As Maryland considers bids on the $2-plus billion, 16-mile light-rail purple line in suburban Washington, D.C., Connecticut’s bus rapid transit (BRT) system is already blowing past ridership projections, hitting sub-10-minute waits for local and express bus services on a $600 million, 9.4-mile dedicated busway from New Britain to Hartford.

Maryland should return to the planning process — specifically the alternatives analysis performed in 2009 — and endorse a strong BRT alternative providing better, higher-frequency service at the medium ridership levels projected for this crosstown connector.