A Framework to Identify Economic and Community Benefits of the Proposed BRT System in Southeast Michigan

Abstract

In recent years, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has generated great interest across the United States. There are more than 20 BRT systems in existence and more are in the planning stage (including Detroit). Within the next few years, BRT will be planned and implemented phase by phase in various parts of Southeast Michigan. The purpose of this paper is to present a framework to identify probable economic and community benefits (quantitative as well as qualitative) of BRT in Southeast Michigan. Taxable Real Estate property, employment sector, population age group, daily vehicle miles traveled, as well as congestion level data were reviewed to identify Southeast Michigan’s current and future trends. A Shift-Share analysis using data from Cleveland was performed to determine BRT-advantaged age group. The authors suggested a number of action items to attract choice riders and excite transit dependent riders to the planned BRT system. Based on the literature review and analysis, the authors identified BRT-advantaged job sectors and age-groups within the Southeast Michigan region. As BRT will be implemented in phases, it will affect the amount, type and time of investment. Considering this uncertainty in implementation, projected economic benefit as a function of type and amount of investment was presented. It is to be noted that in order to achieve the desired outcome the system must be planned/designed/implemented within the context of Southeast Michigan rather than just copying a successful system from somewhere else.