Central Avenue Bus Rapid Transit Assessment Study

What is BRT?
    Thriving communities need effective transit service to provide new mobility options, reduce dependence upon automobiles, improve air quality and improve overall quality of life.  But implementing new service can be difficult.  Heavy and light rail options are popular, but they are expensive.  Traditional bus service is flexible and inexpensive, but is often hampered by roadway congestion.
    Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a high quality, high capacity rapid transit system that offers many of the advantages of rail transit but at a lower and more affordable cost.
    BRT vehicles may use exclusive lanes for all or part of their route, thus avoiding traffic.  Other customer friendly features may include: attractive, comfortable stations that are focus points for neighborhoods, prepaying fares at stations (instead of on the bus) to speed boarding, and boarding through multiple doors, like on a train, to speed trips.  Combined, these measures help keep BRT moving and save customers time.  BRT service is fast, frequent, attractive to use and highly visible.
    The Westchester County Department of Transportation has engaged the services of STV Incorporated to determine the feasibility of Bus Rapid Transit in the Central Avenue Corridor.
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Bus Rapid Transit Slide Show Presentation
    We invite you to view a brief but informative slide show that further explains in words and pictures the basic principles of Bus Rapid Transit. click here to enter the PowerPoint slide show or web slide show
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Why Central Avenue?
    The Central Avenue Corridor is potentially ripe for BRT with approximately 10 percent of Bee-Line customers riding buses within this corridor. The corridor is anchored by White Plains with its many employment and entertainment opportunities at the north end and by the New York City subway in the Bronx, at the south end where onward connections can be made.  This study will determine whether the existing limited stop Route 21 service, which operates during peak periods and in peak directions only, should be converted to an all day,bi-directional, 7 day-a-week BRT service.
    Other services along the corridor include the Route 20, which would continue to provide local stop service, and the BxM4C which would continue to provide express service directly to Manhattan.  These three services – the local 20, the proposed new BRT and the BxM4C would offer a coordinated set of services to meet different customer needs.
    There are three destinations of note along the Corridor.  At the north end is the Westchester County Center, which hosts many shows and exhibitions and attracts visitors from across the region.
    The second destination to note is the Cross County Shopping Center, currently in the process of an extensive renovation and expansion. It is one of the premier shopping centers in Westchester County.
    The third major destination along the Central Avenue Corridor is the recently renovated Yonkers Raceway.  A major expansion and renovation project is under way on the 97-acre site in Yonkers. The revised facility offers up to 7,500 video gaming machines, harness racing and simulcasting, as well as several restaurants, bars and an entertainment venue.
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The Study
    The study area stretches approximately 12 miles from White Plains at the north end to the Bedford Park Boulevard subway station in the Bronx.  The objective of this study is to seek a transit service in the Central Avenue Corridor that will:

• Reduce travel times

• Attract new riders

• Improve mobility in the corridor

• Create an integrated and customer friendly transit service
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Central Avenue is characterized by

• A high concentration of residential, commercial and retail development

• Heavy auto traffic

• Approximately 44 traffic signals averaging one every 3/10th of a mile

• Approximately 58 bus stops on each side of Central Avenue averaging one stop every 2/10th of a mile

• Generally two lanes of through traffic in each direction

    Should the study conclude that the Central Avenue Corridor is a viable candidate for BRT, the primary outcome would be a prioritized list of potential transit improvements that could be implemented over a period of time.  It needs to be stressed that this is a study and that there are no recommendations at this time.
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News Updates
February 2008 Existing Conditions Summary
Project Newsletter, Issue 1
News Articles:
Mobilizing the Region
A Weekly Bulletin from the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, June 29, 2007
The Journal News, June 27, 2007
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Outreach Presentation
    The Westchester County Department of Transportation has prepared an extensive and informative PowerPoint presentation that explains the purpose, goals and objectives of this study.  The principle points covered are:

• An overview of the County’s Bee-Line System

• Why Central Avenue was chosen for the study and the current conditions found on Central Avenue

• What exactly is Bus Rapid Transit, what are its characteristics, and what “changes” might be considered for the Central Avenue Corridor

• What are the various aspects on Central Avenue that the study will investigate

• Questions from the audience which is your opportunity to have specific questions answered

    This presentation takes approximately thirty minutes and is especially well suited for meetings of local government organizations concerned with improvements involving Central Avenue.  It is also excellent for meetings of Co-op and Condo Associations, Business Associations and local Service Clubs to mention just a few potentially interested groups.
Click here to schedule a presentation online or go to study contacts
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Public Open House
    The first of a series of public open houses was held on June 26, 2008 at the Westchester County Center. Click here to view the agenda or project presentation.
    A minimum of two additional open houses will be held throughout the course of the study.  Visit this website to learn the times and locations of these meetings as they are developed.
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Comment Form
    As part of the Public Workshops and Outreach Program you are invited to complete the
online Comment Form and send it electronically.
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Contacts at Westchester DOT
    The names and contact information of County personnel you can reach regarding the
Central Avenue Corridor BRT Assessment Study.

Ms. Naomi Klein
Principal Planner
Westchester County Department of Transportation
100 East First Street
Mount Vernon, NY 10550
(914) 813-7758
nkk3@westchestergov.com

Mr. Charles Sutter
Planner
Westchester County Department of Transportation
100 East First Street
Mount Vernon, NY 10550
(914) 813-7761
cjs2@westchestergov.com
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