BRT would boost capacity for much used Metro, cut travel times, be a catalyst for economic development, contribute to energy and carbon reductions, and create a more equitable transit system because low-income people and minorities are most affected by long travel times, Metro general manager Chuck Kamp said.

It would use snazzier, 60-foot-long buses that bend at the center and have low floors, three doors, onboard bike storage, Wi-Fi and technology to extend green lights and other transit signal improvements. It would feature small, medium and large BRT stations with shelters, paved platforms, benches and lighting, and for the larger facilities, ticket vending, real-time bus information, bike racks and perhaps heating.

The coming study will identify exact start/finish locations, station sites, street routes, and where infrastructure such as dedicated bus lanes will be set.

Public participation will be key, Lynch said.

After a plan is created, the city will seek federal funding to finish design and build the initial route. The planning study is expected to be finished in fall 2019, with construction of the east-west BRT route possible in 2024.