Dean Metzger and Bruce Kaplan of Berkeley have filed a request for a ballot initiative for an anti-BRT initiative, presumably for the upcoming November ballot if they get enough signatures.
If successful, their initiative would essentially remove City Council and professional planners from transportation decision-making. Their initiative would require voter approval of any roadway reconfiguration that removes space for automobile, parking (and even landscaping) in order to accommodate buses.
The blog Living the O notes:
Regardless of any issues one may have with AC Transit’s current BRT proposal, this is just bad planning. This initiative would mean that anytime the City wanted to convert lanes to transit-only lanes, the decision would have to be made by the Berkeley electorate. Even if the dedicated bus lane only extended one block into Berkeley from Oakland or another neighboring city, Berkeley residents would have the final say. Projects could be held up for months or even years if an election wasn’t approaching (I don’t see the city holding special elections for this issue).
And while the current language is targeted only at buses, it is a sure bet that if it were passed, the next step will be to go after bike lanes and pedestrian projects.