)

South Pasadena station with a train on display before opening. One of these women said, "It's like we're a real city!" (4/03)

Leaving the station the tracks cross Mission Street in historic South Pasadena. The celebrated New Urbanist transit-oriented development Mission Meridian Village is behind the brick building on the left. (4/03)

The Memorial Park station in Old Town Pasadena was built on the existing right-of-way in space set aside beneath the Holly Street Apartments. (7/25/03)

The last three stations are in the median of I-210 in Pasadena. (7/26/03)

Recent Gold Line ridership has been over 23,000 average weekday boardings.