WestStart BRT Background

Who is WestStart-CALSTART and what is our role in the Federal Transit Administration’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) program?

WestStart-CALSTART is an advanced transportation technologies consortium, dedicated to creating and expanding a global advanced transportation technologies industry and its markets through technology development, analysis, and implementation. Through strategic partnerships, we work with technology developers, manufacturers and end-users to help move clean transportation vehicles and technologies into the marketplace.

WestStart-CALSTART sponsored the first international design competition specifically for BRT, attracting academic and private entries from around the world.

Designated the "program manager" to the FTA for the agency's BRT Action Plan, our current focus in the FTA BRT program includes: Functioning as facilitator for the vehicle portion of the FTA's "Characteristics of Bus Rapid Transit" (CBRT) document Connecting U.S. vehicle manufacturers, transit agencies, component suppliers and regulators to speed commercialization of BRT vehicle technology through the BRT Working Group Developing and disseminating information on clean transportation and technologies for use in BRT systems in presentations and exhibits at industry conferences Functioning as facilitator of the vehicle forum on the FTA's "BRT Exchange" web site at www.fta.dot.gov/brt/ Launching and facilitating a "Hybrid Bus Working Group" which will help lower the cost and speed deployment of this most popular propulsion option for BRT vehicles
We also offer a variety of publications on BRT, including The BRT NewsLane . Click here for a complete list.