Why does the RapidBus option use trolleybuses when they are more expensive and less flexible than diesel buses?
++ The study team felt that trolleybuses were a viable option for this corridor given that their quiet, fume-free operation would be a major benefit in a highly urban corridor.
++ As overhead wires and substations for trolleybuses already exist for the length of the corridor, infrastructure costs would be much less than if an entirely new trolleybus route were being introduced.
++ A second set of overhead trolley wires would be installed along most of the corridor (much like those on East Hastings Street) to allow RapidBuses to pass local buses. Local buses would, however, not be able to pass RapidBuses.
++ Trolleybuses are less flexible than diesel buses; however, advances in technology have made some constraints less severe. For example, most new trolleybuses have a small diesel or gasoline engine that allows them to operate at modest speeds in the case of a power interruption or a detour route.
++ Overhead wire technology has advanced to the point that it is possible to build trolley route crossings that do not require the buses to slow down.
++ The study recognises that diesel buses could be used to provide more flexibility and reduce financial costs, albeit with increased noise and air emissions.
