The DART Commission selected the planned new Route 60 -- a loop route on Ingersoll and University Avenues between downtown and 42nd Street -- for further study for possible development of bus-rapid transit. 

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Candidate Corridors
What is an "Alternatives Analysis"?
What are "Very Small Starts"?

Candidate Corridors 

Five corridors were considered for possible further study. 

• Ingersoll/University loop between downtown and 42nd
• University Avenue between downtown and Methodist West Hospital
• Southwest 9th Street between downtown and Southridge Mall
• Douglas/MLK between downtown and Merle Hay Mall
• 6th Avenue between downtown and Park Fair Mall 

Route 60 was selected by the DART Commission because it includes many of the key considerations in federal grant applications to the "Very Small Starts" program of the Federal Transit Administration. Those features include etablished transit routes, high-density residential neighborhoods, and an abundance of destinations including two medical centers, three institutions of higher learning, multiple shopping districts and employment centers, and many other services.  

What is an "Alternatives Analysis"?

An Alternatives Analysis is a detailed study intended to identify potential solutions to a specific transportation problem. It involves transportation planning, initial design of transportation facilities, economic analyses and financial planning. The public is involved throughout the project. It is an objective evaluation that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation uses to evaluate competing projects across the country for FTA funding decisions.

A transit agency must complete an "Alternatives Analysis" before it can qualify for "New Starts" grant funding from the FTA. In short, an Alternatives Analysis is an investment study.

What are "Very Small Starts"?

"Very Small Starts" is a category of the FTA's capital investment program, for which federal grants are available to local transit agencies. The program focuses on smaller projects such as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) with a total cost of $50 million or less. Projects that fall into the Very Small Starts category also have a simplified evaluation and an expedited development process.

Rating criteria include:

• Ridership -- requires a minimum of 3,000 daily boardings
• Ridership Potential -- estimation of projected ridership
• Land Use -- population density and development patterns including presence of mixed-use development
• Consistency with Community Plans -- how well the project complements the comprehensive and development plans of the community
• Major Activity Centers (or trip generators) -- the presence of major activity centers such as medical facilities, educational institutions and retail commercial areas 
• Community Preferences -- public input and community preference
• Implementation Factors -- the likelihood and ease of developing projects