Bus Rapid Transit promises fast travel without rail. Too bad Pierce County voters don’t want to pay

Pierce County residents have reason for enthusiasm about a planned Bus Rapid Transit system connecting downtown Tacoma and Spanaway on a 14.4-mile stretch of Pacific Avenue.

BRT blends Pierce Transit’s traditional Route 1 bus service with slick and efficient features of 21st Century transit. Selling points include off-board pay stations, more frequent arrivals and departures, and a bus-only median lane that lets riders escape the most congested traffic en route to Tacoma Dome Station.

All without the huge expense and neighborhood headache of laying down rail.

BRT also has value for what it represents: a down payment on what’s owed to South Sounders fed up with Sound Transit — an olive branch to those feeling bitter and betrayed, resentful about paying too much and getting too little.

Launch of the high-speed bus route is planned for 2023, seven years earlier than light-rail between Tacoma and Seattle. Suburban and rural Pierce County residents can look forward to convenient transit that serves them directly, unlike urban-centered light rail. And the BRT price tag ($150 million) seems modest, at least compared to the overall cost of the Sound Transit 3 tax package (a historic $54 billion).

There’s just one problem: BRT funds are in limbo.

The majority of money is caught up in the dicey federal transportation funding process and the even greater uncertainty of state transportation funding, which was thrown into confusion by the November election.

Yet optimism was in the air last week when Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards paid a visit to our Editorial Board. Woodards, who sits on the Pierce Transit board, was flanked by Pierce Transit CEO Sue Dreier and members of Dreier’s staff.

As Woodards said: “County residents have been asking for a more efficient, reliable transportation system.”

Trouble is, they’ve also made it quite clear they don’t like how much they’re paying for it.

We won’t lie; the meeting with Woodards and company gave us a little whiplash, coming on the heels of voter approval of Initiative 976, a victory for the long-running $30 car-tab movement.

It certainly underscored the local love/hate relationship with mass transit.

Sixty-six percent of Pierce County voters said “yes” to I-976, which translates to a resounding “no” on future transit projects if it survives legal challenge — and that’s a big if. Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier prodded his fellow Republicans on the County Council to join the chorus last week, voting to intervene legally in support of I-976.

Sound Transit may be as unwelcome in these parts as a polecat at a picnic, but Woodards and her Pierce Transit compatriots remain undaunted. They displayed an intrepid optimism coupled with an ability to make BRT sound like the newest ride at Disneyland. For that, they deserve some props.

But transit solutions don’t run on enthusiasm; they require large infusions of taxpayer money. The Pacific Avenue/State Route 7 corridor will need significant modifications to accommodate streetscape improvements, 32 pairs of BRT stations and a 3.6-mile median lane reserved for buses.

Getting buses out of mixed traffic is what makes a rapid bus system rapid. Can the exclusive lane and green light priority signaling help BRT move at the speed of light rail? Probably not, but we don’t doubt it will shave a chunk of time off a long commute.

Looking at the BRT plan, it’s easy to get mesmerized by the shiny, state-of-the-art hybrid buses equipped with free wifi.

Passengers with briefcases, bicycles, strollers and wheelchairs would board at ground level, no stairs required, as quickly as the whoosh of light-rail-style doors opening. Buses would come and go every 10 minutes during peak commute times.

It’s also easy to forget that this plan, now in its final stages, is relying on uncertain funds. Pierce Transit is counting on $60 million from pending federal transit grant requests and an equal amount from Sound Transit partnership funds. But the latter is in jeopardy if revenue from car tabs dries up.

Stay tuned, Pierce Transit officials say, adding that they can request more federal money if necessary.

Woodards calls BRT “the next generation system.” She makes a convincing argument that it will enable people to work, shop and play downtown while living in parts of unincorporated Pierce County where housing is more affordable.

Other communities that have invested in BRT-type systems show good returns. Vancouver, Washington saw a 45 percent increase in ridership and an influx of housing projects along the route. Eugene, Oregon (where Dreier used to run the transit system) saw job growth surge within one-quarter mile of its stations.

But governments pay for what their people prioritize, and at the moment, the people of Pierce County have not prioritized mass transit.

We hope one day they will. But first there must be a genuine commitment to rebuild public trust. (Are you listening, Sound Transit?) There must be an awareness that taxpayers feel strained beyond their limits, in both car-tab payments and patience. (Are you listening, Washington legislators?)

Until then, we’re all either sitting on a slow bus in traffic, or we’re stuck behind one.