Raleigh breaks ground on its future bus rapid transit line

Construction on the first of Raleigh's four bus rapid transit lines began Tuesday, marking the start of a multi-year effort.

Driving the news: The first BRT line will run 5.4 miles down New Bern Avenue between downtown and WakeMed and New Hope Road.

Why it matters: Bus-rapid transit operates similarly to light rail but at a cheaper cost.

• The buses operate in their own lanes, have elevated platforms and get priority green lights.

Zoom out: Raleigh's BRT network will one day stretch four different directions from downtown, including a southern leg to downtown Garner, a western leg to downtown Cary and northern routes to North Hills and Triangle Town Center.

• Already, the planned routes are influencing development and land acquisitions along the future routes.

Details: The New Bern Avenue leg of BRT will cost around $96 million, and is being paid for by the Federal Transit Administration, the city and a half-cent sales tax passed by Wake County in 2016.

• The New Bern Avenue section could be ready for buses by 2025, and the southern leg to Garner would be built next.

The big picture: BRT could become more widespread in the Triangle, especially after federal officials gave local leaders negative feedback about its commuter rail plans that would have gone from Durham to Johnston County.

• In addition to Raleigh, Chapel Hill is building its own BRT line, and some local leaders have expressed support for a regional BRT system.