Strassner thinks that if we just implemented the BRT plan in Chinatown, the 30 Stockton will move much faster and thus alleviate all the complaints that have been fueling the calls for the Central Subway. Strassner even suggests that if implemented, the commute on the 30 Stockton will only be a minute or so slower than the subway. Most importantly, it'll save us major amounts of money, like over a billion dollars worth and yes, that's "billion" with a b.
The plan would call for having a bus-only lane through much of Chinatown so the bus can zip through that section of town. As anyone who has ridden the 30 Stockton knows, it feels like it can sometimes take like fifteen minutes to go four or five blocks and by blocks, we mean every block as it seems like that line has a stop on every damn block. The problem with all this is whether the merchants in Chinatown will go for it as even plans for a BRT on Van Ness and Geary have met with major resistance. We're also unsure as to how this will work as it's not like Stockton isn't crowded enough with cars and pedestrians and who knows what. Wouldn't blocking off one of the lanes mean more traffic?
Anyways, it's not a half bad idea.