$54 million project will speed up mass transit in the busiest parts of Fresno

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- For the past 20 years, Gary Becker has been playing the waiting game at one of the busiest bus stops in Fresno.

"Either come too early or come too late," said Becker. "There's delays, and sometimes the buses break down. That's out of our control, you know?"

It's not a big problem, he says but there's room for improvement. The city is doing just that, improving to meet a growing demand. Soon, people like Becker will be able to catch a bus on Blackstone, between downtown Fresno and River Park, every 10 minutes as part of the new bus rapid transit system.

"A bus is a bus, but in the case of BRT stops are further apart so the time it takes to get from point A to point B is reduced because you're not stopping as often," said Bruce Rudd, City Manager.

It's an expensive investment of $54 Million, mostly from federal grants. It'll also bring new bus stops to old routes as well as another along Kings Canyon. Other changes include a new hub to replace one at the Manchester Mall

and kiosks to cut down on the long lines.

"It's gonna be a great help for the driver, and for us being able to keep the buses on time," said Pamela Taylor, bus driver.

On this day, Becker's bus was right on time.

"I'm going back home, I just got my bus pass-- it's the first of the Month."

But he had to wait 20 minutes for a ride.

"You wait. You wait-- that's life."

The city said construction will start soon and the BRT buses will be running in a year.

They'll also have extended hours, picking people up until 11 at night.