The county council on Wednesday approved six transit-priority corridors after a two-year congestion study found that peak-hour delays on those routes were measurably worse than the regional average. The vote, 5–2, came after four hours of public comment and the late release of a procurement memo that had been requested under public records law.
Supporters argued the lanes will reduce average bus travel times by an estimated seven minutes during morning rush. Two commissioners, Hale (D-3) and Vega (R-5), voted no, citing an estimated capital expenditure of $42 million spread over three fiscal years.
What the data showed
The study, conducted jointly by the regional transit authority and a university-affiliated transportation lab, tracked 184 buses across 28 routes between February 2023 and February 2025. Peak-hour delays on the six selected corridors averaged 11.4 minutes longer than off-peak service.
If a bus is the city's most-used public asset, then giving buses their own lane is not a privilege. It's basic infrastructure. — K. Okafor, transit advocate
Construction is scheduled to begin in September. The council also approved a $1.2 million accountability program that will publish monthly travel-time data publicly. Commissioner Stein inserted that measure after testimony from the regional disability rights coalition.
What dissenters argue
Hale and Vega argued the program does not solve the underlying issue of suburban-to-urban traffic and would penalize drivers without a workable alternative. Vega proposed a smaller two-corridor pilot, which failed 3–4. Hale said her opposition was budgetary, not philosophical, and indicated she would re-evaluate if implementation costs come in below estimate.