Oakland, Calif.-based AC Transit recently hired a veteran transit engineering expert to head the agency’s bus rapid transit (BRT) program. Arul Edwin, who successfully managed similar transportation projects from Boston to Seattle, is now the program director for a BRT plan that will modernize and improve East Bay bus service. 

Once completed, the BRT system promises to reduce travel times, traffic congestion and ozone emissions, and generally benefit the environment overall.

Among other things, Edwin served as area traffic manager for the Central Artery/Tunnel Project in Boston for the Massachusetts Highway Department. His duties included performing construction staging, intelligent transportation system design and implementation, and traffic management during construction for the downtown area.

In addition, Edwin has been the project manager for the I-405 Design Build/ Bus Rapid Transit Project in Seattle, Wash.; served as project manager for the Santa Clara County Measure A Program — preparing a strategic plan and capital project planning; and, as the design manager, prepared environmental documents and final bid documents for freeway widening and interchange implementation.

Construction of the BRT project will create local construction jobs and contribute to the economy by generating additional jobs that will support construction. Construction is expected to begin in 2014 and be completed by 2016.