Watt Avenue Bus Lane Is Finished, So Why Isn't It Being Used?
SACRAMENTO COUNTY (CBS13) — A state-of-the-art road construction project in Sacramento County has been finished since January, so why isn't a new bus lane on South Watt Avenue being used?
Mark Lonergan with Regional Transit says the lane is a first of its kind in the area. The two-mile stretch that travels over Highway 50 toward La Riviera Drive will allow two buses to travel on a single lane in opposite directions through one of the most congested areas of the county.
But since the buses have to be traveling at different times, coordination and training is key.
"Because that single lane busway has buses going in both directions and it has kind of a complex and unique signalling system that all the operators will need to be trained on on how to use that signalling system to use the bus lane safely," he said
RT officials understand the confusion over why the lanes aren't being used since the project has been done since January.
Regular drivers are not allowed to use the wide-open bus lane, but officials say the wait will be worth it.
"The benefit for our RT riders will be time savings," he said. "so what that allows the bus to do is get out of the congestion on watt avenue as it's crossing the river be in it's own lane and travel more quickly across the river."
Also, drivers won't get stuck behind a bus in traffic. But there's one other issue delaying the use of the lane:
"We needed to reroute the routes so the buses that use watt avenue stay on watt avenue all the way across the parkway," he said.
That's been done, but because the public needs to be notified of route changes ahead of time, it's not an overnight switch.
Drivers will be training over the summer on the new system, which is expected to be put into full use on Sept. 6.