The City of Fresno, Calif. officially launched the construction of its $54 million, 15.7-mile bus rapid transit system on Wednesday, June 1, 2016.

“This project has been a long time in the making dating back to 2006 when the City first pursued grants to fund the project. I’m so pleased to see construction finally begin,” said Mayor Ashley Swearengin.

The system will feature a total of 27 stops, and will serve major shopping centers, hospitals, and other significant destinations in the City of Fresno. The transit line will connect all major north-south corridors, Blackstone Avenue, and a major east-west corridor, Ventura Avenue and Kings Canyon Road through downtown Fresno.

The project includes 51 stations: 24 station pairs (or 48 one-way stations), two terminal stations, and one transit center with a shared platform station. The system will be run with 17 new low-floor, multi-door, compressed natural gas low-emission 40-foot vehicles.

Wait times and customer boarding will take less time, and schedules are more reliable than fixed-route service due to transit signal priority ten-minute service frequencies during peak transit times, travel times are faster due to fewer stops, stops are located half mile apart compared to quarter-mile stops.

“While our Bus Rapid Transit system will offer a fast and reliable service along the busiest transit corridors in Fresno, BRT is not just about transit service," said City Manager Bruce Rudd. "We’ve also changed the land use regulations along the BRT routes so property owners have a lot more flexibility on how they can develop their property. By combining land use and transportation plans, we’ve got the right tools in place to spur infill development and revitalization."