Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Fresno

Fresno BRT Threatened By Last-Minute Smear Campaign

Will Fresno City Council pull the plug on bus rapid transit before it even starts? Image: Fresno Bee
Will Fresno City Council pull the plug on bus rapid transit before it even starts? Photo: Fresno Bee
Will Fresno City Council pull the plug on bus rapid transit before it even starts? Image: Fresno Bee

The city of Fresno, California, is a sprawling place, not known for having a strong transit system. But it's been making big strides. Last year, this city of 500,000 passed a "general plan" that called for 45 percent of new development to be "infill," or built in already developed areas.

The plan relies on beefing up transit service as well. The proposal the city settled on calls for two bus rapid transit lines -- one running north-south and the other running east-west. About 60,000 people make their homes within a quarter mile of the proposed routes. Fresno was able to win some $50 million to make it happen, as well, thanks to a federal Small Starts grant and state environmental grants.

The city's major real estate developers, however, never liked the proposal to limit sprawl, and now they're threatening to derail BRT and the general plan. Those plans -- representing almost $60 million in spending -- are on the line in a City Council vote tomorrow. Will local officials vote to proceed with the BRT proposal, as required by state law?

Christine Baker is a coordinator with a group called FLARE Together -- Fresno Leaders Advocating Regionally for Equity. She said city government could go either way. In their opposition campaign, local real estate developers have teamed up with the Tea Party and the Amalgamated Transit Union, whose local leader is allied with Tea Party groups, Baker said. "We have a local PAC that has been running fear mongering ads on local conservative talk radio: 'If BRT is approved crime will increase in Riverpark,'" a shopping center.

If the city refuses to support BRT, it will lose the $50 million in funding -- which included three years of operating money -- as well as some $7 million that was spent developing the general plan. Plus, it will cost millions to develop a new plan.

"There’s no rational argument against it at this point," said Baker. "It's just all out war."

Opponents of the plan have suggested the money would be better spent improving existing bus routes. But federal guidelines wouldn't allow the money to be transferred that way. Furthermore, as the Frenso Bee pointed out in an editorial today, the city was required to show that the bus rapid transit lines would be financially viable in the long term in order to qualify for federal funding. So there's no sound reason to worry that other bus service would suffer.

"The fears raised and the arguments made by BRT opponents don't withstand scrutiny," the Bee editorial board wrote, accusing opponents of employing a "political trick."

"The Fresno City Council must move forward with BRT and give residents a much-needed upgrade in mass transit."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Tuesday’s Headlines Turn Up the Heat

Triple-digit heat, fueled by climate change, is warping rail lines, interrupting construction work on transit lines and causing burns on sidewalks.

July 16, 2024

These Are the Most Dangerous Congressional Districts for Pedestrians

The deadliest congressional districts in America are dominated by BIPOC communities — and federal officials need to step up to save the most vulnerable road users.

July 16, 2024

Delivery Worker Minimum Wage Shows Promise … For Some, Data Shows

New data from New York City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection shows minimum wage is bringing order to a previously wild industry.

July 15, 2024

Monday’s Headlines Go Through Basic Training

An NYU study looks into why the U.S. is lagging behind on high-speed rail, and one transportation expert ponders the impact on growth.

July 15, 2024

Sustainable Transportation Advocates Need to Talk About Sustainable Urban Design

A new book hopes to act as a "magic decoder ring" to our built environment — and a powerful tool to understand how sustainable transportation networks can fit within them.

July 15, 2024
See all posts